Meaning of Kaedama, Menkata and Barikata of Ramen Noodles

Pronunciation of Kaedama

Definition of Kaedama

替え玉 (かえだま, kaedama) means a second helping of ramen noodles. If it is on the menu, you can order kaedama to refill the noodles of ramen or tsukemen (“dipping ramen”).

Menkata, Barikata: Toughness of Noodles

When you order ramen or kaedama, many ramen restaurants allow you to specify how tough you want the noodles to be. The toughness of the noodles is controlled by how long the raw noodles are boiled. The following three options are so common that you might be able to order them even if they are not on the menu.

• 固め (かため, katame) or *めんかた (menkata): a little tough

• 普通 (ふつう, futsuu): normal

• 柔らかめ (やわらかめ, yawarakame): a little soft

* めんかた (menkata)” is short for 麺固め (めん かため, “tough noodles”)

Some restaurants, especially the ones that serve 博多 はかた (Hakata) ramen, have more extreme degrees of toughness, as follows: 

• バリカタ (barikata) : tough

• ハリガネ (harigane): very tough; literally, it means “a wire”

• *粉落とし (こなおとし, konaotoshi): extremely tough;

* 粉落とし literally means “(only) get rid of the powder ( of flour)”, i.e. almost raw noodles.

You can order noodles with different toughness when you order ramen and kaedama, respectively. (e.g. order menkata ramen first, and then order barikata kaedama for the refill). If you are in a big hurry, you may want to order tough noodles because they are served slightly faster than the soft ones. To order noodles with specified toughness, you can simply say “{かため/やわらかめ}でお願(ねが)いします (katame/yawarakame de onegai shimasu)” meaning “tough/soft ones, please?” when you order ramen/kaedama.

Tips for ordering kaedama in a ramen restaurant

There are a few tips for ordering kaedama in Japan. First of all, it is recommended to order kaedama minutes before you completely finish your noodles. This is because it can take up to a few minutes for your kaedama to be served, and you don’t want to longingly wait for the extra noodles to come. Second, if you plan to order kaedama, you should keep some soup in your ramen bowl because kaedama usually doesn’t come with extra soup.

Comparison to “大盛おおもり” (Oomori/Ōmori)

Many ramen restaurants have both 大盛り (oomori/ōmori) and 替え玉 (kaedama) on their menu. Oomori means “large size”, and if you order it, you get ramen with more soup and noodles. On the other hand, kaedama is just a noodle refill, and you can order kaedama after you finish eating ramen. Therefore, kaedama is a very good choice if you are not sure whether you can finish a large portion, or if you want to try noodles with different degrees of toughness.

Example Sentences

Ex1
すいません、替え玉めんかたでお願おねいします！
Excuse me, I’d like to have menkata (‘tough’) kaedama, please?

Ex2
替え玉ハリガネを頼たのんだけど、俺おれには固かたすぎた
I ordered harigane (‘extremely tough’) kaedama, but it was too hard for me.

Synonyms and Related Expressions

Synonyms: 大盛おおもり (large size)
Synonyms in English: large size, refill, extra bowl
Related words and phrases: やわらかめ、普通ふつう、かため、バリカタ、ハリガネ

See also

替玉受験 (kaedama juken) Meaning “Test-Taking Imposter”