Homemade Ramen

There are books that teach you how to make ramen, and then there is Homemade Ramen. Written by Sho Spaeth, a meticulous cook and longtime ramen obsessive, this is an unmatched resource for anyone who wants to pursue serious ramen-making at home—not just to replicate a restaurant-style bowl, but to understand its every component, from broth to tare to noodles.

Spaeth draws from years of research and experimentation to offer detailed, precise instructions for building an ideal bowl of ramen. His recipes span a variety of styles—classic shoyu, spicy tantanmen, miso ramen, pork rib tsukemen, vegan chickpea broth, and more—but the real strength of the book lies in the clarity with which it explains foundational elements and how to adapt them to home kitchens.

Nowhere is this more impressive than in the noodle chapter, which represents a substantial leap forward in English-language ramen writing. Spaeth devotes more than 20 pages to making six types of alkaline noodles, including guidance on flour choice, gluten development, mixing and resting dough, adjusting hydration, and achieving ideal texture and shape without industrial equipment. He tackles optional—but deeply informative—steps like noodle aging, massaging, and folding, and even addresses the art of how to swirl noodles in the bowl to best hold toppings.

The book is just as illuminating when it comes to broth and toppings. Spaeth walks readers through classic building blocks like ginger-scallion oil, rendered chicken fat, pork belly, cracklings, and jammy onsen eggs, while also explaining the deeper architecture of what makes a bowl cohesive. Over 100 step-by-step photographs help bring the process into focus, offering clarity and confidence along the way.

For ramen enthusiasts, this book is a major event: a smart, focused, and genuinely useful guide to one of the world’s most satisfying dishes. Homemade Ramen doesn't just teach technique—it opens the door to years of joyful practice.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.