Tag Archives: cheese

#3237: Samyang Cheese Ramen – South Korea

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#3237: Samyang Cheese Ramen - South Korea

I’ve mentioned a few times recently how much I’ve really been into Samyang Ramen in the last year or so. It’s really quite good – has a ham flavor, nice level of spiciness. It’s just got a good all around comfort food thing going on. Well, here’s the same thing – but now it’s got a cheese component. I’ll admit it – I like cheese. There. That feels better. Load off my mind. I usually add cheese to South Korean ramen, so let’s see how this one with a cheese component included goes.

Samyang Cheese Ramen – South Korea

#3237: Samyang Cheese Ramen - South Korea

Detail of the package (click to enlarge). Contains fish. To prepare, add noodles to 500ml boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Add in sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!

#3237: Samyang Cheese Ramen - South Korea

The noodle block.

#3237: Samyang Cheese Ramen - South Korea

A dry sachet.

#3237: Samyang Cheese Ramen - South Korea

A lot of powder. Notice the little light specks in there.

#3237: Samyang Cheese Ramen - South Korea

Another dry sachet.

#3237: Samyang Cheese Ramen - South Korea

A light cheese powder.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added spring onion, uncured ham, and pepper flake. The noodles are thick and have a typical Samyang tooth to them which I thoroughly enjoy. They’re meaty. The broth was not as I expected initially but is quite good. A standard spicy Korean style ramen hit to it – and being Samyang Ramen it’s got a ham flavor. But the cheese is a combo of cheddar, camembert and goude, so it has a smoky element which although unexpected was quite welcoming. Small fishcake were strewn about. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars.  EAN bar code 8801073114111.

#3237: Samyang Cheese Ramen - South Korea

Samyang Ramen, 4.23-Ounce Units (Pack of 20)

Watch me cook on Instant Noodle Recipe Time!

#2918: Nissin U.F.O. Cheese Curry Yakisoba

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#2918: Nissin U.F.O. Cheese Curry Yakisoba

Hey look at this! This came by way of Hobby Link Japan, a great site that has all sorts of amazing Japanese things including instant noodles! Thank you very much! This variety is a yakisoba with a cheese curry flavor! I tell ya, this sounds really quite good to me! Here’s a little about it from Wikipedia –

Yakisoba (焼きそば, [jakiꜜsoba]), literally “fried buckwheat,” is a Japanese noodle stir-fry dish. Although soba means buckwheat, yakisoba noodles are actually made from wheat flour, and are typically flavored with a condiment similar to oyster sauce. The dish first appeared in food stalls in Japan during the early 20th century.[1]

Yakisoba is most familiarly served on a plate either as a main dish or a side dish. Another popular way to prepare and serve yakisoba in Japan is to pile the noodles into a bun sliced down the middle in the style of a hot dog, and garnish the top with mayonnaise and shreds of pickled ginger. Called yakisoba-pan (pan meaning bread) it is commonly available at local festivals or konbini (convenience stores).

Sometimes, Japanese white Udon is used as a replacement of Chinese style Soba and called Yakiudon. This variation was started in Kitakyushu or Kokura in Fukuoka Prefecture.

In Okinawa, Yakisoba is popular with Okinawans and U.S. service members stationed on the island alike. After the 1945 hostilities ended on Okinawa, the US military command supplied American food products to the malnourished residents. The preferred Okinawan version was prepared from spaghetti, spam, ketchup, any available vegetable (usually canned), and mayonnaise for frying. Mess halls and other on-base eateries often serve yakisoba. Chopped hotdogs are a popular addition to yakisoba made on Okinawa, in addition to other meats such as ham, chicken, and pork.

Alright – I’m excited to give this one a try – let’s go!

Nissin U.F.O. Cheese Curry Yakisoba – Japan

#2918: Nissin U.F.O. Cheese Curry Yakisoba

Detail of the outer wraps (click to enlarge). Contains pork, chicken, and beef. To preparem, remove sachets and add boiling water to fill line. Cover for 3 minutes. Use drain spout on lid to pour off excess water. Add in liquid sachet contents and stir. Finally, garnish with cheese powder and enjoy!

#2918: Nissin U.F.O. Cheese Curry Yakisoba

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

#2918: Nissin U.F.O. Cheese Curry Yakisoba

The noodle block.

#2918: Nissin U.F.O. Cheese Curry Yakisoba

Loose bits from the bowl.

#2918: Nissin U.F.O. Cheese Curry Yakisoba

A liquid base sachet.

#2918: Nissin U.F.O. Cheese Curry Yakisoba

The sauce.

