sometimes fish or beef) stock with plenty of soy sauce added resulting in a soup that is tangy, salty, and savory yet still fairly light on the palate. ramen usually has curly noodles rather than straight ones, although this is not always the case. It is often adorned with marinated bamboo shoots or menma, scallions, ('carrot'), ('fish cakes'), ('seaweed'), boiled eggs, bean sprouts or black pepper; occasionally the soup will also contain chili oil or Chinese spices, and some shops serve sliced beef instead of the usual chāshū. () ramen reached national prominence around 1965. This uniquely Japanese ramen, which was developed in Sapporo Hokkaido, features a broth that combines copious miso and is blended with oily chicken or fish broth – and sometimes with or lard – to create a thick, nutty, slightly sweet and very hearty soup. ramen broth tends to have a robust, tangy flavor, so it stands up to a variety of flavorful toppings: spicy bean paste or tōbanjan (豆瓣醤), butter and corn, leeks, onions, bean sprouts, ground pork, cabbage, sesame seeds, white pepper, chilli and chopped garlic are common. The noodles are typically thick, curly, and slightly chewy. (, 'curry') ramen is a relative newcomer, cooked with curry soup. In Japan, several cities claim to be its place of origin. The city of Muroran claims it originated there in 1965 (see also Muroran curry ramen), while the city of Sanjō claims to have had ramen for over 80 years, and the city of Katori also claims to have been the site of its origin. Curry soup is mainly made with pork bones and vegetables and is seasoned with curry. The noodles are thick and curly. Toppings include chāshū, wakame, and bean sprouts. Toppings After basic preparation, ramen can be seasoned and flavored with any number of toppings, including but not limited to: Chāshū (sliced barbecued or braised pork) Negi (green onion) (Pickled and seasoned mustard leaves) Seasoned (usually salted) boiled egg (soy egg, ) Bean or other sprouts Menma (lactate-fermented bamboo shoots) Kakuni (braised pork cubes or squares) (wood ear mushroom) Nori (dried seaweed) Kamaboko (formed fish paste, often in a pink and white spiral called narutomaki) Squid Umeboshi (pickled plum) Corn Butter Wakame (a type of seaweed) Olive oil Sesame oil Soy sauce Other types of vegetables Preference Seasonings commonly added to ramen are white pepper, black pepper, butter, chili pepper, sesame seeds, and