What is Narutomaki? (The White and Pink Thing on Ramen)

Tokyo-style ramen

What's the white and pink swirl thing on ramen? It's called 'Narutomaki' (なると巻き) or just 'Naruto' for short. Narutomaki is a type of cured fish surimi (called kamaboko in Japanese) that is a classic topping for ramen. Each slice of naruto has a pink or red spiral pattern This roll is primarily made of frozen surimi (processed, pureed whitefish), while the pink swirl comes from food coloring. The fish paste log is then cooked with steam so that it solidifies and can be cut into thin slices.

Narutomaki has a fairly mild fishy taste and a chewy texture. It was originally included in ramen as a visual contrast to the brown colors of the soup, chashu (braised pork), and menma (fermented bamboo shoots) that dominate the bowl. Since it's not really important for flavor, the majority of modern ramen shops no longer use naruto as a topping. However, it does taste good and is still loved by many!

There's apparently no written record of the origin of the name 'Narutomaki,' but the common theory is that the fish cake was given its name because the shape is reminiscent of the famous 'Naruto Whirlpools,' the spiraling ocean water that forms pools between Shikoku and Awaji Island every six hours or so. Located along the Shikoku coast, the whirlpools are visible for an hour or two at a time.

Naruto had been used as a topping for Japanese soba noodles since the end of the Edo period, some 150+ years ago, before ramen was even eaten in Japan. When ramen was first introduced to Japan from China in the early 1900s, it was called 'shina soba,' which means 'Chinese soba.' It's thought that since narutomaki was commonly used as a topping for Japanese soba, it was soon added to the new 'Chinese soba' as well.