Tottori Gyukotsu Ramen (鳥取牛骨ラーメン)

Picture a bowl of ramen with a pale golden broth. You lean in, and the smell is sweet and toasty, yet it isn’t pork at all. That’s Tottori Gyukotsu Ramen (鳥取牛骨ラーメン), a regional ramen made with beef bone broth. Today, you’ll find it mainly in central and western Tottori Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan coast of western Honshu. Beef bone broth is rare in Japan, so this bowl tends to surprise people. Stranger still, most locals didn’t even have a special name for it before 2009. Below, we explain how it tastes, why beef took hold here, and where to try it. TOCWhat Is Tottori Gyukotsu Ramen? Tottori gyukotsu ramen is a soy sauce or salt ramen built on broth from simmered beef bones. In addition, shops usually pair it with wavy noodles and simple toppings like bean sprouts, menma (seasoned bamboo shoots), and green onion. According to Tottori Prefecture, this style is rare across Japan. Even so, its shops dot the central and western parts of the prefecture. Quick Facts Japanese name鳥取牛骨ラーメン (gyukotsu means “beef bone”) RegionCentral and western Tottori, including Yonago, Kurayoshi, Kotoura, and Hokuei BrothBeef bones; some shops also blend in pork bones SeasoningSoy sauce or salt Noodles...