Shoyu Tare and Shio Tare for Home Ramen

Tare is the small jar that turns stock into ramen. Make it once and season each bowl rather than salting the whole pot. This recipe is adapted for a Hong Kong flat, locally available ingredients and a normal hob.

Cooking hub: How to Make Ramen at Home in a Hong Kong Kitchen. Component guide: Anatomy of a Ramen Bowl.

Makes about 250 ml of each tare. Start with 30 ml tare per 350 ml broth, then adjust by taste.

🛒 1. Ingredients

• Shoyu: 150 ml soy sauce, 75 ml mirin, 50 ml sake, kombu and sugar
• Shio: 180 ml water, 25 g sea salt, kombu, dried shiitake and mirin

🔥 2. Method

1. For shoyu, warm ingredients gently for 5 minutes; never boil hard.
2. Cool 30 minutes with kombu, then strain.
3. For shio, steep kombu and shiitake 2 hours or overnight; warm to dissolve salt, cool and strain.
4. Warm a bowl, add tare and aroma oil, then hot broth, noodles and toppings.

🧂 3. Adjustments and substitutions

Use Shaoxing wine sparingly if sake is unavailable. Theory: ramen tare.

Tare is highly concentrated. It is not a dipping sauce; fish, wheat, soy, sesame and alcohol can hide in commercial versions. See ramen allergens.

❓ FAQ

How long does it keep? About one month refrigerated in a clean sealed jar.

How do I reduce sodium? Use 20 ml per bowl and add aromatic oil; see low-sodium ramen.