This Korean staple food is now globally recognised
You've got K-Pop, K-Drama, K-Beauty and now K-spicy! When it comes to staple Korean food, you can't go past their ramyeon (or ramyun). This spicy comfort food is so engrained in Korean culture, no household is without one and no convenience store would be without it either - it's a go to meal that is consumed any time - day or night.
These days there's hundreds of different ramyun varieties available for Koreans to buy and its main popular ramen brands are recognised the world over and stocked in many stores globally.
Ramen vs ramyeon
Is ramen and ramyeon same same or same different? Well they are different, and apart from country of origin, it's the spiciness that sets ramyun apart. Ramen is traditionally synonymous with Japan and is usually noodles (either fresh or instant) in a flavourful broth. Ramyeon actually means spicy noodles and is made with only the instant noodle variety (no fresh noodles). These days, Koreans like to zhuzh (aka make it fancy) up their ramyeons with toppings such as kimchi, eggs, meat, vegetables and even chilli powder (in case it wasn't spicy enough as it is). However, Korean ramyeon is also known as 'ramen' in general terms too due to its instant noodle nature.
In other countries instant ramen is also known as '2 minute noodles'.
The first Korean ramyeon
It's the 60s, and rice and mixed grains were scarce - times were tough. Enter Samyang Foods, whom brought the first instant ramyun to Koreans in 1963 as a way to provide people with a cheap yet convenient and yummy meal, costing customers just 10 won (or 1 cent in the day). Not to mention they now have a 60Mil m2 farm that produces meat (for their umami broth) as well as milk and dairy products, contributing to Korea's eco system and sustaining jobs. Their products are made with natural ingredients, providing a healthier ingredient list to its products. And now this Korean ramen brand is enjoyed and recognised all over the world.
Noodles on fire
So how spicy are Korean ramyeon? 10 years ago Josh (known as the Korean Englishman on YouTube) who is actually fluent in Korean no less, uploaded a video called the 'fire noodle challenge' - a challenge he set for his fellow English friends to try and see if they could finish a serving of the ultra spicy Samyang Buldak ramyeon. This video (watch below) went viral and to this day has hit 11 million+ views. Needless to say, their reactions says it all!
If you love your spicy food and are up for the challenge, why not try for yourself and check out the range we have available here. Or if you want to work your way up the different spicy levels, check out the chart below.
Turning up the heat
If you're a beginner Korean ramyeon eater, we recommend starting at the beginner level first and work your way up to the Super Class level. Below is a handy chart to help you decide where to start.
[Source: Pinterest]
If you're not into spicy noodles, not to worry, there are also non-spicy Korean ramen we've personally tasted (and love) including Potato Ramen, Gomtang Ramen (a personal favourite) and of course Samyang's OG that started it all - Samyang Ramen.
One thing's for sure when it comes to instant noodles (spicy or not), these are best enjoyed whichever way you like and that's the beauty of this global dish - whether it's with meat or vegetarian, you can pair it with whatever base (soup, dry, or even a curry) and toppings you feel like at any time. 😋
But wait, there's more...
- If you want to up your spiciness in other dishes, there's always the Samyang hot sauce range that you can check out here.
- Other Korean ramen to check out: Ottogi.
- Our extensive instant noodle range here.
Happy slurping!