Ramen of the month clubs give you a fun way to experience ramen. We're not just talking about instant ramen you can buy at the store either. You're getting much more variety from these clubs.
The ramen noodle dish first originated in China more than 4,000 years ago, but when trade opened between China and Japan, it soon became a Japanese culinary staple. The spread of ramen didn't stop in Japan; it eventually made a short jump to Korea then spread all over the world. Today, ramen is a popular global food.
There are more than 24,000 ramen shops throughout Japan, so its no wonder that people associate ramen with traditional Japanese cuisine. Ramen eateries range from subway standing only shops and ramen carts to high-end ramen restaurants. However, most ramen stores are usually casual restaurants frequented by those of all ages and walks of life.
But what is ramen? Ramen is a typical soup dish with the primary ingredient being Chinese wheat noodles. Additionally, most ramen dishes also include broth, meat, and vegetables.
Though China is where ramen originated, traditional Chinese ramen does not use Motodare, the base sauce. Motodare was initially created by the Japanese, as a sauce for Soba noodles.
However, what makes ramen so well received worldwide is its natural versatility. Like many other global foods, ramen has no strict rules as to how it is prepared and what ingredients are used
Plus, it doesn't hurt that ramen has an instant version, making it a quick and easy dish to prepare. And, as most people know, ramen tends to be on the less expensive side.
Though technically the Cup Noodles and instant ramen packages for $0.19 are ramen, that isn't the ramen you will see in the ramen of the month subscriptions we are talking about in this article. While the ramen in these clubs is of the instant variety, it is more unique than what you would find at your average grocery store.
Table of Contents
Ramen of the Month Clubs
- My Japan Box
- Japan Crate
- Zen Pop
- Exotic Noods
My Japan Box
My Japan Box brings the flavors from the land of the Rising Sun conveniently to your door. It is their goal to bring authentic Japanese goods to Japanese enthusiasts all over the world. Whether you are hoping to visit one day or miss home and need a Japan care package sent every month, My Japan Box might just be perfect for you!
My Japan Box doesn't just send ramen, there are different themed boxes, such as:
- Food – For when you can't decide on just one food box
- KitKat
- Snack
- Candy
- Tea
- 25 Different Anime Subscription Boxes
- Beauty Box
- Stationary
- Hello Kitty
- Sakura – Seasonal
- Music
- Secret
- Fashion
The ramen box comes in four different plan options. Month-to-month ordering costs $25 per month. A 3-month version costs $75, 6 months costs $147, and 12 months costs $291.
All of the boxes are sent from Japan and only include Japanese ramen brands like Japanese yakisoba, soba, udon, and somen. Ramen boxes include between 5-20 items. Although shipping is included in the prices listed above, for an additional fee, you may request insurance, tracking information, or expedited shipping.
One time boxes are also available for $29.99. Plus, My Japanese Box offers mini boxes in the same durations listed above, but for a fraction of the cost.
Japan Crate
Japan Crate, opened in September of 2014, by founder by Hank, a long time Japanese culture enthusiast. Hank believed the best way to share Japanese culture with the world was through a monthly Japanese crate of candy.
From candy, Japan Crate grew to include other Japanese themed boxes, such as:
- Doki Doki Crate a monthly subscription of “kawaii” (cute) – plushies, travel accessories, apparel, & more.
- Gacha Gacha Crate a subscription of for figurines and collectibles
- Kira Kira Cratefilled with beauty and care products
- Inku Crate Japanese stationery
And the crate we have all been waiting for, the Umai crate which lets you experience Japanese culture through noodles. The Umai Crate offers a mix of noodle choices like Soba, Somen, Yakisoba, and Udon, along with unique and rare noodle varieties.
Each crate includes 8-10 ramen or noodle products, recipe cards to help create new taste sensations, product translations for those who do not read Japanese, and a Japanese cuisine-themed surprise item.
The ramen subscription boxes are available in multiple durations. Month-to-month costs $30 per month, a 3-month membership costs $87, 6 months costs $170, and 12 months costs $330. All of the subscriptions include free 2-5 day shipping.
Zen Pop
Zen Pop, a Japanese company located in Osaka, is part of Zen Market Inc. Zen Pop opened its internet doors in 2016 offering a taste of Japan to a global market. The people of Zen Pop pride themselves on providing unique, fun, and tasty monthly subscription boxes.
It is the goal at Zen Pop to provide their customer with outstanding customer service each and every time a box goes out. Zen Pop offers several different Japanese themed monthly subscription boxes including:
- Sweets Pack
- Ramen + Sweets Mix Pack
- Ramen
- Stationary
- Limited Edition Pack
The ramen of the month club box includes seven full-sized authentic premium instant ramen. Though it is a ramen box, it still may include other noodle options like Udon and Yakisoba. A couple of the name brands you could see in your box are Nissin and Table Mark.
There are also full product descriptions in English, cooking instructions, and primary allergen information.
Plus, depending on the season that month's crate by including seasonal ramen such as the summer festival ramen pack. Themes include Evangelion Tonkotsu Shoyu, Tempura Udon, and Rich Curry Ramen.
Exotic Noods
Exotic Noods' goal is to bring premium ramen to people everywhere in the world. They hope by creating a monthly ramen club that it will help get ramen into more bowls by being a fast, convenient, and delicious service.
In addition to traditional instant Japanese ramen, Exotic Noods also includes other varieties of ramen and ramen like products such as Yaki Soba, Udon, Korean Royal Banquet noodle soups, and curry from the Pacific Islands.
But regardless of the origin of the dish, all of the items will include noodles of some fashion.
There are a few different ramen subscription boxes to choose from:
- Exotic Noods: Three pack for $13.50/month
- Red package: Four premium noodles choices for $19/month
- Black Package: Four options, but only ones that just need water added to complete the dish for $23.67/month
- Green Package: Combination of the Red and Black packs, four of each of the two varieties for $34.17/month
In addition to the noodles, you will also receive a pamphlet with descriptions of each of the different ramen products that month.
These are all month-to-month subscriptions that renew each month until you choose to discontinue the service.
Umai crate is completely unreliable and their customer service is terrible. Exotic Moods is far better