#2918: Nissin U.F.O. Cheese Curry Yakisoba

A dry sachet.

#2918: Nissin U.F.O. Cheese Curry Yakisoba

The cheese  powder.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added spring onion. The noodles came out well enough – dry and light on the chew. The flavor was a nice curry – very much in the sweet curry vein. The cheese was so-so but was interesting and different. 4.25 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4902105244395.

#2918: Nissin U.F.O. Cheese Curry Yakisoba

Nissin U.F.O. C h e e s e   C u r r y  Y a k i s o b a

This is how they add cheese to Nissin products.

The 0.5x Spicy Mala Fire Noodle Challenge

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Here we are again with the Fire Noodle Challenge. This is the Samyang Foods Mala Buldak Bokkeummyun. So, all over YouTube, people are wincing and screaming as they choke down packs of Mala – why? Well, for some reason, they are under the impression that it’s 4x spicy. Don’t get me wrong – it’s quite spicy – it’ll kick your butt. But it is a far cry from the 2x Spicy Nuclear Fire Noodle, that’s for sure.

Here’s my full dissertation of what’s going on here. It’s funny – all of this and even talking to the company and I got this comment on YouTube today – ‘t’s not a same thing man.. they have the mala flavor with 4x spiciness written on the packages. But not every mala flavor has 4x spiciness. I think you are trying the regular one’ – yeah… So all I could find as far as a pack saying 4x was a picture of a pack with a 2 changed to a 4 in Photoshop – and you could even see the 2 underneath still… Amateurs. Anyways, here’s an article touting my claim as well. In the video above you can see that there’s a snippet of a communication with Samyang Foods as well. So yeah sorry YouTube – there’s no 4x spicy fire noodle. Quite honestly, I hope there will be sometime – I hope it’s in a green package too! I mean, they’ve done almost every other color. Maybe a 4x spicy green onion flavor? Guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

#2621: Maggi Pazzta Cheese Macaroni

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#2621: Maggi Pazzta Cheese Macaroni - India - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Here’s one from India we found this summer at an Indian grocery in Pleasanton, California. There are a few different varieties of these with different shapes of noodles. Let’s check out this macaroni style one.

Maggi Pazzta Cheese Macaroni – India

#2621: Maggi Pazzta Cheese Macaroni - India - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add sachet and noodles to a pot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!

#2621: Maggi Pazzta Cheese Macaroni - India - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

The macaroni.

#2621: Maggi Pazzta Cheese Macaroni - India - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

The seasoning base.

#2621: Maggi Pazzta Cheese Macaroni - India - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Lot sof seasoning powder.

#2621: Maggi Pazzta Cheese Macaroni - India - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Finished (click to enlarge). The macaroni noodles came out nicely. They have an interesting gauge – rather large and thin walled. They come with a broth which is kind of thin, but the longer it sits, the thicker it gets. Not bad. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8901058847482.

Maggi Nutri-Licious Pazzta, Masala Penne flavour, 65g-(Pack of 2)+Free Shipping..

A TV spot for this product

#2424: Samyang Foods Cheese Type Buldak Bokkeummyun

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#2424: Samyang Foods Cheese Type Buldak Bokkeummyun

Well lookie here – another one from Colin – thanks again! This one’s a cheesy version of the ever popular Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun. This is what people use to do the famous ‘fire noodle challenge’ – although this is the cheesy version. This stuff is hot – real hot. The Ramen Rater’s top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodle Of All Time list kinda hot. Let’s take a look.

Samyang Foods Cheese Type Buldak Bokkeummyun – South Korea

#2424: Samyang Foods Cheese Type Buldak Bokkeummyun

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add noodle block to 600ml boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain. Add 120ml water. Add in sachet contents and stir well. Stirfry for 30 second. Finally, stir and enjoy!

#2424: Samyang Foods Cheese Type Buldak Bokkeummyun

The noodle block.

#2424: Samyang Foods Cheese Type Buldak Bokkeummyun

The liquid base sachet.

#2424: Samyang Foods Cheese Type Buldak Bokkeummyun

Smells very spicy!

#2424: Samyang Foods Cheese Type Buldak Bokkeummyun

The cheese powder sachet.

#2424: Samyang Foods Cheese Type Buldak Bokkeummyun

Cheese powder flecked with herbs.

