Ramen is a national food that is offered relatively cheap at around 500 yen to 1,000 yen a bowl. With the cool temperature in Hokkaido, ramen is cherished all over the prefecture.

And, Sapporo, Hakodate, Asahikawa, and Kushiro are even called the “Four Great Ramen of Hokkaido”, with many unique variations found all over the prefecture.

Depending on the region the noodles, soup, and ingredients are different, and we recommend visiting local ramen shops when traveling around Hokkaido.

Also, there are many types of Hokkaido instant ramen and Sapporo instant ramen that replicate the flavor of famous shops. They can be purchased at supermarkets, and convenience stores, and especially the single portion ramen are compact and make great gifts.

If you are going to buy Sapporo instant ramen noodles as gifts in Hokkaido, we recommend buying products from local companies.

Various companies make these exclusive Hokkaido instant ramen products. We will cover instant ramen by “Fujiwara Seimen,” with their headquarters located in Asahikawa City.

They are a long-established shop that opened in 1948 and have been making and selling noodles. Instant ramen by Fujiwara Seimen is known for its high quality. Here are five of their recommend Hokkaido instant ramen.

The instant ramen package has a design of the polar bear Pirika kept at Sapporo Maruyama Zoo. The shio (salt) ramen flavor was praised on TV.

They use raw noodles that were dried for two days instead of noodles deep-fried in oil. Since they use a method that takes time, they created noodles with a strong texture, unlike other Hokkaido instant ramen.

Also, water used to boil the noodles is drained, and fresh water is used for the soup. However, for this product, you can use the water used to boil the noodles for the soup. Since the noodles are carefully made, they don’t become slimy. It is a popular item because you only need to use one pot, and it can be made in 5 minutes.

A classic Hokkaido souvenir “Kuma Shutsubotsu Chui Ramen!” (Beware of Bear Ramen). It comes in three flavors of shoyu, miso, and shio. The shoyu flavor has the unique feature of Asahikawa ramen where the soup is stewed slowly with chicken bones. The miso flavor has the Sapporo ramen style with just the right amount of garlic. The shio ramen is light, but you can taste the vegetable flavor.

Also, they use noodles that were dried for two days. You can tell it is from Hokkaido just by looking at the package, and with its high-quality taste, it’s hard to believe it’s a pack of instant noodles.

Asahikawa Ramen Aoba, is a ramen shop that opened in 1947 in Asahikawa, and the flavor was replicated into instant ramen. They have a unique soup that is made with ingredients such as pork bones, chicken bones, bonito, niboshi (dried infant sardines) and kombu (kelp). The instant ramen replicates the Asahikawa ramen’s unique fish and pork double soup flavor.

The noodles are slightly thin and curly, and have a texture as if they are fresh noodles. By following the instructions on the package, you can enjoy exquisite ramen at home.

Yoshiyama Shoten is a popular ramen shop that has multiple shops in Sapporo City. Their Sapporo instant ramen noodles have replicated the popular Baizen Goma Miso Ramen (slow-roasted sesame). They use two types of white miso to create a unique deep rich flavor. It is rich, but not overwhelming, and you can taste the sesame paste.

You can tell that Fujiwara Seimen focused on the noodles as you can taste the natural flavor of the wheat. The noodles have received many praises from reviews.

A Hokkaido instant ramen that replicated Hakodate’s famous shop, “Ramen no Odou Kitahama Shoten.” Hakodate’s shio ramen is known for its clear soup, however at Kitahama Shoten their soup is cloudy because they add tonkotsu (pork-based soup).

This soup is spectacular and has received many high praises on ramen review websites. The replicated flavor is spot on and matches the noodles perfectly.

Also, the faint aroma of garlic stimulates the appetite. A ramen you can eat from morning or when not feeling well is sure to make a gift that is appreciated!

You can purchase instant ramen at supermarkets and the airport in Hokkaido. Depending on the location, they may not have what you are looking for, so we recommend looking at multiple locations.

Also, dried noodles easily crumble on impact, and in many cases they are ruined if you purchased them early in your travels. We recommend purchasing them at the airport on your way home, or if you purchase them early on, make sure to pack them carefully. When you are looking for souvenirs, please stop by the instant ramen section in the supermarket.

Writer = Toru Nakta, Takuma Handa; Editor = Minna no Kotobasha