Tag Archives: sriracha

#3012: Samyang Foods Sriracha Ramen Snack – South Korea

Here we have what you call a ramen snack or noodle snack. These are popular throughout Asia but little known in the United States. In a way. It was often I heard about people taking a domestic pillow pack of instant noodles here in the states and pulverizing it while still in the package and then the seasoning dumped on and held closed, then shaken to distribute the flavor. This was commonly considered a somewhat of a lazy teenager’s way of cooking one of the easiest products to cook around. Well, they’ve been creating products that are prepared in this way for a very long time in Asia. Spicy, sweet, salty – you name it. Here’s Samyang’s Sriracha Ramen flavored one for you to see today!

Samyang Foods Sriracha Ramen Snack – South Korea

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Unsure whether it contains meat – check for yourself. To prepare, crush noodles through unopened package into bite sized pieces. Open package, remove seasoning sachet and add to crushed noodles. Hold opening closed and shake vigorously. Finally, enjoy as a snack!

An uncrushed noodle block.

The seasoning base.

A very light powder.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added honey butter almonds, Craisins, cashews, peanuts, and sesame sticks. The noodles are light and have a nice crunch to them that doesn’t break your teeth. The seasoning brings a salty and spicy hit with a little tinge of sourness which works well. For a snack, I give this one 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8801073310902.

Samyang Hot Spicy S R I R A C H A Stir-Fried Noodles Ramen135g (4PCS)

Watch me do this one up on Instant Noodle Recipe Time!

Unboxing Time: New Samyang Foods Samples

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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!

#2227: Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup Sriracha Chicken Flavour

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Time for a new domestic variety! found this one a while back down in Renton, Washington at the Uwajimaya there. It’s right next to where they have Pokemon League at a card shop. Anyways, it was kind of a shock since I found this one, their new chipotle chicken cup, and a few new bowls they came out with recently. I think this is the last of the new stuff. Let’s give it a look!

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Contains chicken. To prepare, add noodle block to 2 cups boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Add in sachet contents. Stir and enjoy!

The noodle block.

The soup base sachet.

A light powder.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added baked chicken, cilantro and Huy Fong Sriracha Chili Sauce. The noodles are the standard Maruchan pack type you find in the United States. They have a good gauge and soft chew to them. The broth has a light spiciness and a nice chicken taste. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 041789002502.

Maruchan Creamy Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodles (Pack of 24)

A Maruchan TV commercial.

#2053: Maruchan Instant Lunch Sriracha Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodle Soup

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Here’s something new – found this at the Uwajimaya in Renton, Washington. It’s funny; we go a little out of our normal sphere of shopping and boom – all sorts of new things! Actually, found quite a few new Maruchan varieties – a Chipotle Instant Lunch as well as three new Bowl varieties – Miso, Sukiyaki and Tonkotsu! Those will be coming up for review soon. Until them, let’s check out this neat little cup.

Detail from the cardboard outer (click to enlarge). Contains chicken. to prepare, add boiling water to fill line and cover for 3 minutes. Stir and enjoy!

The cup in all it’s glory!

Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).

The noodle block.

Some of the seasoning and vegetables loose in the cup.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added baked chicken, cilantro, baby corn and nanami togarashi. The noodles and thin and flat and went nicely in this one. The flavor of the broth was like a chili-sriracha; I found it going between a lot of cumin and then this nice sriracha taste that would kind of come and go. The vegetables did excellent – especially the peas! 3.75 out of 5.0 stars.UPC bar code 041789001505.

Maruchan Instant Lunch Sampler Variety Pack; 2.25oz Roast Beef, Creamy Chicken, Lime Chicken, and Cheddar Cheese Cups (Pack of 12)

A Maruchan TV commercial.

#1786: Nissin Chow Mein Premium Savory Sauce And Restaurant Quality Noodles Sriracha Flavor

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Here’s a new one from Nissin Foods USA – Sriracha flavor Chow Mein! Sriracha is kind of interesting. First, the way to pronounce is ‘sir-racha’ drove me nuts for the longest time, but I finally have conformed (under protest). Also, Sriracha is a place in Thailand (went there in May), however the Sriracha sauce me know here in the states isn’t a popular condiment there. It’s a bit of a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Wikipedia had this to say:

Sriracha (Thai: ศรีราชา, [sǐː rāː.t͡ɕʰāː] ( listen)) is a type of hot sauce or chili sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt.^[1] It is named after the coastal city of Si Racha, in Chonburi Province of eastern Thailand, where it may have been first produced for dishes served at local seafood restaurants.^[2]

Okay I got that.