#2424: Samyang Foods Cheese Type Buldak Bokkeummyun

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts and spring onion. The noodles were great – only cooking them for 3 minutes does the trick where in a soup version 4 or more would probably be prescribed. Thick ramyun from the original South Korean ramyun company – a good chew and gauge. The flavor is pretty much identical to the original fire noodle challenge noodle, the cheese only goes so far. I could see this one with a liquid sachet of cheese one could heat and squeeze over the noodles and give it even more cheese flavor. The cheese powder works pretty well, though quickly overpowered by the fiery taste . Don’t be fooled by the serene nature of the plate you see above; dragonflies here breathe fire! 3.75 out of 5.0 stars.  EAN bar code 8801073113268.

2016 new Samyang Ramen / Spicy Chicken Roasted Stir Buldak Noodles C h e e s e Flavor (Pack of 5)

My definitive guide to the fire noodle challenge line of buldak bokkeummyun

#2397: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun Cheese Flavor (Black Bowl)

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#2397: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun Cheese Flavor (Black Bowl) - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Wait a second – this looks familiar. So there are two versions of the Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun cheese flavor bowls. Indeed there are two versions of the packs as well. Here’s the orange version I reviewed – #2291. What’s the difference? I’m going to guess that they came out with the black one first and people mistook it for the regular version and were annoyed. Kind of makes sense since the black one definitely looks like the standard Buldak Bokkummyun bowl. Well, except for the chicken with the cheese. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about the original variety:

Buldak Bokkeum Myun (Korean: 불닭볶음면) is a brand of ramyeon produced by Samyang Food in South Korea since 2012.[1] In 2015, the brand attained monthly sales of 6 to 7 billion won.[2] Buldak Bokkeum Myun is known for being one of the spiciest ramyeon in Korea.[3][4]

I recently created The Definitive Guide To Buldak Bokkeummyun and reviewed the whole line of the Buldak Bokkeummyun products and interviewed Samyang Foods too. This black background version indeed was changed up for a more ‘cheese colored’ version. Anyways, let’s crack this one open.

Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun Cheese Flavor (Black Bowl) – South Korea

#2397: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun Cheese Flavor (Black Bowl) - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add boiling water to fill line and let sit covered for 4 minutes. Poke holes in the lid (through the little triangles). Use them to drain off excess water – leave just a little in there. Add in sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!

#2397: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun Cheese Flavor (Black Bowl) - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

#2397: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun Cheese Flavor (Black Bowl) - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

The noodle block.

#2397: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun Cheese Flavor (Black Bowl) - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

The sauce sachet.

#2397: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun Cheese Flavor (Black Bowl) - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

The fiery stuff of legend.

#2397: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun Cheese Flavor (Black Bowl) - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

The cheese sachet.

#2397: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun Cheese Flavor (Black Bowl) - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

This looks slightly different from review #2191. I don’t see the flecks of seaweed and sesame seeds in that one.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, cucumber and baked chicken. So the noodles came out great. Indeed, they have a thick gauge and decent backbone. The flavor is spicy hot in the extreme. This is one of the hottest instant noodles out there, however about half as spicy as the original. It is not a non-spicy though so don’t think you’re getting off the hook with just a cheese taste – it’s still extremely spicy. Finally, the cheese powder just doesn’t cut into the heat very much and is kind of undetectable for this reviewer. I think a liquid cheese sachet to drizzle on top would bump it up a notch. 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8801073210967.

#2397: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun Cheese Flavor (Black Bowl) - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - instant noodles

2-Pack Samyang Spicy Chicken Roasted Cheese Cup Noodle / Cup Ramen

My definitive guide to the whole series of these ultra-spicy noodles.

The Definitive Guide To Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun

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Samyang Foods Carbe Buldak Bokkeummyun

THE RAMEN RATER SPICY PACK! CHECK IT OUT HERE!

I started doing top ten lists over 5 years ago. So one list that’s been increasingly popular over the years has been The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time series. Debate over which is hotter than the other has been going on for a very long time. Finally, one thing’s for sure, South Korean varieties dominate this list.

The Definitive Guide To Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun

One variety that has captivated the world is Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun. The ‘Fire Noodle Challenge’ is something of legend; people will try to eat a bowl of the spicy noodles as fast as they can and then (usually in a YouTube video), the reaction to the heat is seen, ranging from silence to screaming, calmness to dripping sweat. 

The viral mania of this challenge has finally prompted me to release a special series on the varieties and some info on them you might not know. I have included a boatload of information in this post – check out the video as well as all the information below it!

