Ramen Firmness · Let's Master English

Ramen Firmness

In most ramen shops, you can choose the firmness of the noodles.

Kona-otoshi (literally “powder drop”) — the firmest one. The noodles are boiled for only a moment, just long enough for the powder clinging to the noodles to fall off.
Hari-gane (“wire”) — very hard, like a wire.
Bari-kata — very firm. Bari means “very,” and kata means “firm.”
Kata — firm. (This is what I usually order.)
Yaya-kata — a little firm. Yaya means “a little.”
Futsuu — normal.
Yaya-yawa — a little soft. Yawa means “soft.”
Yawa — soft.

Each ramen shop has its own style, but this is a typical firmness scale in Japan.

Kona-otoshi would destroy my stomach.

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