In Thailand the sauce is most often called sot Siracha (Thai: ซอสศรีราชา) and only sometimes nam phrik Siracha (Thai: น้ำพริกศรีราชา). Traditional Thai sriracha sauce tends to be tangier in taste, and runnier in texture than non-Thai versions.^[7]In a Bon Appétit magazine interview, US Asian-foods distributor, Eastland Food Corporation, asserted that the Thai brand of hot sauce, Sriraja Panich, which Eastland distributes, is the original “sriracha sauce” and was created in Si Racha, Thailand, in the 1930s from the recipe of a housewife named Thanom Chakkapak.^[7]Within the United States, sriracha is associated with a sauce produced by Huy Fong Foods^[2] and is sometimes referred to as “rooster sauce” or “cock sauce”^[8] due to the image of a rooster on the bottle.^[9] Other variations of sriracha have appeared in the US market, including a sriracha that is aged in whiskey barrels.^[10]^[11]Various restaurants in the US, including Applebee’s, P.F. Chang’s, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Jack in the Box, Subway, White Castle and Gordon Biersch, have incorporated sriracha into their dishes, sometimes mixing it with mayonnaise or into dipping sauces.^[2]^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15] The name “sriracha” is considered to be a generic term, since the creator of the Huy Fong Foods sauce, David Tran, did not trademark it.^[16]

Now one thing that’s for sure is that in the USA, Sriracha sauce is commonly aligned with Vietnamese foods, most notably pho noodles. On most bottles you’ll see here, there’s no Thai on them at all. Trippy. Anyways, let’s see what kind of heat’s in this tray from Nissin Foods!

Here’s the underside of the package (click image to enlarge). Contains shrimp. To prepare, open lid to dotted line and remove sachets. Add room temp water to fill line and microwave for 5 minutes. Let sit in the microwave for another minute, then remove the lid and add in sachet contents. Stir and enjoy!

Detail of the lid (click image to enlarge).

The noodle block.

Powder seasoning base.

Has a spicy scent.

A sauce sachet.

Has a sriracha and soy scent.

From under the noodle block, some bits that look a lot like Thai chillies.

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added barbecue pork, Salad Cosmo bean sprouts, coriander and Thai chillies. The noodles came out great – lots of them and they have a flat and slightly wide disposition. Good texture and chew. The seasoning lends itself well to the noodles. It’s flavor is like a sweet and spicy Thai kind of thing which packs a good amount of heat. It is very reminiscent of gochujang and topokki sauce – both South Korean things I like immensely. The bits of pepper hydrated well. Altogether a nice dish. 4.25 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 070662088203.

Nissin Premium Sriracha Chow Mein Noodles, 32 Ounce (Pack of 8)

A TV commercial for Nissin Chow Mein.

The New Face Of Nissin Cup Noodles & An Old One, Too

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I found out recently that there was a new Nissin Foods USA product or two that was new and asked for some samples – and they arrived today!

Hmmm what’s under the wraps?

So here’s what the new Nissin Cup Noodles look like!

They come in Chicken, Hearty chicken, Beef and Shrimp flavors. As you might first notice, there’s no cardboard outer packaging like they used to have. The container is made of a material that is made with the environment in mind (less plastic and paper wrap waste with 20% reduction in carbon emissions than the old packaging). It’s also microwavable (yeah, you weren’t supposed to microwave the old ones!). What’s also nice is there’s room in them to customize your noodles. For example, you could open the lid, drop in some broccoli, a little milk and some cooked chicken, add the water in and microwave it to make a creamy chicken kind of thing. They’re having a big content on their facebook page – check em out here.

These are Nissin’s Hot & Spicy Chicken bowls – with less sodium!

Here are some new varieties of Nissin Chow Mein trays I’ve not reviewed yet! Pad Thai, Roast Chicken and Sriracha!

A visor!

A big red drawstring bag!

Temporary tattoos!

A neat pen!

A couple of mousepads! I have been using one they sent a long time ago and noticed that it was really foul and dirty last night when I spilled a little gochujang on it… But here’s a new one!

Anyone know who this guy is?

This little chicken is Hiyoko-chan. He’s the mascot of Nissin Chikin Ramen, which was Nissin’s first instant noodle way back in 1958 and the first instant noodle on the market.

A little zipper bag.

A micro-szed noodle pack with a tiny Chikin Ramen noodle block shaped eraser!

Little washcloths.

Hey what’s this?