  • UPDATE: 12/21/2018 – Added new 10,000SHU Hek Buldak Bokkeummyun & Buldak Bokkeummyun Gyoza Dumplings
  • UPDATE: 4/1/2018 – Added Jjang Buldak Bokkeummyun and Squid Snack
  • UPDATE: 1/8/2018 – Added Carbo Buldak Bokkeummyun
  • UPDATE – 12.18.2017 – Mala is NOT 4x Spicy  !!
  • UPDATE – 09.07.2017 – Added Buldak Bokkeummyun Mala variety

Video Presentation

This is a presentation I’ve made including lots of informational as well as me taking down a bowl of the 2x Spicy noodles.

Varieties

HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen / 불닭볶음면 / Buldak Bokkueummyun / Launch 2012.4.16 / SHU 4,404

The original ‘Fire Noodle.’ This comes in packs, bowls and cups. The bowls are commonly used in the popular YouTube ‘Fire Noodle Challenge’ videos. Full review

HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen Cheese / 치즈불닭볶음면 / Cheese Buldak Bokkueummyun Launch 2016.3 / SHU 2,323

Significantly less fiery than the original Buldak Bokkeummyun, the cheese version includes a sachet of cheese powder. Available in pack, cup and bowl. Originally was sold in packs with a black background, however people mistook it for the original version. A more ‘cheese colored’ background was then chosen. Full review

HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen Stew Type / 불닭볶음탕면 / Buldak Bokkueumtangmyun Launch 2016.8 / SHU 4,705

The ‘Stew Type’ has (you guessed it) broth. These are available in packs and bowls. I have seen many people make the original variety incorrectly and enjoy it as a soup, but this one is meant to have a broth. Full review

HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen Cool/Ice Type / 쿨불닭볶음면 / Cool/Ice Buldak Bokkueummyun Launch 2016.8 / SHU 4,404

I believe this is only available in packs. Originally called ‘Cool,’ the folks at Samyang decided it might be a good idea to market it as ‘Ice’ outside of South Korea so nobody got confused. Full review

2X Spicy HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen / 핵불닭볶음면 / Hack Buldak Bokkueummyun / Launch 2016.1 / SHU 8,808

A double-spicy version of original Buldak Bokkeummyun. These are available in packs and bowls. They mention that they are a ‘limited edition,’ but I couldn’t find out when they would be discontinued. Full review

HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen Curry / 커리불닭볶음면 / Curry Buldak Bokkueummyun   Launch 2016.12 / SHU 3,810

The most recent (as of this guide’s release) is Curry. It is available in packs and bowls. Less spicy than the original Buldak Bokkeummyun, it has a nice curry flavor to it. Full review

MALA BULDAK BOKKEUMMYEON (HOT CHICKEN FLAVOR RAMEN MALA) 

Mala Buldak Bokkeummyun is NOT 4x Spicy !!

SPECIAL STATEMENT AS OF 12/19/2017: It has come to my attention that many places/people are under the impression that this variety is considered to be ‘Samyang Foods 4x Spicy Buldak Bokkeummyun.’ This is definitely NOT the case. Original Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun is 4,404SHU, 2x Spicy is 8,706SHU. I have been informed by Samyang Foods that Samyang Foods Mala Buldak Bokkeummyun is 2,700SHU – which is far less spicy than the original Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun. Sellers claiming this product as Samyang Foods 4x Spicy Buldak Bokkeummyun – this is misleading and untrue. I’ve mentioned in the past that I would love to try a Samyang Foods 4x Spicy Buldak Bokkeummyun, however NO SUCH PRODUCT EXISTS at the time of this update.
This is a differentiated ‘Mala(numbing and spicy)’ flavor of BULDAK BOKKEUMMYEON(HOT CHICKEN FLAVOR RAMEN).
It features a spicy numbing stir-fry noodle with Chinese ‘Mala’ sauce.
It’s a combination of numbing spicy taste and the original flavor of Hot Chicken. This one has some spiciness from Sichuan pepper to appeal to Chinese tastes. Full review

 

Carbo HOT Chicken Flavor / Carbo Buldak Bokkeummyun ‘ SHU 2,600 * Launched December 2017

Carbo is a variety celebrating the billionth serving of Buldak Bokkeummyun sold. At first, the thought crossed my mind that Carbo was referring to lower carbs; a health conscious version perhaps. This is actually short for carbonara. I asked the company about whether is contained pork or was HALAL. As of January 8th, 2018, it is not HALAL certified but will be soon. Also, neither this nor any of the Buldak Bokkeummyun range contains pork or pork products as mentioned by the company. Full review here

Jjajang HOT Chicken Flavor / Jjajang Buldak Bokkeummyun – SHU 1,920 * Launched March 2018

Jjajang debuted March of 2018. It is on the lower end of the spectrum as far as spiciness goes in the Buldak Bokkeummyun series, however it has a very good flavor. Jjajang is a spicy black bean sauce and this one also includes vegetables such as peas. Here’s the full review and a mukbang video.

