When it comes to Asian cuisine, Noodles are a staple. 

There are various types of noodles often based on the different ingredients which used to make them. 

Ramen noodles are a wheat-based noodles popular in Japan.  

These noodles are used in different ramen recipes where they are often paired with a broth and different toppings.

There are hundreds of ramen recipes where different these noodles are combined with a wide variety of ingredients. 

The ramen noodles used in these recipes also vary; they could be fresh or dried, the noodles can be straight, they can also be curly, and they can also be of different thickness. 

Some ramen recipes feature thin noodles while some are made with thick noodles. 

The type of broth and toppings used may depend on the thickness of the noodles.

In this post we compare thick and thin ramen noodles.

Difference between thick and thin ramen noodles

Size

Ramen noodles can be categorized by size. 

The thick ramen noodles could reach sizes of up to 2.5mm in diameter while the thin ramen noodles could be as small as 1mm to 1.5mm. 

Thick ramen noodles are most often straight, a few are curly. Thin noodles can either be straight or curly. 

Texture

The thick and thin ramen noodles also have slightly different textures.

Thick noodles are usually chewier and denser than thin noodles.

These thick noodles usually go with heavier broths than thin noodles.

Broth

The thickness of the noodles does not only determine the thickness of the sauce but also the quality as well. 

Thick ramen noodles are better suited for thick broths.

These thick broths are used in moderate amounts and are usually flavorful.

Tsukemen is also known as dipping ramen. In this dish, thick ramen noodles are dipped into a thick sauce. 

On the other hand, thin noodles are usually paired with lighter broths. These light broths are mildly flavored and used in larger quantity.

Tonkatsu broth is a light broth that goes with thin ramen noodles. Shoyu broth is also used with thin noodles.  

Cooking time

The thicker noodles have a lesser surface area, they are also denser which means that they take a longer duration to cook. 

Thinner noodles cook faster. They also absorb the broth faster and this is because of the high surface area that they have. 

Even when in dried form, the thinner noodles reconstitute faster than thicker noodles.

Thin noodles are more likely to get soggy because they absorb broth easier, so you should avoid over cooking them for too long. 

What are ramen noodles?

Ramen is a noodle soup from China. Ramen noodles are Chinese noodles, however they are very popular in Japan.

In this dish, noodles are served in a broth, and it features a variety of toppings.

Ramen noodles are made from wheat flour, salt, water, and kansui.

Kansui gives the noodles their characteristic pale yellow color. It also help with the texture of the noodles.

Some ramen noodles are made with egg in place of kansui.

Noodles come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They may also come fresh, or they may be dried.