Hiyoko-chan can hold your Cup Noodles lid shut! Thanks to Brent, Linda and every one else at Nissin Foods USA for sending this great box along! Also want to say congratulations to Scott on the arrival of his daughter!

The Ramen Rater’s Trip To Thailand: Day 2 – Factory Tour & More

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Day 1 * Day 2 * Day 3 * Day 4 * Day 5 * Day 6

After some sleep, we headed down to breakfast. The Chatrium had a big breakfast buffet which was really nice – I would say my favorite part was all the fruit . One thing I’ve found is that when you’re in Asia, you’ve got to eat a lot of two things: seafood and fruit. Because it’s good there. Damn good. I ended up trying some dim sum and some other interesting things.

After breakfast, we met up with Mr. Banks. We headed off to the factory first thing. One thing we noticed around were lots of big purple billboards. As it turns out, April 2nd was the Princess’ birthday – click here to find out more.

On the way to the factory

So where is the noodle factory? Why Sriracha of course! What might surprise many is that the red rooster sauce everyone knows as Sriracha sauce isn’t super popular here.

The gate at Thai President Foods.

Entering the factory – everything smells like fried noodles! Was really nice.

Not sure but I’m guessing this is palm oil used to fry the noodles.

The first thing we did was watch a movie on this huge screen. It was all about Thai Foods and their products and company achievements.

Then we got to take a walk down the line and see the noodles being made! I can say first hand that this place was about as clean as it gets – standards are critically important in the noodles and food manufacturing business.

Walking down the line.

After the noodles come off the line, these two make sure they are in their little trays. If not, they tap them in.

Busy at the factory.

Packaging noodles.

Ms. Sumonrut, the RD & QA Manager and Mr. Songphop, the Regulatory Affairs Researcher took us around the R&D lab!

The R&D team!

They had homemade dishes and their instant version for me to try.

Talking food and trying it – really good stuff! It was an amazing tour I’ll never forget!

After the tour, we drove along the coast to Pattaya. This place was amazing; the smell of incense everywhere and this amazing temple by the sea.

We stopped at a seaside restaurant.

The food here was amazing – sea bass, morning glory in sauce, cashew chicken. We let Mr. Banks order figuring he’d know what was good – and he did!

Okay take a look at this. Take a long look. This sambal was like nothing I’ve tasted before – spicy from chillies, citrus hits from lemongrass, and a myriad of garlic and other herbs and spices. You grab some of the steamed sea bass and put a little of this on top. It was probably one of the best flavors I experienced in Thailand.

Some of the best squid I’ve ever had.

20150516_154722

Some neat street art.

On the way back to the hotel for a rest before the welcome dinner.

Amazing sunset out our hotel room’s window.

So Thai President Foods invites distributors every year for a special ‘agent’s meeting.’ It alternates by region every year and this year was the European Agents’ Meeting. People who distribute MAMA noodles all over Europe were there!

Everyone got to introduce themselves – here’s what I had to say (public speaking’s not my strong suit haha).

Got to meet some very nice people and have some tasty food! Jellyfish, crab, river prawn, prawn ball and my favorite…

This is duck – sliced very thin. You would take a pancake (the kind you would find with moo-shu pork) and put a slice of the duck on and one of these little bundles with spring onion and add some sauce, wrap it up and devour. Tasty fun stuff!

36th

The dinner was on the 36th floor of The Chatrium Hotel – and the view was spectacular. What a day!

Meet The Manufacturer: Star Anise Foods Interview

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Interview * Star Anise Foods Sample * Happy Pho Vietnamese Brown Rice Noodle Soup Garlic Goodness

A few weeks ago, I had a friend over for the weekend and we went to a
store here in the Seattle area called Central Market. I saw a box of
noodles that caught my eye, and decided to write down their website. I
ended up talking to Thao Nguyen, a Ph.D., chef, and co-founder of Star
Anise Foods. Here’s the interview I conducted via email with her.

THE RAMEN RATER> Thank you for agreeing to do this interview.

STAR ANISE FOODS> Thank you Hans for the opportunity!

TRR> To start, can you tell my readers about the history of Star Anise Foods?

SAF> Star Anise Foods was founded by Karen Cheng and myself, using my family recipe that were handed down from generations. We strive to bring to the table a product that is original in flavor, with high nutritional value.

TRR> What was the first product you made?

SAF> It was our line of HAPPY PHO.

TRR> Your company is located in San Francisco, yet you make a product whose roots are in Vietnam. How have the two distant locales influenced your products?