Korean Updated 2X Spicy HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen / 핵불닭볶음면 / Hack Buldak Bokkueummyun / Launch 2018.12 / SHU 10,000

Recently I saw something about a new Buldak Bokkeummyun in the Korean Samyang Foods instagram. I asked about it and was told it was just coming back. What? Well, the 2x was advertised as for a ‘limited time’ and apparently, it was in South Korea. They brough it back December 3rd, 2018 – however this time it’s 10,000 SHU. This link will take you to the review which contains unboxing, cooking, mukbang, and a special holiday recipe.

SNACKS

Hot Chicken Ramen Snack / 부셔먹는 라면스낵불닭 / Busyeomeongneun Ramyeonseunaek
Buldak / Launch 2016.6

Snack noodles in South Korea are very popular. These are crushed while still in the bag and then the sachet is taken out and sprinkled into the bag. The bag is closed and then you shake it to disperse the flavor. Alternately, there is a cooking instruction on the package as well. Full review

ZZALDDUCK SNACK / 짤떡 / Zzaldduck / Launch 2014.12

These are short tubes with a crunchy texture. They have a sweet and spicy character to them much like a very light Buldak Bokkeummyun seasoning. They resemble macaroni or penne pasta. Full review

Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun Hot Chicken Flavor Squid

Dried squid is a popular Asian snack and this variety packs the heat of original Buldak Bokkeummyun. Here’s the full review.

Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun Hot Chicken Flavor Gyoza Dumpling

U heard about this one and was very interested. I found out it was available north of the border in Canada. We go there pretty often, but it took searching on four trips to find it. These are frozen section spicy little dumplings full of Buldak Bokkeummyun spiciness and flavor. They pretty good and I did this review where I paired them with the Stew Type – check it out!

 

Correct Preparation Of Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun

1) Put the noodles and flakes into 600ml boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
2) Please remove the water from noodles (reserve 8 spoons of water (120ml = 15ml * 8 or 1/2 cup)) and put liquid soup Into noodles, stir-fry 30 seconds.
3) Add flakes, stir well, and serve.

Interview

I was fortunate to be able to interview Amelia Kwak / Overseas sales support team / Brand manager on the subject of Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun line of products.

THE RAMEN RATER> How did you originally come to decide to produce a super spicy instant noodle?

SAMYANG FOODS> Kim Jung-Su, the president of our company, noticed people crowded in a restaurant which served spicy chickens and had an idea to develop a new stir-type of instant noodle. Our marketing and R&D team tried more than 1,200 spicy chicken dishes and 2 tons of spicy sauce to find deliciously spicy tastes. We finally discovered the best portion of spicy sauce and launched ‘Buldak Bokkeummyun’.

TRR> What about the risks in producing a product that many will not be able to handle due to spicy level?

SAMYANG FOODS> Actually, Koreans like spicy tastes so we thought there’s customer needs of spicy ramen so we thought many people like it. However, overseas consumers can’t eat spicy food well, thus we were a little worried about it. Despite of that problem, overseas people also like Buldak. In my opinion, they seem to enjoy the challenge and relieve their stress when they try it.

TRR> What does Buldak Bokkeummyun mean; what is Korean spicy chicken like?

SAMYANG FOODS> It means a Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen. ‘Bulkdak’ means spicy chicken and ‘Bokkeummyun’ means stirred type of noodles. Korean spicy chicken is literally spicy chicken. In Korea, many restaurants usually cook it with very hot flavor adding red pepper, which is more spicy than general Korean food. So, it is hard to eat even for Korean. We added noodle on hot chicken flavor, so we could make characteristic noodle.

TRR> How did the Fire Noodle Challenge originate?

SAMYANG FOODS> Due to extremely spicy taste, Buldak Bokkeummyun mania were formed at first. Then, diverse recipe has been introduced by them, and spread through some Social Network Service channel especially on YOUTUBE. Also, extremely spicy taste has been issued by the public. Based on this issue, people are still challenging to eat it worldwide.

TRR> Did you expect the level of popularity of this super spicy product?

SAMYANG FOODS> We strongly believed the success of “Buldak Bokkuemmyun” because there had been no this kind of stirred type of instant noodles until 2012. We thought many people who like spicy tastes would be addicted to that tastes as our product is characterized in deliciously spicy.

TRR> How do you measure the SHU – is there a special test and how is the number calculated?

