Soto Betawi is a hearty beef soup consisting of chunks of meat and offal that are slowly simmered in a coconut milk broth, which is usually enriched with various spices such as lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, kefir lime leaves, and coriander. When served, the soup is accompanied by different condiments that typically include tomatoes, scallions, sweet soy sauce, and emping crackers.
Because of its name, it is believed that the dish originated in Jakarta among the Betawi people, and today it is one of the most popular dishes in the city, usually sold at various street stalls, restaurants, or hawker-style establishments. Soto Betawi is traditionally enjoyed with steamed rice and pickled acar on the side.
MOST ICONIC Soto Betawi
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Tonkotsu is a unique style of ramen consisting of an extremely rich, fatty pork broth, fresh noodles, soft-yolk eggs, and tender pork belly that melts in the mouth. It is so popular and special that it could be a dish of its own, not just a ramen style.
The ramen is usually topped with scallions for brightness and vibrancy, bamboo shoots for a crunchy, nutty flavor, nori seaweed for crispness, and sweet corn for an even better flavor. The rich broth is developed by cooking the pork bones for a very long time, until the collagen and fat dissolve, resulting in a unique, creamy texture of the dish.
VARIATIONS OF Tonkotsu ramen
MOST ICONIC Tonkotsu ramen
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Miso ramen is a flavorful dish made by cooking the miso base, broth, and vegetables in a wok. The concoction is then topped with bean sprouts, chopped pork, garlic, sweet corn, and (sometimes) local seafood such as crabs, scallops, and squids. The dish was invented in 1955 in Sapporo, when a customer in Aji no Sanpei noodle house asked the chef to put noodles in his pork and miso soup.
In the 1960s, miso ramen's popularity had skyrocketed, and Sapporo still remains a paradise for ramen lovers, taking pride in its Ramen Alley, with over a dozen ramen shops scattered through the street.
MOST ICONIC Miso ramen
View moreDistinguished by the use of salt as the main seasoning in the broth, shio ramen is one of the four main flavor-based ramen categories. Like other ramen varieties, it combines three crucial elements: flavorful broth, noodles, and various toppings.
Although pork is occasionally added, most versions employ seafood-based or chicken-based broths, which yield a light, clear soup with a strong, salty taste. The broth is usually paired with straight, thin noodles, and comes topped with Japanese-style pork belly known as chashu, scallions, hard boiled eggs, and wakame seaweed.
Since salt is the oldest known seasoning used in ramen, shio is considered to be the oldest version of ramen, and although there is no substantial evidence, many believe that it was invented in Hakodate, where it is still the prevalent ramen variety.
MOST ICONIC Shio ramen
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Hailing from Fukuoka, hakata is one of the most famous ramen variety in Japan. The base of the ramen is tonkotsu (which is why it is sometimes, especially in Fukoaka, refered to as tonkotsu ramen, although there are various other regional varieties of tonkotsu ramen), the creamy pork bone broth which gives the dish its incredibly rich and layered taste.
It is often only seasoned with shio (salt), and occasionally with shoyu (soy sauce) and miso (fermented soybean) paste. Hakata ramen is typically served with ultra-thin, straight, and firm wheat noodles, though it’s possible to choose the firmness of the noodles according to individual preferences.
MOST ICONIC Hakata ramen
View moreThis beef-based version of pho is prepared with assorted cuts and parts of beef – the stock is made from beef bones, shank, ox tail, and neck, while the toppings include thinly sliced fatty brisket (gầu), flank, eye-round steak, tripe, cooked and raw beef (tái nạm), tendon (gân), or beef balls (phở bò viên), but the latter version is not that popular in Vietnam.
Beef pho is usually flavored with dried spices such as cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom, and coriander. The dish is served piping hot in a bowl along with rice noodles, and it's typically topped with cilantro, sliced onions, and chopped green onions.
VARIATIONS OF Phở bò
Tom kha gai is Thailand's delicious national dish coming from the central part of the country and bearing the influence of neighbouring Laos. It is a soup whose name translates to boiled galangal chicken soup, consisting of coconut milk, chicken chunks or shreds, galangal (reddish-brown or pink woody plant related to ginger), lemongrass, garlic, bird's eye chili peppers, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, and shiitake mushrooms.
Galangal's peppery, pungent, slightly sour and floral flavors provide an interesting contrast to the creaminess of coconut milk, creating a wonderfully aromatic dish in the process. Tom kha gai is highly nutritious with great medicinal properties, such as the ability to soothe the gastro-intestinal tract.
MOST ICONIC Tom kha gai
View moreThe soy sauce based shoyu ramen is one of the four major groups of ramen - noodle dishes praised for their exquisite flavors. Noodles, broth, and various toppings are the three essential elements in every bowl of ramen. The dark and salty soup is what distinguishes shoyu from other varieties.
It usually employs meat or seafood broth, which is mixed with a fragrant combination of kombu stock and soy sauce. Fresh curly wheat noodles are typically used in shoyu ramen. Cooked separately, they are served in a bowl and doused in the rich broth.
VARIATIONS OF Shoyu ramen
MOST ICONIC Shoyu ramen
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This Hungarian specialty is prepared with meat, traditionally beef, that is simmered in a rich paprika-infused broth, usually alongside onions, bell peppers, root vegetables, various spices, and occasionally tomatoes (in some regional variations).
Gulyás is a well-known dish that enjoys immense popularity even outside the Hungarian borders. In many countries, the word is synonymous with a thick stew, while in Hungary, gulyás mostly represents a soup-like dish, which is why this dish is also known as gulyásleves (lit. herdsman soup).
It closely resembles pörkölt—a thick Hungarian stew consisting of meat, onions, and selected spices—which is what most people outside of Hungary associate with the word gulyás (goulash).
VARIATIONS OF Gulyás
MOST ICONIC Gulyás
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Comforting rosół is a traditional meat soup. Even though the chicken version, called rosół z kury, is the most famous variety–beef, veal, turkey, or mixed meat broths are also quite frequently prepared throughout the country.
Pork should never be used since it results in an opaque broth. Rosół is usually made with meat that is left on the bone, which contributes to the overall taste. The meat is cooked in cold water with a variety of vegetables such as carrots, celery, and mushrooms.
VARIATIONS OF Rosół
MOST ICONIC Rosół
View moreTasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 100 Meat Soups in the World” list until March 20, 2025, 11,807 ratings were recorded, of which 5,713 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.