SAF> I’m a third generation Pho noodle seller – my grandparents started their pho stall in Nam Dinh where pho originated, then my mom had a pho noodle stall in Moscow, and now it’s me. San Francisco influenced the innovation aspect of our line.

TRR> Can you tell us about the varieties of pho noodles you make?

SAF> Our line is divided in 3 main categories: our “Happy Pho” is our Vietnamese brown rice noodle soup, which comes in garlic goodness, zesty ginger and shitake mushroom. Our Brown rice Noodles with organic green tea and seaweed. And our newest addition: the Brown rice Spring roll
wrapper which is the only brown rice wrapper in the world.

TRR> Here in the Seattle area, pho restaurants are everywhere. How are your products received by those in locations with smaller or nonexistent Vietnamese populations?

SAF> Pho is essentially Vietnamese rice noodles, herbs in a hearty French Provençal beef broth with fragrant Vietnamese spices. And it’s gluten free. So the appeal is universal. Many of my friends who live in the US or Europe have not had Pho ever, but adore it when they first have it. Vietnamese cuisine, according to the Specialty Food Association Mintel – Global Market Research, is one of the top five most popular cuisines (out of 15 ranked) and continues to rise. Currently 21%
of grocery retailers believe that this type of cuisine will be increasingly popular.

TRR> In what countries are your products available?

SAF> So far we are available only in the US.

TRR> How does the preparation of your product compare to that of traditional pho?

SAF> It is faster without compromising on the taste or the authenticity. I use the spice mix myself. Also it’s healthier as the noodles are made from brown rice.

TRR> How does your noodle making process differ from other instant noodle manufacturers?

SAF> I adore instant noodles and ramen – it tastes so good. But I often feel soooo bad afterwards. I don’t eat instant noodles anymore, as I learnt now that it doesn’t have to be that way. Our line of Star Anise Foods products are just as quick to make, but you feel good afterwards as the ingredients are simple and wholesome. We also use premium ingredients and as a result do not need to add a lot of different flavor enhancers and salt to create the taste. Our manufacturing facility only deals with rice flour – most instant noodles are wheat-based.

TRR> Are instant noodles the only products you make?

SAF> We make the world’s only brown rice spring roll wrapper, and a line of Vietnamese brown rice noodles with green tea and with seaweed.

TRR> A lot of people are concerned with their sodium intake. How would you recommend people enjoy your product as part of a healthy meal?

SAF> Our products all have very low sodium – 105mgs per serving which is only 5% of your daily recommended sodium intake. I normally add a lot of spinach and other veggies to make it more of a full meal. And I add a little bit of salt too. But if you don’t want salt at all – use a lot of lime to add flavor. And sriracha hot sauce.

TRR> Are you involved in in your local community or participate in charities?

SAF> Yes, I’m working on a project that provides mentoring for women entrepreneurs in developing countries.

TRR> Are there any new products coming soon?

SAF> Yes!

TRR> When you make noodles for yourself, what do you like to add to them to make them extra special?

SAF> I sautee garlic in oil, then add thinly sliced beef or tofu and quickly sautee them. Then I add these on top of the Pho soup. Hanoi style. And of course, a copious amount of sriracha hot sauce.

If you like our facebook page Star Anise Foods – you’ll find my favorite recipes there. I share them often.

TRR> Thank you very much for this opportunity to learn about Star Anise
Foods and your products!

SAF> Thank you!!!

There you have it! Thanks go to Thao Nguyen, Ph.D. for giving us all some great info on Star Anise Foods and sending sample to review!

Interview * Star Anise Foods Sample * Happy Pho Vietnamese Brown Rice Noodle Soup Garlic Goodness

#821: Master Kong/康师傅 Potatoes & Stewed Beef Instant Noodles

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This rather unassuming package of ramen came from Bo H. of China. I don’t know if this is exactly what this is called, but I hope it comes close to its name in taste. Potatoes aren’t something commonly found when it comes to instant noodles; there’s sweet potato noodles and potato noodles, but really nothing that involved potato flavor.

The back of the packaging (click image to enlarge).

Was originally a round block it appears.

The powder seasoning.

Lots of powder.

The paste packet.

I had a little taste – it definitely has a peanut component.

A small packet of bits and pieces…

Very small amount but we’ll see…

Finished (click image to enlarge). Added vegetables, some roast beef lunch meat and some Huy Fong Sriracha chili sauce. So the noodles are nice and plump. The broth and noodles come together masterfully and this honestly tastes so good I’m going to say I’m truly sad I don’t have any more of it! It literally tastes like a dish centering on beef and potatoes. I love it. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars – hands down awesome stuff. The bits and pieces weren’t bad either although very scant. UPC bar code 6903252010947 .

