Myoko Tonjiru Ramen: Niigata’s Pork Vegetable Miso Ramen
Sapporo miso ramen, Kitakata ramen, and Hakata tonkotsu ramen are Japan’s 3 Major Local Ramen.
These noodle soups are available around the country and have been favorites of many Japanese for a long time.
But Japan has countless varieties of ramen other than these, and in Niigata Prefecture, where I live, there are five popular types.
And this Tonjiru Ramen is also what you should remember.
Myoko Tonjiru Ramen
Tachibana Tonjiru Ramen
Image: tabelog.com
Tonjiru ramen (豚汁ラーメン) is a specialty of Myoko City.
As you may know, Tonjiru (豚汁), literally pork soup, is a representative variety of Japanese miso soup, and its main ingredient is pork belly.
The birthplace of Tonjiru ramen is a restaurant that specializes in Tonjiru soup named Tachibana (たちばな), to which I have been several times, for my parents’ house is in its neighborhood.
Tonjiru usually contains various vegetables, such as carrot and daikon radish, while the shop’s noodle soup mainly uses pork, tofu, and plenty of onions.
Because of that, the ramen features a gentle, rich sweetness from those ingredients.
With heavy snowfall in the winter, Myoko has several famous ski resorts, and every year, many tourists from in and outside of Japan come to the city to enjoy skiing.
If you also plan to visit Myoko City, Niigata, the Tachibana Tonjiru Ramen is worth trying, and I recommend it.
Shop Information: Tachibana (たちばな)
Address: 2-3-10 Kurihara, Myoko City, Niigata Pref. (MAP)
Open: 10:00 to 20:00
Closed: Mondays
Instant Noodles from Acecook
By the way, the other day, I tried this Myoko Tonjiru Ramen (妙高とん汁ラーメン), a locally-limited cup of instant ramen from Acecook.
Acecook created it emulating the Tachibana Tonjiru Ramen, and you can see Negicco, the idol group Niigata boasts, on the cup.
As in the original dish, the garnishes of this cup ramen consist of bits of tofu, seasoned pork, and onions.
The resulting noodle soup captures the characteristics of Myoko Tonjiru Ramen, and the taste was pretty good.
