Kurume Taiho Instant Ramen - 久留米ラーメン

So here it is, the last instant ramen from my trip. Could I have coincidentally saved the best for last? According to Rameniac, this is one of his REAL favorites. It looks like I'm in for a treat because we all know that "the rameniac" doesn't joke around when it comes to tonkotsu ramen from Kyushu.


The plain looking box opened in a revealing fashion, unlike any other. And inside was a beauty awaiting anxiously to please my yearning hunger. Under the cover was a detailed description on how the ramen should be prepared. It even included a time line that showed how many seconds to cook the noodles in order to arrive at your preference. 30 seconds for 超かため (super hard), 60 seconds for かため (hard), 90 seconds for ふつう (normal), and 120 seconds for やわめ (soft). I chose normal.


The contents of this 昔ラーメン (old-style ramen) include:

• 自家製生めん (Home-made noodles)
• スープ (Soup)
• とんこつ用ごま (Sesame seeds especially for tonkotsu)
• 紅しょうが (Red ginger)

If you've ever smelled slightly-ground goma (sesame seeds) then the pic below might bring back those memories. That smell is unforgettably delectable and it goes great with this soup. A surprisingly sweet taste combined with the shyoga (red ginger) and goma made for a harmonious balance of flavor. This is without a doubt, a great blend of ingredients.


The noodles were also distinguished in their own right. Graceful and elegant are the only words that can do them justice. I now understand Rameniac's feelings toward this ramen. Hopefully I'll get to try the original someday.

Main Ingredients

Soup (スープ): Animal extract, pork oil, salt, dextrose, soy sauce, gelatin, spice, sugar, sesame, monosodium glutamate, sake, グァーガム...
Noodles (メン): Flour, egg powder, salt, embryo bud, calcium, sake, milk, kansui, gardenia...