I thought today would be a fun day to include Miles in on an episode of Instant Noodle Recipe Time (see below). I figured hey – he’ll leave the stove alone… Well, he did which was good and it was nice having a co-host! Job well done, Miles!
Today’s review is a spicy one from the famous Fire Noodle range of Buldak products manufactured by Samyang Foods. Not only does it contain noodles, but topokki as well which is a nice touch. If you haven’t tried topokki, you’re really missing out! Let’s give it a try!
Samyang Foods Jjajang Buldak Ramen Topokki – South Korea
Here are the included instructions they made for me (click to enlarge).
Included is a package with a noodle block.
Here’s the topokki – make sure you remove the dessicant sachet.
Two wet sachets of jjajang sauce.
The vegetable sachet.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, spring onion, fish cake, and baked chicken, Noodles come out with a nice chew to them and the topokki is with a nice chew as well. The instructions said 5~6 minutes and I did 5 1/2, so 6 would probably yield more tender topokki. The sauce is thick and luxuriant, with a strong Buldak kind of flavor as well as the black bean component. It’s definitely spicy as well. A good combo – tasty and great. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8801073310964.
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add 80ml water to the line in the cup. Add noodles, veggies, and seasoning. Microwave for 3 and a half minutes. To prepare on the stove (how I’ll be doing it) Add 160ml water to a pot and boil. Add noodles and cook for a minute and a half. Add veggies and seasoning, stir in, and cook an additional minute and a half.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added spring onion and sesame seeds. The noodles are great – working with the sloppiness of the sauce – tteokbokki also was the same. Sauce was interesting – like a sweet and spicy tteokbokki sauce with notes of black bean. Delightful – first one I’ve eaten that wasn’t a mukbang in a while. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8809061679017.
Here’s one that was sent by Exotic Noods – a company that sells subscription noodle boxes. Thanks! This one is a spicy take on Zha Wang, a popular product from Nongshim – this one’s their spicy version. Zha Wang might sound a lot like Jjajang – that’s no accident. Zha Wang is basically jjajang but with a different name. Let’s give it a go!
Nongshim Spicy Zha Wang Noodle Dish With Roasted Bean Sauce – United States
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Contains beef and shrimp. To prepare, add everything but liquid sachet and 350ml water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir frequently for 5~6 minutes. Add in remaining liquid sachet. Finally, stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
The sauce mix sachet.
A lot of powder!
A vegetables sachet.
Looks to be predominately peas and carrots.
A liquid sachet.
Something to add in at the end.
Finished (click to enlarge). Noodles are just superb – nice thickness and width. The sauce works very well and coats everything – there’s only one problem. It’s spicy, and I really don’t feel like spicy works for me in this situation. It’s like if you made spicy Lucky Charms – kind of a ‘wha – huh?’ feel to it. I really hoped for a light spicy but it was pretty strong. Give me the non spicy any day – it’s excellent – but not a fan of this. 2.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 031146041190.
Okay you definitely know Samyang Foods by now – fire noodles and all. They keep coming out with new products all the time and keep sending them my way which I thoroughly appreciate! Thank you! Let’s crack this big box open and have a look!
New Samyang Foods Samples – South Korea
I’ve already done a Spicy Noodle Mukbang for that new Jjajang Cup – here it is – thanks again!
OK, so on the chat which you might see on the lower right hand corner, I’ve fielded more questions about Samyang Foods’ Buldak Bokkeummyun (Fire Noodle) range than on anything else. Actually, the most prevalent questions have been whether one is spicier than the other and whether they’re HALAL or not. This is a special unboxing because within is a new variety – Jjajang! Let’s crack it open and have a look!
Unboxing Time: New Samyang Jjajang Buldak Bokkeummyun – South Korea
Lots of other interesting things in here – a new Sriracha Ramen, some other spicy items – definitely take a look to see what’s going to be at your Asian grocery soon! Thank you very much!
I’ve tried the pack version of this and it was some of the best I’ve had. I really like that the South Korean companies have now adopted the wider thick noodle in a lot of products. These have a little extra character and are very good. So Jjajang usually begins the word jjajangmyeon – basically a noodle with black bean sauce. Let’s see how the bowl version of this product fares.
