Tottori Gyukotsu Ramen (Beef Bone Broth Ramen)
Tottori Gyukotsu Ramen (Beef Bone Broth Ramen)
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Tottori gyukotsu ramen is a local ramen of Tottori Prefecture characterized by a soup made from stock taken from beef bones (gyukotsu). It is unusual among Japanese ramen, where pork bone and chicken carcass broths predominate, and its appeal is said to lie in the sweetness and savory aroma of beef fat and its light aftertaste. Shops are concentrated in the central and western parts of the prefecture, such as Yonago City, Sakaiminato City, Kurayoshi City, and Kotoura Town, and only a very few shops serve it in the eastern part of the prefecture. Locally it has long been a taken-for-granted taste, and it was originally enjoyed as one item on the menus of set-meal restaurants and diners rather than at specialty shops. There are several theories about its origin, but 満洲味 (Masumi) in Yonago City is regarded as the shop where it began. In 2009, enthusiasts formed the Tottori Gyukotsu Ramen Omendan (鳥取牛骨ラーメン応麺団) and began promoting it under the name 'Tottori Gyukotsu Ramen.' In 2010, it was ranked second in a TV ranking of local gourmet foods and became known nationwide.
Origin
Tottori Prefecture has long been a cattle- and horse-producing area, and at the foot of Mount Daisen there was a cattle and horse market said to have been one of the largest in western Japan. Because of this regional character, it is thought that there was a foundation for using beef bones. There is also a story that while chicken carcasses had to be paid for at the time, beef bones could be obtained almost for free. There are several theories about its origins, including one that it began when repatriates from Manchuria (northeastern China) recreated the flavors they had known there.
History
満洲味 in Yonago City placed an advertisement for chuka soba in the local newspaper 日本海新聞 in 1951 and is regarded as the shop where gyukotsu ramen began. 香味徳 (Kamitoku) in Akasaki, Kotoura Town, founded in 1949, is also one of the oldest shops. The Tottori Gyukotsu Ramen Omendan was formed in June 2009, and in 2014 the 'Gyukotsu Ramen World Summit' was held in Kurayoshi City. In Yonago City, shops have come together to form the Yonago Gyukotsu Ramen Alliance (米子牛骨ラーメン同盟) and are working to spread the word nationwide.
Features
The soup is made by simmering beef bones for a long time and is finished with a soy sauce or salt flavor. It has the sweetness and savory aroma unique to beef fat, with a light aftertaste. The noodles are basically medium-thick wavy noodles, and the toppings are simple, such as chashu (braised pork), menma (seasoned bamboo shoots), bean sprouts, and green onions. Another characteristic is said to be that many shops top it with kamaboko (fish cake) rather than naruto-maki (swirled fish cake). In recent years, some shops combine it with pork bone or seafood stock, and others serve gyukotsu champon, broadening the range of flavors.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
In the central and western parts of Tottori Prefecture, gyukotsu ramen is less a special local gourmet food than an everyday taste. Some locals say they had assumed ramen was simply something made with beef bone soup, and many people are said not to realize how unusual it is. The Omendan recommends visiting at least three shops to learn its true flavor.
Famous Shops
満洲味
鳥取県米子市西福原9-21-15
A long-established shop in Yonago City regarded as the birthplace of gyukotsu ramen; the name is read 'Masumi.' It is described as featuring gyukotsu ramen with a rich soy sauce flavor. In reviews from around 2021, a bowl of ramen cost about 700 yen. It is said to be closed on Mondays, but it is a good idea to check before visiting.
香味徳 赤碕店
鳥取県東伯郡琴浦町赤碕1979
Founded in 1949, it is one of the oldest gyukotsu ramen shops and serves as the main store of 香味徳. The shop name is a play on the owner's family name, 紙徳. Its soup uses locally made light soy sauce (usukuchi), and at the time of a 2014 interview, gyukotsu ramen (regular size) cost 550 yen. The owner's son has also opened a shop in Ginza, Tokyo.
| 銀座香味徳監修 鳥取ゴールド牛骨ラーメン | A cup noodle product sold by 寿がきや食品 and supervised by the Ginza shop of 香味徳. It is described as featuring a peppery gyukotsu soup, and it lets you easily try the taste of gyukotsu ramen at home. On online shopping sites, it has been listed at about 257 yen per cup (tax included). |
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