SAMYANG FOODS> SHU is a measurement of the spicy heat of chili peppers. Our R&D center analyzes the component of capsaicin and dehydrocapsaicin which cause spicy tastes in liquid soup. Then, we calculate SHU by standard equation.

TRR> Can you detail exactly how you figure out the SHU a little more? Is spectrometry used? What is the standard formula you mentioned?

SAMYANG FOODS> As I told you, SHU (Scoville Heat Unit) is a measurement of the spicy heat of chili peppers. First, we measure the concentration of capsaicin and dehydrocapsacin by using the HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). Then, we measure scoville heat units by using the equation below. (Although there is no official rule of calculating SHU, we have used the equation which is generally used.)

SHU = ( Dehydrocapsacin conc. X 0.82 + Capsacin conc. ) X 16
※ Concentration unit = μg/g

TRR> The chicken character has changed from it’s original look. Does the chicken have a name and can you tell a little more about the mascot?
SAMYANG FOODS> Name: HOCHI
Birthday : April 13
Character

  • Addicted to spicy taste.
  • Full of confidence and motivation, but whimsical
    Features:
  • Having the worst fashion sense and dreaming of being a food stylist.
  • A poorly proportioned body
  • Poor at housekeeping
  • Can eat five packs of HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen at a time.

TRR> There have been a lot of people cooking the original Buldak Bokkeummyun with soup instead of as a dry stir noodle. What are the official cooking instructions for cooking the original Buldak Bokkeummyun on the package (for those who can’t read Korea)?

SAMYANG FOODS> Dry stir noodle type is our official cooking instruction
Below is our instruction appeared in our packing material.

1) Put the noodles and flakes into 600ml boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
2) Please remove the water from noodles(remain 8 spoon of water) and put liquid soup Into noodles, stir-fry 30 seconds.
3) Add flakes, stir well, and serve.

TRR> Exactly how many mL 8 spoons of water are?

SAMYANG FOODS> 8 table spoon of water would be approximately 120ml. (15ml per spoon)

TRR> Other than the container, is there a difference between the pack version and the bowl versions?

SAMYANG FOODS> There is little differences in ingredients because we tried best to minimize those differences. However, you can notice small differences because of cooking method. In a case of bowl type, Stir time is skipped so it’s more spicy than pack version. Actually, noodles release starch during stir time so, spicy taste is relatively relived

TRR> Are there new Buldak Bokkeummyun varieties coming soon? Can you share what they might be?

SAMYANG FOODS> We have launched new Buldak Bokkeummyun series. One is Curry Buldak Bokkeummyun (HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen Curry) and other is Hack Buldak Bokkeummyun (2X spicy Hot Chicken flavor Ramen).

Curry Buldak : In curry Bulkdak, taste of curry and original Buldak have been well balanced. However, it is only for foreign consumers, not be sold in Korea yet.

Hack Buldak : Hack Buldak’s SHU is twice as spicy in comparison to buldak. It is a limited edition so we recommend you to try it. I guess it is the most spicy instant noodle in the world.

THE RAMEN RATER> Thank you for giving my readers the opportunity to find out more about the Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun range!

Nomenclature/Translation/Timeline

Ther Definitive Guide To Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun

This list (click to enlarge) was supplied by Samyang Foods.

Mascot

Name: HOCHI (click image to enlarge)
Birthday : April 13
Character

  • Addicted to spicy taste.
  • Full of confidence and motivation, but whimsical
    Features:
  • Having the worst fashion sense and dreaming of being a food stylist.
  • A poorly proportioned body
  • Poor at housekeeping
  • Can eat five packs of HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen at a time.

I want to thank all the great people at Samyang Foods to make this special feature possible, especially Amelia, Taehoon and Joey who helped with making this special series possible. They sent samples and answered so many questions I’ve posed to them kindly.

I also want to thank Colin, a reader from Massachusetts who originally sent me the Ice Type for review, 1theKorea, an eBay seller who was very helpful in sourcing varieties and helping greatly. Moreover, you can find many South Korean instant varieties in his store. Anders and Ji-Min, readers from South Korea for sending some great varieties. Finally, I would like to thank my son Andreas for being so adventurous at the age of 11 to try the 2x spicy. Indeed, spicy food has never been his thing and he ate a big bite and survived! You can see part of the video with us trying the Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun 2x Spicy in the end credits of the above video and our full video in the Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyun 2x Spicy review.

