#1677: Paldo Rabokki Noodle (Export Version)

A couple years back, I did a Meet Ther Manufacturer with Paldo, a South Korean company. I was stoked to get a pack of this Rabokki back then and asked if it would ever be in the United States. It sounded like there weren’t any plans to bring it this way and I was bummed – really bummed. Well, bummed no more, I can happily announce that it’s gracing store shelves in the USA now! Rabokki is a fusion of ramyun and topokki Topokki is what you see there on top of the noodles on the package – finger length rice cakes that are chewy – about the consistency of string cheese, served most popularly in a thick sweet and spicy sauce. I will say it’s probably one of my favorite foods of all time – especially the way I’ve tried it lately at a local place called Chi-Mc n Hot Pot, with cream cheese – egad it’s really good. Let’s check out this ramyun-topokki fusion from Paldo!

Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add everything to 400ml boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Stir and enjoy!

The gigantic ramyun block!

The soup base sachet.

Has a nice spicy scent.

Topokki sauce!

Smells like happiness.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added kamaboko, mung bean sprouts and spring onion. The noodles plumped up just perfectly – thick and a good chew. The broth is more of a sauce and it’s very rich – spicy and sweet – like an adult version of Spaghetti-O’s which I find delectable. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 648436101054.

Rabokki Noodle 5.11 Oz (Pack of 4)

Making Rabokki at home.

8 comments

  1. These noodles are amazing. I find the taste is like a spicier version of some Heinz sauces (we don’t have spaghetti-O’s here but I imagine it might be similar).
    I normally add tuna or cooked meats to these, along with cheese; but I bet adding tteokbokki would make them something else. I always grab three or four multipacks when I see them here (they’re a tad rare in the UK).
    Weirdly enough, I don’t think the recipe has changed since your very first review of these, either!

  2. It’s generally derived from meat of fish. It CAN be derived from tapioca starch too, so it’s possible that something with E635 in is vegan, but generally that level of detail isn’t available! I only know this because my wife’s a vegan and when I try new ramen I keep an eye out for ones that she can eat too. I had this one today, very tasty, glad I’ll be able to share it!

  3. Not only does it appear to be meat-free, but vegan too! A lot of instant ramen is almost vegan but falls down on something tiny like disodium inosinate (E635), Paldo is better than most manufacturers in this regard, they don’t just stick it in everything, their Hwa Ramyun Hot & Spicy also appears to be vegan.

    1. Unfortunately, with vague, no-information ingredients like “emulsifier,” “seasoning powder,” and “artificial beef flavoring paste there is no way to know if this product is vegan without confirmation from the company. It likely is not vegan. Just because something says “artificial beef” doesn’t mean it’s vegan (for instance, mock crab meat is made of fish). And terms like emulsifier and seasoning mean almost nothing at all. Might as well say “Ingredients: Food Products.”

      The good news is Nongshim Soon Veggie is definitely vegan, as is the kimchi flavor ramyun in the cup style (ONLY in the cup style).

      http://www.ramenplanet.com/soon-veggie-noodle-soup.html

      You can see where it has the little Vegan Society certification logo in the upper right corner.

      The even better news is that rabokki is easy to make at home if you can find an Asian market nearby with rice cakes and gochujang.

      1. That’s good news about that Nongshim Soon product, I’ve noticed that the Soon Veggie Ramyun Noodle Soup Gourmet Mild (8 801043 022705) and the cup version (8 801043 028127) have E631, as does the Kimchi Ramyun Cup Noodle 8 801043 028158 – as E631 is usually not vegan but can be if these products still contain E631 the Vegan Society’s certification is very helpful indeed as there’s no way of knowing from the ingredients.

        When it comes to vagueness of ingredients on ramen the worst thing I ever saw was a list in brackets in the ingredients list, the last item of which was, astonishingly, ‘ETC’! (I think the previous items in the brackets were vegetables). Wish I could remember where that one was from!

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