Tai Chi?

#820: Sunlee Tom Yum Shrimp Flavour Instant Rice Stick

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Today is probably the hottest day we’re going to have in Western Washington this summer. Right now it’s 88 degrees! I thought a nice bowl of spicy noodles would go well with it. I mean, isn’t it hot in Thailand too?

Detail of the lid info (click image to enlarge).

An included fork!

Yay rice stick!

Seasoning powder.

A decent amount of it – has a very acidic taste.

Seasoned oil.

Looks much like a paste.

Andy was stoked – we got some kamaboko and it was really good. Check out his blog, Andy’s LEGO Stuff here!

Finished (click image to enlarge). I added a little black pepper and some Huy Fong Sriracha chili sauce. The noodles are sturdier than a wheat flour noodle being that they’re rice stick. A little chewier but not too much so and still breakable by pursing one’s lips. The broth is quite good – a nice spicy and citrus flavor. Not too oily either. I should note also once the broth cooled and got kind of cold, it was also very refreshing in the hot weather – worth trying this way. Good stuff – 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 761934016504 .

A little blurb about sunlee – they make rice too

Had no idea that there was ‘Bangkok Pop’ as well

#725: Meet The Manufacturer: Indomie Mi Goreng Instant Cup Noodles

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Hey look at this! This came from Michael C. at Eastland Foods a little while back – thanks! What we have here is one of the products that should be available here in the states soon (according to my Indomie interview). It’s exactly what it looks like – Mi Goreng in a cup! Read the interview I did with Indomie here!

Check that out – you drain the cup!

Here’s some of the side panel info (click image to enlarge).

Dry packets – fried onion and powdered base.

Liquid seasonings: (from left to right) seasoned oil, chili sauce and sweet soy sauce.

It also comes with a fork!

Here’s the noodle block, nestled into the cup awaiting boiling water.

Finished (click image to enlarge). It’s got an egg and some veggies – is it INTERSAY? I cooked the noodles in the cup as directed. While that was going on, I fried an egg in a snowflake shaped cookie cutter and boiled some veggies up. Drained everything, combined in the pot the veggies were in, added seasonings and stirred. Atop the egg I added some Huy Fong Sriracha chili sauce and some kizami shoga (pickled ginger. Well, this is the Mi Goreng everyone knows and loves. Excellent stuff – nice noodles, a little spicy and very tasty all around. If you’ve never had Mi Goreng before, I HIGHLY recommend getting yourself some! 5.0 out of 5.0 stars – same great stuff just in a different configuration. UPC bar code 089686180657.

[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”B009S1BMUO”]

Indomie TV commercial

Another video of Indonesian street food!

#650: Dragonfly Instant Noodles Artificial Chicken Flavor

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The last time I had Dragonfly brand noodles they were in a bowl and cooked by steeping. This time around it’s boiling in a pot. I remember how much I really enjoyed these Chinese noodles! Let’s see how they are in a pack.

Here’s the back of the packaging (click image to enlarge).

Here’s the noodle block in all of its tasty glory. I remember these wre like a very light pasta and really were quite nice.

Three packets – clockwise from the top we have the veggies, the seasoned oil and the dry powder seasoning.

As you can see, there’s a good amount of veggies. I remember that these bulked up quite a bit and tasted very fresh.

Click image to enlarge. This is gonna be good! I tried the noodles and broth pre-additions by the way. I added two fried eggs with a little Jane’s Krazy Mixed Up Salt and fried shallots, some oven roasted turkey lunch meat, some kizami shoga (pickled ginger) and a little zip of Huy Fong Sriracha (red rooster) sauce.

The noodles were even better this time; they were luxuriant and had a nice color to them. They weren’t tough but they weren’t too soft either. They were about as spot on for an instant noodle as I’ve had. The broth was very tasty – full of chicken taste. The veggies were prevalent, abundant and everywhere with a good crunch (especially when it came to the slivers of carrot). A fine bowl of noodles and with everything I added a meal fit for a king! I like this stuff a lot – I’ll be reviewing the Onion Flavor soon and I’m sure that’s going to be quite amazing in pack form too – 4.0 out of 5.0 stars – worth getting especially when so cheap! UPC barcode 721557450918 – I think this is it here.

Post meal techno chicken.

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