#2364: Samyang Foods Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyun

1 Reply

#2422: Samyang Foods Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyun - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - Fire Noodle Challenge

Part Of The Ramen Rater’s Definitive Guide To Samyang Foods’ Buldak Bokkeuymmyun

HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen Cheese / 치즈불닭볶음면 / Cheese Buldak Bokkueummyun

Launch 2016.3 / SHU 2,323

This one came by way of eBay seller 1theKorea – they’ve got all sorts of neat South Korean varieties, and lots of the spicy ones that aren’t the easiest to find or are unavailable in the USA. .

Today’s review is the Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyun. I’ve gotten pushback in the past about cheese and ramyun, but again it’s official – cheese and ramyun is here to stay! I think it really adds a nice effect – calms the fiery flavors and gives them a creamy element. I have seen the cheese in a few ways – the same as above minus the word cheese in a black background and this one. My guess is that the one you see above was made as the original may have confused people as  maybe it looked too close to the original. Unsure, but seems logical. Best to ask Samyang Foods directly –

THE RAMEN RATER> The cheese version has two designs: one has black background and one more orange/yellow. Which came out first? I am guessing that it is because people thought the black background was the original and then you changed to the more yellow cheese color?

SAMYANG FOODS> Yes, we changed the color of cheese version from black to yellow. There are two reasons.
First, yellow one easily reminds customers of cheese when it compares to the black one, so you can simply distinguish the flavor in a long distance.

Second, we are doing Buldak Bokkeummyun color marketing to promote consumer to consider “Buldak” as an impressive brand and we’d like to broaden the range of our products. Therefore, we have launched new Buldak series with different flavors and different cooking types. Likewise, we’re trying our best to make Buldak Bokkeummyun brand as a global brand.

Now we know So let’s check out Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyun!

Samyang Foods Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyun – South Korea

#2422: Samyang Foods Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyun - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - Fire Noodle Challenge

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add the noodle block to 600ml boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, saving 120ml water. Add in water, liquid sachet and cheese sachet. Stirfry for 30 seconds. Finally, stir and enjoy!

#2422: Samyang Foods Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyun - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - Fire Noodle Challenge

The noodle block.

#2422: Samyang Foods Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyun - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - Fire Noodle Challenge

The liquid sachet.

#2422: Samyang Foods Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyun - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - Fire Noodle Challenge

A spicy liquid.

#2422: Samyang Foods Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyun - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - Fire Noodle Challenge

The cheese flavoring sachet.

#2422: Samyang Foods Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyun - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - Fire Noodle Challenge

A cheese powder with flecks of vegetable.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added chicken massaged with gochujang, drizzled with sesame chilli oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper and baked @ 375 for 45 minutes, sharp white cheddar, spring onion, chilli powder and Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts. Again the noodles are thick with a great chew to them. The flavor is much more tame compared to the original – a little sweeter and the cheese element is there as well. However, its definitely got a formidable level of spiciness! 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8801073113268.

#2422: Samyang Foods Cheese Buldak Bokkeummyun - South Korea - The Ramen Rater - Fire Noodle Challenge

2016 new Samyang Ramen / Spicy Chicken Roasted Stir Buldak Noodles Cheese Flavor (Pack of 5)

An interview with the Samyang Foods mascots.

#2291: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun Cheese Flavor (Orange Bowl)

2 Replies

Okay so most of your should be familiar with the popular ‘fiore noodle’ challenge. That’s where you take a bowl of Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkummyun (spicy fried chicken flavor) instrant noodles and scarf ‘e,m down in one sitting really quick. If you don’t know about this, just go to YouTube and type in fire noodle challenge – you’ll get a ton of videos. Nobody’s ever challenged me to do this; kind of bummed. Anyways, this is a new variety – I think there will be three of these spin offs, but right now we have cheese. Let’s see is the cheese chills this fiery noodle out or if it still has the burn of burns.

A distributor/export sticker (click to enlarge). Definitely check this out – some of the things on the list are very interesting!

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add boiling water to fill line and let sit covered for 4 minutes. Poke holes in the lid (through the little triangles). Use them to drain off excess water. Add in liquid sachet contents and stir well. Sprinkle try powder on top and enjoy!

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

The noodle block.

A liquid sachet.

Looks fiery and smells fiery.

A garnish sachet.

Cheesy!

Finished (click to enlarge). The noodles hydrated very well – awesome ramyun. The taste is like licking the sun; I know it’s cheese because it says it’s cheese and I poured cheese powder on top, but it just tastes like an ultra spicy and sweet kind of thing. For fans of the David Lynch film ‘Dune,’ you will understand when I say heat upon heat upon heat… THE PAIN! Nice quality, serious business. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8801073210967.

