Words about taste and cooking

Especially at ramen, udon, and soba shops, and at set-meal restaurants, you're often asked to choose a style of flavor or cooking. Here are the words that come up most.

Broth and flavor families

• 醤油 (shōyu) — Soy sauce–based broth or seasoning.
• 味噌 (miso) — A miso-based broth, usually rich and savory.
• 塩 (shio) — "Salt." A clear broth seasoned mainly with salt.
• 豚骨 (tonkotsu) — A cloudy broth made from pork bones, especially common in Kyushu ramen.
• 辛口 / 甘口 (karakuchi / amakuchi) — Spicy/strong vs. mild/sweet, used for curry, mapo tofu, and more.

How something's cooked

• 生 (nama) — Raw, uncooked.
• 炙り (aburi) — Lightly seared on the surface, common with sushi and sashimi.

Adjusting richness and portion

• こってり / あっさり (kotteri / assari) — Rich and heavy vs. light, especially used for ramen broth.
• 濃いめ / 薄め (koime / usume) — Stronger or lighter seasoning, sometimes adjustable on request.
• 多め / 少なめ (ōme / sukuname) — More or less than the usual amount of noodles, rice, and so on.
• 抜き (nuki) — "Without." As in "ネギ抜き" (no green onion) — leave an ingredient out.
• 大盛・追い飯 (ōmori / oimeshi) — Extra-large portion; 追い飯 (oimeshi) specifically means adding rice to the leftover sauce or broth in a donburi bowl.

Noodle firmness

Udon, soba, and especially ramen shops sometimes let you choose noodle firmness. 硬め・普通・やわらかめ (katame / futsū / yawarakame) — firm, regular, soft — are the basic terms, but Hakata-style ramen shops often use their own scale: バリカタ (barikata, quite firm), ハリガネ (harigane, even firmer), and 粉落とし (konaotoshi, noodles barely dipped in hot water). The exact range each word covers is said to vary by shop.

Related foods

For kaedama and other menu words, see Words you'll see on a menu.