Ottogi hits big with sea food-flavored ramyeon

By Lee Hyo-sik

Ottogi’s Jin Jjambbong Ramen

Ottogi, one of Korea’s leading food producers, has hit the jackpot with its latest seafood-flavored spicy instant noodles, outpacing rivals in the increasingly competitive domestic ramyeon market.

The company said it has sold more than 4 million Jin Jjambbong Ramen, the spicy instant noodle soup that has the flavor of jjambbong ― a popular seafood-based noodle dish at local Chinese restaurants ― since its launch on Oct. 15.

“We are surprised how well Jin Jjambbong Ramen has been received by local consumers,” an Ottogi spokesman said. “They are premium instant noodles that taste exactly like jjambbong, one of the Chinese restaurant dishes loved most by Koreans.”

He said the instant noodles have a liquid soup, rather than the powdered one in most conventional ramyeon products, adding that this is the recipe for its success.

“The liquid soup mixed with spicy oil helps make Jin Jjambbong Ramen taste close to the real jjambbong,” he said. “In addition to it, the product also has eight dried ingredients such as squid and mussel that help enrich its flavor. Consumers can get the taste of real jjambbong at home any time.”

Ottogi has organized large-scale samplings at discount stores across the country and received positive feedback from shoppers.

The company also has launched a promotion in which people who upload images to the company website showing Jin Jjambbong Ramen and other Ottogi products can win a travel voucher worth 3 million won and other prizes. The event continues through Nov. 29.

Those who also upload TV commercials of Jin Jjambbong Ramen and other promotional images on social media and share them are eligible to win gift certificates, Ottogi said.