Samyang Foods Jjajang Big Bowl – South Korea
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 steep for 4 minutes. Drain, saving 6~8 ‘spoons’ of water (the company has informed me that one spoon is 15mL). Add in sachets. finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added spring onion and Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts. The noodles are great – happy that they’re using this wider style that’s become popular lately. The jjajang sauce is thick and coats every surface. It has a very nice tastiness to it which I really enjoy – seems meaty without meat. The included bits were alright. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8801073210950.
Here’s yet another one I found up in Canada in July of 2017! Found this at HMart after having a really great dim sum lunch with some new friends at Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, BC. Okay, so Jjajang is a black bean sauce noodle. But Pororo? Let’s look at Wikipedia –
The series revolves around the adventures of Pororo and his friends who live in the snowy village of Porong Porong Forest, who often encounter challenges and learn practical and moral lessons in each episode.
Hey cool a TV tie in – let’s check out this cup!
Paldo Pororo Jjajang Noodle – South Korea
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 cover for 3 and a half minutes. Using pokeable holes in the lid, drain off excess water, then add sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). The noodles hydrated well enough in the 3 and a half minutes directed. They have a decent gauge and chew although a tad on the spongy side. The flavor is a very milk jjajang. Mild almost to the bland side of things which was a bummer – these guys make some of their best jjajang out there. 2.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8809296882695.
South Korean instant noodles are known around the world as being spicy and beefy for the most part. However, there are many different styles. In fact, seafood jjamppong, black bean jjajang, cold noodles, and creamy beef noodles exist in the scene. Today, I’ll do a rundown of my favorites – the best of the highest rated South Korean varieties from over 2,300 unique varieties I’ve reviewed from around the world. Finally, I would like to note that it’s tougher to find South Korean varieties. Therefore, any instant noodle companies from South Korea should contact me promptly to be considered for upcoming top ten lists. Let’s get started.
The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles Of All Time 2017 Edition
This year’s video presentation with some extras!
#10: Nongshim Soon Veggie Noodle Soup
This is the first instant noodle on the top ten to be marketed towards vegetarians. What surprised me about it is that the broth has such a full flavor to it; deep and satisfying. The noodles are slightly larger in gauge than your run of the mill instant, which is common of South Korean ‘ramyun.’ Magnificent stuff! Original review here
#9: Samyang Foods Cheese Curry Ramyun
The noodles are of a decent ramyun gauge and hydrate nicely in the three minutes directed. In addition, the broth is thick with a very nice kind of creamy curry flavor. Finally, an inkling of spiciness. Beautiful stuff! Original review here
#8: Nongshim Zha Wang (Jjawang) Noodles With Chajang Sauce
The noodles are out of this world – soft and chewy, with a nice width and thickness – very hearty. The sauce coats everything and there’s more than enough of it. Finally, its thick, rich black bean flavor is has peas, cabbage and other veggies. This is the best jjajang I’ve ever tried. Original review here
#7: Paldo Cheese Noodle
These noodles – wow. Arguably the best addition to South Korean ramyun has to be cheese. Well, not only is cheese included here but it’s got just the perfect notes of spiciness and strong, rich flavor. The little guy with the sign that says cheese noodle rocks too! Original review here
These noodles are big and plump and chewy – wider as well. They’re fantastic! Would love to see a Shin Ramyun using this noodle! The broth is equally wonderful insofar as the flavor has this taste and smell. It has a seafood barbecue kind of taste. The oil adds a nice extra to the broth. Spicy, tasty and awesome! Original review here
#5: Paldo Rabokki Noodle
The noodles plump up 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. Original review here
#4: Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja
The noodles are very good – nice thick ramyun. In addition, I have read that they are augment them with chilli pepper in them as well. Next, the broth has a seriously spicy kick to it and a very peanut aroma with pork notes. Finally, the vegetables hydrate very well. Back with a vengeance! Original review here
#3: Nongshin Chal Bibim Myun
