Within Kyushu, Kagoshima ramen is the only tonkotsu ramen style to have escaped the influence of Kurume ramen. As such, ramen from this far southern Japanese prefecture can at best be considered a distant cousin to the more well-known ramen of Hakata.

Kagoshima ramen, said to have originated at the shop "Noboru-ya" in 1947, is very different from the common perception of "Kyushu ramen" in the minds of Japanese ramen fans. It remains, however, a tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen, often made with Kagoshima kurobuta (black pork or Berkeshire pork, as it's known in the West). Unlike Hakata ramen, the tonkotsu soup is prepared with chicken broth and vegetables. As a result, it is not very greasy, nor is it nearly as opaque as ramen from neighboring prefectures.

There are two kinds of Kagoshima ramen noodles. One is very thick and derived from the broad, flat noodles of Okinawan soba. The other is very thin noodles influenced by Taiwanese min shen or bi fun. Both varieties are cooked very softly. Toppings often include kurobuta chashu, as Kagoshima is a sub-tropical prefecture known throughout Japan for its kurobuta.

Kagoshima ramen is often accompanied by all-you-can-eat daikon tsukemono (pickled white radish), and a little teapot full of tea. Kagoshima ramen is typically a little more expensive than other styles of ramen.

<< miyazaki ramen |

ramen styles index

| hiroshima & onomichi ramen >>