Butamen: Oyatsu Company’s Dagashi Mini Cup Ramen
As you know, ramen is a quintessential Japanese noodle soup that comes in various kinds of instant noodles.
Instant ramen is usually available in the instant noodles aisle of grocery stores, but here in Japan, you can also find them in the snack/candy section for children.
And representative examples of such products include Baby Star Ramen (ベビースターラーメン) and what I introduce here, Butamen (ブタメン), meaning Pork Noodles.
Butamen (ブタメン)
While Baby Star Ramen is a deep-fried noodle snack, Butamen is a mini cup ramen for kids, both from Oyatsu Company (おやつカンパニー), a food maker based in Tsu, Mie.
Oyatsu Company Butamen went on the market in 1993 and grabbed children’s hearts, and now, it has become the most popular Dagashi (駄菓子) instant ramen.
Flavors
Even though Butamen is a snack ramen (priced at 80 yen) marketed toward children, it is pretty tasty, so it can also become a great treat for adults.
In the series, this Tonkotsu flavor is the original, but Shoyu, Tanshio, and Curry are also standard flavors loved for a long time.
Tonkotsu (とんこつ: Pork Bone)
| Tonkotsu Flavor, 37g |
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| Amazon.co.jp |
Tonkotsu is my favorite in the series. The pork bone broth is light-tasting but packed with umami.
Shoyu (しょうゆ: Soy Sauce)
| Shoyu Flavor, 31g |
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| Amazon.co.jp |
As with others, Shoyu is one of the regular flavors of the series. The soy sauce-based soup is fragrant and stimulates the appetite.
Tanshio (タン塩: Salted Beef Tongue)
| Tanshio Flavor, 37g |
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| Amazon.co.jp |
Tanshio is a rare flavor for ramen. But this Butamen cup has plenty of umami from the grilled beef tongue and can satisfy you.
Curry (カレー)
| Curry Flavor, 37g |
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| Amazon.co.jp |
The Curry Ramen is a thick, flavorful, and delicious noodle soup.
