There are several hypotheses as to why the ramen meal plays such a significant role in Naruto's personality, but one suggestion from a recent YouTube video contains certain details that viewers may have missed.
Growing up, Naruto Uzumaki endured a great deal of hostility from the older Konoha residents who were painfully aware of the immense power that had been trapped inside the kid since birth. Naruto was provided a secure place to feel at peace despite his terrible circumstances.
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The first person to support Naruto's point of view is Master Ramen
In the YouTube video, Anime Shinobi attempts to answer the question of who was the one to raise Naruto as he grew up. While the Third Hokage would help support Naruto financially, and have various members of the Hokage's ANBU Unit to ensure Naruto's safety, someone had to reach out a compassionate hand and have a more direct role in the child's life.
Surprisingly enough, the video points out that the first person to emotionally support Naruto wasn't Iruka-sensei, but instead, it was Teuchi.
The several adults that failed Naruto
Naruto Uzumaki's tragic upbringing began the day he was born, during Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon's, attack on the village. Though it was meant to be kept a secret, the entire village learned that the Kyuubi was sealed inside of Naruto. From this moment on, Naruto is considered a monster and, as an orphan who lost both his parents, is left with no one to directly nurture his growth. Certainly, the Third Hokage did what he thought was best in raising the boy without arousing suspicion from the villagers -- he didn't want to give Naruto special treatment for fear it would put more of a target on his back. In time, Iruka would become a good influence in disciplining Naruto, and eventually showing compassion to Naruto. However, they both missed out on giving him what he really needed most at the time he needed it most.
Naruto might have had money to keep himself afloat as the Academy kept him out of trouble, but that would never make up for the pain he suffered from the other villagers' abuse. One key detail that the YouTube video points out is how even though Naruto is supplied with money for food, certain villagers refused to serve him and others would take advantage of him when he was welcomed. As the Naruto Shippuden ending "Niji No Sora" portrays, the first time Naruto is welcomed with kindness and treated fairly is when he comes across Ichiraku Ramen.
Naruto's home away from home is Ichiraku Ramen.
Though it could have potentially ruined his business, the ramen shop owner, Teuchi, is the first person to give Naruto what he needs most, some compassion and comfort. There's no question that ramen is already known to be a comforting meal, but in addition to Teuchi's kindness, Naruto's life changes when he eats his first bowl of ramen. This could have been his first meal all day, or it could have been when he was feeling lonely or hopeless. Either way, it was a special moment of relief.
Going forward in his life, Naruto would have a place with people to rely on rather than wandering around aimlessly. The moments he would eat ramen at Ichiraku Ramen would prove to be a comforting break from all the pain and stress he endured during the hardest years of his adolescence. This would certainly explain why he kept coming back to Ichiraku and why he developed a love for ramen in general. As he grew into his teen years, Naruto would come to love ramen more as he shared his favorite form of comfort in his home away from home with his father figure Iruka, his best friends Sakura and Sasuke, his mentor Kakashi, and many more. Before all of that, he had Teuchi who welcomed him with a warm smile that Naruto would never be given by anyone else as he grew up. Teuchi's care and compassion, which saved Naruto from suffering, are surely why ramen is so important to the title character.
