Crunchy wood ear mushrooms seasoned with soy sauce and sesame — a classic ramen topping that adds texture to every bowl.
Table of Contents
About This Recipe
Pairs well with: Tonkotsu ramen
The quality of a bowl of ramen is not determined by the soup and noodles alone. A bowl that stays interesting until the very last bite almost always has a textural contrast built in — and that is exactly the role that seasoned wood ear mushrooms play.
Kikurage lacks the visual drama of chashu or the richness of a marinated egg. Yet it has remained a fixture of tonkotsu ramen shops for decades, and for good reason. Amid the richness of the broth, the softness of the noodles, and the tenderness of the meat, each firm, satisfying bite of kikurage brings a welcome shift in rhythm — the kind of detail that keeps a bowl engaging from the first bite to the last.
This recipe adds another dimension to that role: the mushrooms are seasoned with soy sauce, mirin, sake, and raw cane sugar, then finished with sesame oil and ground sesame seeds. The result is something savory and aromatic enough to enjoy on its own — and when it meets a bowl of hot ramen, that flavor deepens further.
This recipe is part of our Ramen Topping series — a collection of homemade toppings that transform any bowl of ramen, including instant noodles, into a restaurant-quality experience. Each topping works beautifully on its own, and the more you layer, the more satisfying the bowl becomes.
Ingredients (Serves 4–5)
-
Dried wood ear mushrooms (kikurage) 0.35 oz / 10 g
(rehydrated in water, tough ends trimmed, thinly sliced) - Soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Sake ½ tbsp
- Mirin ½ tbsp
- Raw cane sugar (kibizato) ½ tbsp
- Sesame oil 1 tbsp
- Ground white sesame seeds 2 tbsp
Instructions
| 1 | Heat sesame oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the rehydrated kikurage and sauté. Tip Pat the kikurage dry before sautéing. Removing excess moisture prevents the mushrooms from becoming watery and helps the seasoning absorb more effectively. |
| 2 | Add the soy sauce, sake, mirin, and raw cane sugar. Continue sautéing, stirring to coat, until almost no liquid remains. Tip Reducing the liquid until nearly gone concentrates the flavor and gives the kikurage a well-seasoned, topping-ready finish. |
| 3 | Reduce the heat, add the ground white sesame seeds, and mix to combine. Tips
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