Gluten Free Instant Ramen - there aren't a whole lot of options out there. Furthermore, the ones that exist aren't very good. Nor are they authentic.
Amid this backdrop, Japanese company Kobayashi Seimen has risen to the challenge. Their gluten free instant ramen includes three tasty flavors - miso, shoyu and tonktosu. These three are also MGS free!
Gluten Free Instant Ramen - Breakdown of the Three
This "Gluten Free Meister" product is sold as the packet style of instant ramen. In other words, the packets include soup and noodles (no toppings). Let's see what the three flavors are all about - miso, shoyu, and tonkotsu!
Nutty Miso Ramen
Originally from a cold part of Japan, miso ramen is the perfect winter companion. The soup is hearty and the miso (soy bean) base is nutty and savory.
This is exactly what you get in this gluten free instant version. The salty, sweetly flavored soup is accompanied by a wonderful soy bean nuttiness. The soup is also 100% vegan!
Tangy Shoyu Ramen
Shoyu (soy sauce) ramen is the most widely consumed ramen style in Japan. With soy sauce being the star, the soup's flavor is normally tangy, sweet, and even sour.
The soup in this instant shoyu ramen leans towards sour. Just like the miso ramen, it's vegan. It resultantly has this pure, revitalizing taste.
Creamy Tonkotsu Ramen
Famous for its rich soup, tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen hails from Southern Japan This instant version doesn't use any pork bones though. In other words, it's gluten, MSG, AND pork bone free.
Only the egg ingredients in the soup keep it from being vegan. It's creamy but not overly heavy. This is my personal favorite from the three.
Noodle Summary
There's nothing quite like a bowl of "traditional ramen". I'm someone that eats it every day, instant ramen included. This said, I do have to say that I'm impressed with this product.
The noodles in particular are good. While I do miss the wheaty flavor of traditional ramen noodles, these gluten free noodles have a fantastic bite and bounce to them.
I'd expect nothing less from a Japanese food company that understands what ramen is and what ramen should be! Hats off to Kobayashi Seimen.
If you want to buy these gluten free, MSG Free ramen packets directly from Japan, visit the shop HERE.