激辛ラーメン
gekikara rāmen
In Japanese, "spicy ramen" is expressed as 激辛ラーメン (gekikara rāmen).
激辛ラーメン refers to a bowl of Japanese noodles in a broth that has a very strong, hot pepper flavor. The term 激辛 (gekikara) is frequently used on menus and in food media to warn customers that a dish is exceptionally hot. For comparison, you might encounter the phrase chotto karai to mean "a little spicy" or motto karai to mean "spicier."
Which one should you use?
While 辛いラーメン (karai rāmen) simply means "spicy ramen", 激辛ラーメン (gekikara rāmen) specifically implies an extreme, intense level of heat.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Tokyo, the term Tantanmen is often used for ramen with a spicy sesame and ground meat sauce.
How do you pronounce it?
gekikara rāmen
Did you know?
- Some 激辛ラーメン shops use a 'level' system for heat, where the highest level is often named 地獄 (jigoku), meaning 'hell'.
- The word 辛い (karai) used in 激辛ラーメン is a homonym with the word 辛い (tsurai), which means 'painful' or 'heartbreaking'.
- Eating 激辛ラーメン is sometimes viewed as a form of 'stress relief' in Japanese corporate culture, where the intense heat provides a momentary mental escape.
Examples in context
- この激辛ラーメンはとても美味しいです。Kono gekikara rāmen wa totemo oishii desu.This spicy ramen is very delicious.
- 昨日は激辛ラーメンを食べました。Kinō wa gekikara rāmen o tabemashita.I ate spicy ramen yesterday.
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are looking at a menu at a restaurant.
- 蓮 Ren美咲、激辛ラーメンに挑戦してみる？Misaki, gekikara rāmen ni chōsen shite miru?Misaki, do you want to try the spicy ramen?
- 美咲 Misakiいいえ、私は辛いものが苦手です。Iie, watashi wa karai mono ga nigate desu.No, I'm not good with spicy foods.
- 蓮 Renじゃあ、僕だけ激辛ラーメンにするよ。Jā, boku dake gekikara rāmen ni suru yo.Then I'll be the only one getting spicy ramen.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮さんは本当にすごいですね。Ren-san wa hontō ni sugoi desu ne.Ren, you are really amazing.
