Tsugaru ramen is a local ramen dish from the Tsugaru region in Aomori Prefecture and has its roots in Tsugaru soba.
Tsugaru soba has a long history, however Tsugaru ramen is a more recent dish, making its mark when “local cuisine” started to become a buzzword.
As with Tsugaru soba, the ramen dish is unique in its Japanese-style soup, with the majority of restaurants using dried and grilled anchovy stock as a soup base instead of broth made on chicken or tonkotsu (pork bone).
The noodles in this ramen dish are almost always hand-made by the restaurant serving them, and are thin and wavy.
The topping is also unique and similar to Tsugaru soba, with most stores serving the ramen with “fua” (baked pieces of wheat gluten) - a sure sign that it is a bowl of Tsugaru ramen.
Make sure you try Tsugaru ramen along with Tsugaru soba when you visit the region.