First, the noodles are nice and thick with a great chew – ramyun through and through. Second, the sauce works extremely well. It’s sweet and spicy and works perfectly with a cold noodle. Finally, the flavor is nice and crisp while smooth and effective. Original review here
#2: ChoripDong Hurricane Rice Cake
Very red. It’s got a thick spicy and sweet sauce. Fresh ramyun. It’s got topokki. Indeed, this is a real find – Just looking at the picture makes me want some right this instant. Slipping from #1 to #2 this year. Original review here
#1: Paldo Budae Jigae
As always, I’m shocked when something comes across my desk that’s unlike anything I’ve reviewed. In the first place, the noodles are great – thick ramyun. Indeed they are chewy and thick gauge. The broth is really good; thicker than most and has a kind of ‘boiling with hot dogs in it all day’ kind of thing going on. Moreover, the included garnish is a real treat as it contains not only beans, processed meat and slices of sausage, but pieces of macaroni as well. This one really goes above and beyond on this one – I’m impressed. Original review here
Okay so I guess karma will get you. I dunno. Let me explain… So I got this pack along with a couple others at HMart a week or two ago (great store, HMart by the way) and they had one of this series in single packs to buy, but the other two were in 5 packs that were around $9 each. Well, I went to the trouble of opening a couple of the 5 packs and taking out one each . Now, I’m unsure if this is truly a horrible thing to do; I’m sure they just put them on the shelf with the others that are sold in singles. Plus hey – I got them at HMart (there – the third time I mentioned HMart! Ooh a fourth!), so if you want to get these you can find them there. Well, as it turns out I reviewed this one in May and now I’m reviewing it again! Wasn’t my plan to do a re-review today but here we are. So perhaps the pulling of single packs from the multipack is why this happened. But probably not; I’m just getting old. Anyways, this is a jjajang/zha jiang (black bean sauce) noodle. Let’s hit it!
The back of the package (click to enlarge). Unsure whether it contains meat. to prepare, add noodles and vegetables to 600ml boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Drain. Add in contents of powder and oil sachets. Stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
The powder sachet.
A lot of powder.
The vegetables sachet.
Looks like vegetables and some TVP (textured vegetable protein).
A liquid sachet.
Oil!
Finished (click to enlarge). The noodles were thick and chewy and very premium. The sauce was serious business; a little spicy hit and a thick slather with a very hearty black bean flavor. The included vegetable and TVP really worked well. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8801073113176.
First, I want to send a special thank you to Yongmin Park for sending me product samples! See, every year I do the Top Ten South Korean Instant Noodles list and each year it’s starting to seem like I get fewer and fewer products to try from South Korea. People have been getting grumpy about the list too – see, it’s only for products made IN South Korea, not elsewhere. Let’s have a look inside and see what awaits!
New premium varieties – jjamppong and jjajang (click to enlarge).
Budae Jigae (click to enlarge) – if you look at the enlargement, you can see that there are very interesting things on the package – beans, macaroni, sausages… Budae Jigae was developed after the Korean War – lots of US military rations were left for the people and they adapted them into a special stew/soup!
Finally, Bibimmyun – IN A BOWL (click to enlarge)!!! I’ve been trying to get my hands on this for a VERY long time! Thanks again Yongmin Park – you rock!
Being a superfan of all things instant noodle, I have newsfeeds I check daily on my phone pertaining to them. I saw an article about Nongshim’s Jjawang in the Korea Times New York edition. It mentioned with it’s release, jjajang variants are flying off the shelves in NY and NJ. I figured hey – I better find this stuff!
I had an idea where to look. In Lynnwood, WA, there’s a store called G Mart. They usually have a Nongshim promo at the front and sure enough, they did. We also had my friend Paul S. over last night and he brought some Heaven Sent fried chicken. I had bought some Nongshim Waffle snacks (they taste like maple syrup and crunchy waffle) and they went together well. Now, what’s jjajang? Here’s something from wikipedia:
Jajangmyeon (자장면; 짜장면; jjajangmyeon), a Korean Chinese cuisine, is a noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang (a salty black soybean paste when unheated), diced pork and vegetables, and sometimes also seafood. Jajang (alternately spelled jjajang), the name of the sauce when heated, is the Korean pronunciation of the Chinese characters 炸醬, which literally means “fried sauce.” Myeon (also spelledmyun) means “noodle”, which is represented by the Chinese character 麵.
