Umakara vs. Karashibi Ramen: What’s the Difference?

Many Japanese dishes come in Umakara (旨辛), and representative examples include Umakara Sauce, Umakara Ramen, and Umakara Tan-Tan Men.

But first and foremost, what does the term mean?

Meaning of Umakara (旨辛)

Umakara is a Japanese portmanteau word formed by combining Umai (旨い), meaning tasty/delicious, and Karai (辛い) for spicy or hot in English.

So the foods with this term in the name generally have a spicy but delicious taste.

Umakara Ramen vs. Karashibi Ramen

Umakara Ramen is spicy and hot, but the noodle soup is packed with umami from various ingredients and tastes good.

Karashibi Ramen (カラシビラーメン) or Shibikara Ramen (シビカララーメン) is similar to Umakara Ramen.

Both the spiciness of Uma-Kara Ramen and Kara-Shibi Ramen often comes from red chili pepper or Togarashi (唐辛子).

But the latter dish typically adds a Shibireru (痺れる: tingling) sensation to the Karai spicy taste using sansho pepper and Chinese prickly ash (Sichuan pepper).

(Reference Page: Kakakumag.com )