Maruchan Majimori Seabura Tonkotsu / マルちゃん本気森背脂とんこつ

Seabura, or pork back fat, is something that fades in and out as a trend for instant ramen and for regular ramen bowls as well. For people outside of Japan, pork back fat is not really known as a separate product which you can find in your local supermarket. It’s mostly removed to a high degree from pork back cuts and rarely sold as separate cut. In Japan on the other hand it is well known as a ramen ingredient and topping. As an ingredient it lends fat and gelatin to rich and fatty soups. As a topping it is usually strained onto bowls like a dusting of powdered sugar. It acts similar like fresh cream would act, adding creaminess and richness. And also a certain “messiness” factor.

Maruchan is trying to emulate this with this bowl, combined with a bigger than usual cup size (majimori = real size).

Preparation

As simple as it gets. Just add boiling water to the line. No extra sachets, everything is already in the cup.

Review

The first impression is actually quite nice. The pork back fat is on the top of the bowl and rehydrates in place. However, after the first slurp or two, it mixes into the soup and isn't really noticeable anymore. The soup is a smooth and quite mild tonkotsu with hints of garlic, which would be creamy enough even without the added seabura. The noodles are fried instant noodles, maybe a bit firmer and harder than the average ones. Not really good, not terrible. The bits of rehydrated chicken meat also soon get lost in the cup after a few slurps and don't really add anything flavor-wise.

Overall, the bowl is quite disappointing on its own. However, it could serve as a good base to modify and top it with strong tasting stuff like some kimchi or some Lao Ga Ma.