Encyclopedia / Bowl anatomy
Bowl anatomy · Theme 29 / 50
Kikurage
きくらげ
Wood-ear mushrooms contribute a distinctive springy crunch. Thin strips are familiar in many pork-bone ramen presentations.
What to notice
The photograph is a tonkotsu-style reference. Actual toppings vary, and the image is not an ingredient inventory.
Try it with your next bowl
If present, compare the mushroom’s snap with the noodle’s bite. Texture is part of ramen’s design.
Akira.Sasaki · Public domain · source & details
Actual kikurage mushrooms growing on wood, photographed in Gunma in July 2007. This shows the mushroom itself before the preparation and slicing used for ramen.
Read further
Independent editorial explanation and tasting suggestions. These sources provide terminology or background; they do not certify the ingredients of a shop’s dish.
Edited 18 October 2026 · Subject-specific images; photographs and AI illustrations are labelled separately.