2-Pack Samyang Spicy Chicken Roasted Cheese Cup Noodle / Cup Ramen

This guy attempts to eat 10 plates of this stuff.

Meet The Manufacturer: #2079: Nissin Nupasta Carbonara Flavour Instant Noodle

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Well this looks interesting – Italian inspired pasta in a take out box style package. Reminds me of the Cup Noodles Pasta Style from Japan a reviewed before – at least in color scheme and design on the package. It looks like it stops there though! Let’s see what we’ve got here!

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains chicken and pork. To prepare, remove lid and add in contents of clear sachets. Add cold water to fill line. Microwave at 700W for 6 minutes, 30 seconds (use this tool to convert for your microwave). Add in contents of green sachet. Stir and enjoy!

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

The noodle block.

The first of two garnish sachets.

Bacon is mentioned in the ingredients.

The second garnish sachet.

I did mention bacon, right? Mushrooms too!

The powder sachet.

Has a nice cheese scent.

Finished (click to enlarge). I’ll be honest; after converting the cold water instructions from 800W to 1100W microwaving, I was a little worried that 4 minutes and 20 second in hour microwave would pretty much obliterate this stuff. Fortunately, I was absolutely wrong. The noodles came out very, very well. They have a very fresh quality to them and a decent quantity. The vegetables and meats hydrated and cooked great – little bits of bacon, mushroom and other stuff throughout. The flavor was just great too – the white powder turned into a sauce with perfect thickness and quantity – and it tasted like an alfredo sauce. This was just plain awesome. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars.  EAN bar code 4897878660018.

NISSIN Nupasta Bacon In Cabonara Instant Noodles (94gX4)

A recipe for spaghetti carbonara.

#2060: Nissin Cup Noodle Light Plus Cheese Fondue

2 Replies

During the Nissin Japan Meet The Manufacturer, I reviewed 15 varieties. Well, Daisuke-san from Nissin Japan sent many more – amazing varieties that I get to put into the regular rotation and share with you now! Thank you again, Daisuke-san! This is one of the new new Cup Noodle Light varieties – let’s take a look! By the way – he mentioned that just recently, Cup Noodle(s) has been enjoyed over 40 BILLION times since the 1970s! Wow!

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Unsure as to whether this contains meat or not. To prepare, open lid partially and add boiling water to fill line. Let steep for 3 minutes. Stir and enjoy!

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

The noodle block.

Some of the loose pieces from inside the cup.

Finished (click to enlarge). My first thought is wow. So the noodles come out very nicely – light chew and nice gauge. These noodles are different from the standard Cup Noodle. The broth is sensational; it’s very thick and has a very nice cheese taste as well as a layered and rich vegetable flavor which is not only savory but has very gourmet notes to it. I’m finding cabbage and red bell pepper as well as sweet carrot and potatoes. This is really great – and that it’s a light variety is mind boggling as it’s full of flavor and doesn’t skimp on anything. Very delicious. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars.  JAN bar code 4902105237199.

Nissin Cup Noodle Light plus ratatouille 50gX12 pieces

The making of video of the Nissin Cup Noodle Light Plus commercials.

#2017: Samyang Foods Honey & Cheese Big Bowl

6 Replies

Here’s one sent by Colin from back east – thanks again! I’ve seen this a couple times online and though it sounded fascinating. Honey and cheese? What an interesting combination… Let’s tear open the lid and see what we have here!

The import/distributor sticker (click to enlarge). One should note that this is not meant to be served as soup.

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Unsure whether it contains meats. To prepare, add boiling water to fill line and cover for 4 minutes. Using holes in lid, drain off excess water. Add in sachet contents. Stir and enjoy!

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

The noodle block.

The seasoning sachet.

A LOT of powder.

A liquid sachet.

I thought at first this might be honey, but it looks to be vegetable oil. I think the sweetness/honey flavor component will be in the dry sachet.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added coriander and ham lunchmeat. The noodles came out decently hydrated and they are thick and chewy ramyun. The flavor is interesting; indeed the oil wasn’t honey but a strangely spicy concoction; like a hot spicy dandelion oil thing. The dish’s flavor is like a spicy sweet cheese thing with a dandelion hit to it which I found compelling, but in the end something I really didn’t like at all. It sounded good, but just not for me. 0.0 out of 5.0 stars.  EAN bar code 8801073210868.

The opposite end of the spectrum – Samyang Buldak Bokkeum Ramyun Gourmet Very Spicy Cup Noodle Soup (Pack of 4)

A very old Samyang Foods TV commercial!