Tare is the soul of a ramen broth. It is typically a concentrated sauce or paste that is added to the base broth, consisting of four essential components: salt, soy sauce, sugar, and a flavor-rich element like vegetables, seafood, or meat.  Each of the major tare recipes and styles are different, defining regional ramen variations across Japan. Here are the three different types of ramen tare that I found to be most popular in restaurants, ramen shops and home kitchens. Shoyu Tare This is the most prevalent type of tare and it derives its name from its key ingredient - soy sauce. This soy sauce tare boasts a deep umami flavor with a balance of saltiness and sweetness. Its amber color complements ramen broth, and it is often paired with chicken or seafood-based broths to create a balance of flavors. Shoyu tare can be enhanced with aromatic spices and herbs, such as ginger, garlic, and scallions, to heighten the flavor experience of your shoyu ramen recipe. Shio Tare In contrast to the soy sauce-based shoyu tare, shio tare relies on salt as its primary seasoning agent. Shio tare embodies a lighter, more delicate flavor profile that allows the nuances of the broth to shine through. It's an excellent choice for lighter, seafood or vegetable-based broths. This tare is often accompanied by Japanese sea salt, providing a touch of brininess to a bowl of delicious shio ramen. Miso Tare Miso tare, which is my favorite variation, is a velvety, fermented soybean paste that infuses the ramen broth with a rich, savory taste. This style of tare complements most meat and veggie broths really well, and offers a perfect balance of umami and sweetness. The intensity of miso tare is adjusted by selecting lighter or darker miso paste varieties. For our miso tare recipe, I tried different types of miso and combinations. I prefer the mixed miso, which is a combination of red and white. You can buy the awase style miso, or if you use it often enough, buy a separate batch of white and red miso and use equal parts of each in this tare. Hatcho miso is easy to find in Portugal and has become my default red miso for this tare recipe.