A Complete Hokkaido Ramen Experience: Miso, Soy Sauce, and Salt Ramen Showdown

Winter in Hokkaido is freezing cold with snow falling all around. In such frigid weather, a steaming bowl of hot ramen is sure to warm you from head to toe. Hokkaido’s three major ramen styles — “Sapporo Ramen, Asahikawa Ramen, and Hakodate Ramen” — have gained popularity among food lovers for their unique broths and ingredients, each holding a prominent place and standing out among ramen varieties across Japan.

Sapporo Ramen, known for its rich miso flavor, features a thick, flavorful broth in generous portions. Initially, ramen in Sapporo actually started with a salt-based version, but miso flavor was accidentally developed and eventually became the representative style of Sapporo Ramen. Along the Ramen Yokocho (Ramen Alley) near Sapporo Susukino Station, there’s a nationally famous ramen street where about 20 to 30 ramen shops are packed into just 200 meters. Each shop has its own distinct character. Due to fierce competition, prices are standardized across all the shops on the street, so diners don’t have to worry about cost — just pick a shop that catches your eye and enjoy a hearty meal.

Asahikawa Ramen, primarily soy sauce–based, uses pork bone broth with soy sauce for a delicious taste that evokes a sense of nostalgic simplicity. The noodles in Asahikawa are firmer and thinner, known in Japan as “thin straight noodles.” Their slightly curly shape allows them to better absorb the flavors of the broth. Asahikawa claims to be the birthplace of Hokkaido ramen and many shops use special recipes — for example, because temperatures in Asahikawa can drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius in winter, shops created a unique broth formula to prevent oil from floating on the surface. With over 800 ramen shops in Asahikawa and a “Ramen Village” that gathers eight ramen stores under one roof, the rich, old-school soy sauce aroma is enough to whet anyone’s appetite.

As for Hakodate Ramen, it is famed for its light and refreshing salt-based broth. Hakodate was once a major international trading port in Japan, and its salt ramen broth was inspired by techniques brought by Chinese immigrants, combined with the area’s abundant seafood to create the precursor to today’s Hakodate Ramen. The ramen’s defining feature is its long-simmered, clear broth that is light yet not greasy, paired with a variety of fresh seafood and local specialties — a bowl full of this goodness is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. For ramen lovers, Hokkaido is truly an unforgettable experience.

Read more: Try a light oden snack (provided by Tripass Attractions)