Tsukemen Tsukemen is ramen noodles that are boiled, then cooled in cold water and served in a separate bowl with a thick dipping soup. Tsukemen is also called “Mori-soba” or “Tsuke-soba. The noodles served warm are called “Atsumori” and are often eaten in winter. It is said that “Taisho-ken” in Tokyo developed and commercialized tsukemen in 1955, and in 2000, “Ganja,” a ramen restaurant in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, started a new trend of tsukemen with fish powder, extra-thick noodles, and thick seafood soup, which led to a nationwide boom in tsukemen. For this reason, most tsukemen dipping sauces (soups) are rich seafood soups, but there are also various flavors, such as miso and spicy miso flavors.The “Soup-wari” system, in which hot soup is added to the dipping soup after the noodles have been finished, has become the standard at ramen shops that serve tsukemen. Since tsukemen soup has a stronger flavor than regular ramen soup, it is usually topped with the restaurant’s original soup, such as seafood, pork bone, or chicken bone broth, so that the customer can taste the soup. The customer must order the soup by saying, “Soup-wari, please. Many tsukemen specialty shops offer tsukemen at the same price regardless of the amount of noodles, such as “normal,” “medium,” and “large” portions. Tsukemen toppings include pork cha shu pork, chicken cha shu pork, and flavored eggs. Since the bowl of tsukemen is smaller than a standard ramen bowl, ordering more toppings can make it difficult to put the noodles in the bowl. For this reason, some restaurants serve toppings on separate plates. Tsukemen has a short history since its spread, and there are no regional characteristics that can be called “local Tsukemen” yet. Popular tsukemen stores in various regions compete in terms of individuality and taste.
