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Ramen types

Tsukemen in Japan: Dip the Noodles, Don't Pour

Tsukemen means dipping noodles. The noodles and the dipping soup come separately: lift a few noodles, dip them in the soup and slurp, instead of pouring the soup over. Tsukemen is said to have started in Tokyo as a staff meal, and some shops offer soup-wari, thinning your leftover soup so you can drink it.

By Ready in JapanUpdated 4 official sources

Video cover: Tsukemen in Japan: Dip the Noodles, Don't PourVideo out Nov 5

The 23-second video, with Hako. Follow on YouTube to catch it.

The 3 things to know

  1. Dip, do not pour

    The soup is for dipping. Keep it in its own bowl and dip the noodles into it.

  2. A few noodles at a time

    Lift a few noodles with your chopsticks, dip them, and slurp.

  3. Soup-wari at the end

    At some shops, when you ask for soup-wari, the staff thin your leftover dipping soup so you can drink it.

Quick answers

What is the difference between tsukemen and ramen?

In ramen the noodles sit in the soup. In tsukemen the noodles and the dipping soup come separately, and you dip the noodles yourself.

Where did tsukemen come from?

It is said to have started in Tokyo as a staff meal at a ramen shop. Sources differ on the year and the shop.

What is soup-wari?

At some tsukemen shops, the staff thin your leftover dipping soup with broth so you can drink it at the end.

Read the video transcript

Don't pour the soup over. You dip the noodles.

This is tsukemen, or dipping noodles. The noodles and soup come separately.

You lift a few noodles, dip them, and slurp.

Tsukemen is said to have started in Tokyo as a staff meal.

Some shops offer soup-wari: they thin your leftover soup so you can drink it.

More Ramen Types on the way.

Sources & how we checked

The tips on this page were checked against these official pages:

  1. hugkum.sho.jpHugKum (Shogakukan) - Tsukemen and how to eat it (Japanese)
  2. bunshun.jpBungeishunju (Bunshun) - The origin of tsukemen (Japanese)
  3. maff.go.jpMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries - Ramen timeline (Japanese)
  4. allabout.co.jpAll About - Soup-wari at tsukemen shops (Japanese)
Updated
Video
23 seconds, made by Ready in Japan
Good to know
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More on ramen types

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