The dish originated from zhajiangmian (炸醬麵, literally “fried sauce noodles”) in China’s Shandong region. [1] Zhajiangmian was adapted in Korea to fit the Korean taste. The start of jajangmyeon can be traced back to theJoseon Dynasty. When the Joseon opened the Incheon port, many Chinese people from the Shandong region moved to a town in Incheon, which is now known as Incheon China Town.[2] These people created Chinese restaurants and adapted the traditional Shandong food zhajiangmian in a way that Korean people could enjoy. It is rumored that in 1905 a Chinese restaurant named Gonghwacheun (공화춘), created jajangmyeon. However, it turned out that Gonghwacheun was the first registered business.[3] At this time jajangmyeon was a cheap dish that the worker class enjoyed and was more similar to Shandong region’s zhajiangmian than the current day Korean jajamyeon. After the Korean War, Korean chunjang was invented. With Korean chunjang, caramel was added to give it a sweet taste. After this jajangmyeon became a completely different food from zhajiangmian.[4] The pronunciation of the dish’s name is nearly identical to that of its Korean counterpart. But Korean jajangmyeon differs from Chinese zhajiangmian, as Korean jjajangmyeon uses black Korean chunjangincluding caramel, and onions.[citation needed]
Alright – with your education complete, let’s check out this new Nongshim Zha Wang!
Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Contains shrimp. To prepare, add noodle and flake sachet to 600ml boiling water and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, As it cooks, make the sauce by adding 3 tablespoons of water (45ml) and stirring. Drain noodles. Add in the contents of the oil sachet. Add prepared sauce and combine thoroughly. Enjoy!
Broad, flat noodles. There are little specks of kelp powder in them.
The sauce powder sachet.
Has a nice black bean scent.
The vegetable flake sachet.
A nice mixture of vegetables.
An oil sachet.
Vegetable oil.
Finished. The noodles are out of this world – soft and chewy, with a nice width and thickness – very hearty. The sauce coats everything and there’s more than enough of it. It has a rich black bean flavor augmented with peas, cabbage and other veggies. This is the best jjajang I’ve ever tried. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 031146033324.
This was sent to me by Anders E. from South Korea – thank you very much! I was aware of the regular habanero ramen – the one that’s been #1 on my spicy list for a while now. But this one – jjajang ramen – it sounds pretty dang spicy. Especially if it’s anything like the other Dare You! ramen. For those of you not familiar with jjajang, here’s what wikipedia has to say about it:
Jajangmyeon (자장면; 짜장면; jjajangmyeon), a Korean Chinese cuisine, is a noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang (a salty black soybean paste), diced pork and vegetables, and sometimes alsoseafood. Jajang (alternately spelled jjajang), the name of the sauce, is the Korean pronunciation of the Chinese characters 炸醬, which literally means “fried sauce.” Myeon (also spelled myun) means “noodle”, which Chinese character is 麵.
Let’s have a look at this fiery cup!
Detail of the side panels (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, take out sachet. Add in boiling water to line and steep 3 minutes. Poke holes in lid and use as drain spout. Drain. Add in contents of sachet and stir very well to combine. Enjoy!
Detail of the lid (click image to enlarge).
The noodle block.
The powder sachet.
A decent quantity.
Looks like little TVP bits and some onion or cabbage.
Finished (click image to enlarge). The noodles hydrated quite well – decent quantity for a cup as well. The TVP and veg did nicely too. The flavor is good – and the heat is very strong! I will say of the three Dare You! varieties (Habanero Ramen, Jjamppong and Jjajang) this is the least spicy. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars.EAN bar code 8801073210790.
Want to feel your mouth catch on fire? Like using a charcoal briquet as a lozenge? You’ve been warned – get it here!!
A couple takes a trip to emart!
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