Ramen broth can be classified into three categories based on the ingredients used:
- Chicken broth: made from chicken carcass.
- Combination broth: made from a combination of chicken and Japanese dashi stock.
- Tonkotsu: made from pork bones.
The ingredients used to make ramen broth can vary depending on the type of broth. For example, a homemade ramen broth recipe shared by Chopstick Chronicles uses chicken carcasses, chicken wings, scallions, ginger, garlic, sake, kelp, bonito flake, and dried shiitake mushrooms. A recipe shared by RecipeTin Japan uses a combination of pork bones, chicken carcasses, and bonito flakes. A shoyu ramen broth recipe shared by Pinch and Swirl uses animal broth made from bones (chicken, beef, pork, or a combination) and dashi, which is fish stock. Steeping kombu (thick, dried sea kelp/seaweed) and katsuobushi (simmered, smoked, and fermented skipjack tuna that is shaved and dried into paper-thin flakes - also called bonito flakes) in water is the most common dashi. A tonkotsu ramen broth recipe shared by Glebe Kitchen uses pork bones with a little meat on them, white mushrooms, and onion.
In summary, ramen broth can be made from a variety of ingredients depending on the type of broth, but common ingredients include chicken carcasses, pork bones, bonito flakes, and dashi.
