The Costco Pork Broth Customers Say Makes The Best Ramen

Authentic ramen is notoriously tricky to make. It requires a lot of attention, specific flavors, and hours of simmering. Boxed broth can cut down the cooking time and make it a real option for a homemade meal on a weeknight. But there's often something missing from boxed ramen broth. Home chefs often complain that it lacks depth and, more importantly, the "it factor" we all expect from a great bowl of ramen. But Costco customers say they've found the solution: Kirkland Signature Tonkotsu Pork Ramen Broth.

Tonkotsu ramen is one of the four main types of ramen, and it's made by slow-boiling pork bones. The most authentic broth can take anywhere from 18 to 60 hours to make from scratch, but Kirkland Signature Tonkotsu Pork Ramen Broth creates a foundation for traditional ramen in the time it takes to open a box. Costco customers say it has a full-bodied mouthfeel that's only a shade lighter than what you'd get at a restaurant and a rich, deep flavor profile. You'll find it in a 4-pack on Costco shelves for around $19. 

"If you're looking a quality tonkotsu ramen broth that's full of flavor, this won't disappoint," wrote one shopper in a review. "I've been enjoying it alone as a sipping broth, but it shines as the base for noodles and my favorite add-ins. It is on the salty side, but it is so good!"

Kirkland Signature Tonkotsu Pork Ramen Broth is definitely one of the easy ways to make your instant ramen restaurant worthy. All the traditional ramen toppings pair perfectly with the broth's salty-savory flavors. It's a great foundation for soft boiled eggs and fermented bamboo shoots, scallions and leeks, nori, and braised pork known as chasu. Don't forget about adding some furikake, too. It's the Japanese spice that belongs in your next bowl of ramen, infusing seaweed-salty flavors into the broth for extra depth.

But Costco customers are also using regular ramen noodles with the broth for a more home-cooked style. Noodles from the Sun Ramen brand are a popular choice to complete the soup (and yes, ramen is actually considered soup in most cases), though they seem to be a hit-or-miss find at Costco. Shoppers are also adding mix-ins to the soup to tailor and amplify the flavors. "I doctored it up to make it restaurant quality and I cannot get enough of it," wrote one customer. "[Add] some red and white miso paste some Dashi [or] some Mirin — if you don't have mirin, you can use sake and some sesame oil!!!! Sesame paste and cornstarch slurry are optional."