This regional miso ramen from Marutai takes its inspiration from Sapporo, the largest city in Hokkaido and a place known for its rich, hearty noodle bowls. It’s (currently) the only miso-based entry in Marutai’s local series, and the packaging highlights two types of red miso as the foundation of the broth.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 53: Marutai Hokkaido Sapporo Miso RamenThe flavor base combines pork, chicken, vegetables, and garlic, with added depth from a concentrated kelp stock also sourced from Hokkaido. The noodles in this pack are extra thick and take five minutes to cook (longer than any others in Marutai’s lineup) which suggests something special. The packaging also suggests toppings like green onion, corn, pork, or bean sprouts. While corn isn’t included, it would be an especially fitting addition: corn is a uniquely regional topping embraced in Hokkaido’s ramen culture since the ’90s or early 2000s. It’s a detail that sets this apart, as I found based on my research that it’s nearly impossible to find corn in any other East Asian noodle dish outside of Americanized ramen shops. This pack includes two servings and typically sells for $4–8 depending on where you shop. Sodium content is substantial, about 2,280mg per serving, so be cautious if you plan on drinking all of the broth.
Noodles:
The thick, yellow noodles here are square-cut and hearty. They’re noticeably chewier and more robust than Marutai’s other offerings, and they hold up wonderfully in the strong, savory broth. Their texture is almost on par with fresh noodles, and they’re clearly a cut above standard instant fare.
• 10/10
Spiciness:
This one is completely mild with no chili heat or spicy oil. It focuses purely on depth of flavor rather than spiciness.
• 0/10
Overall:
This is, hands down, one of the best miso soups I’ve ever had, instant or otherwise. The broth is deeply fermented, rich with garlic, and has just the right amount of oil and salt to create a bold, comforting bowl. It’s astonishing that this level of complexity comes from a $4 pack of ramen. While there are no dried toppings or vegetables included, the flavor is so exceptional that it’s impossible for me to dock points. I literally let out the happiest ramen-related sigh of my life on my first taste. It easily surpasses other contenders like Maruchan Gold Spicy Miso or Nissin Raoh Miso in both flavor and noodle quality.
• 10/10
Notes since filming:
Right now, this is still the standard to which I will hold any other miso broth. If your only experience with miso soup is that tiny bowl with seaweed and tofu that you get at sushi restaurants in the US, you owe it to yourself to try this. My first taste of this is probably the most memorable first taste I experienced on this channel.
