Spicy Tsukemen (Dipping Noodles)

What's in it

12 parts read from its 16 ingredient lines and its title.

Broth base

• Chicken “1 teaspoon powdered chicken stock or vegetable stock”
• Seafood or dashi (kombu, bonito, niboshi) “2 tablespoons bonito flakes (optional)”
• Vegetable or mushroom “1 teaspoon powdered chicken stock or vegetable stock”

Tare and seasoning

• Soy sauce (shoyu) “1 tablespoon regular Japanese soy sauce”
• Miso “2 tablespoons white miso paste or awase miso paste”

Aroma oil

• Chili oil (rayu) “½ teaspoon chili oil”
• Sesame oil “1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)”

Noodles

• Dried ramen noodles “6 ounces dry ramen noodles, udon noodles, or soba noodles”
• Instant noodles “6 ounces dry ramen noodles, udon noodles, or soba noodles”

Toppings

• Scallion or negi “2 scallions, chopped on the bias”
• Sesame seeds “1 tablespoon sesame seeds”
• Chili flakes or togarashi “Ichimi togarashi, to taste”

Against the usual Tsukemen

It has 1 of the 4 parts of the usual Tsukemen (dipping ramen): seafood or dashi (kombu, bonito, niboshi). Not on it: chashu, menma (bamboo shoots) and nori.

Less usual for the style: vegetable or mushroom (in 20% of Tsukemen recipes), chili oil (rayu) (in 20% of Tsukemen recipes) and chili flakes or togarashi (in 10% of Tsukemen recipes).

Thick noodles served apart from a small bowl of concentrated dipping broth, often pork and seafood; each mouthful is dipped. The leftover broth is commonly thinned with hot soup at the end and drunk.