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| Caguri, a curry edition of Nongshim's Neoguri spicy noodles / Captured from Nongshim's Instagram |
By Park Han-sol
When it comes to packaged Korean instant noodle products, it becomes almost impossible to discuss how they taste without the word "spicy" ― whether it be noodles soaked in red beef broth or served stir-fried with hot chicken flavor.
However, in recent months, some of Korea's leading instant noodles makers have been infusing their products with novelty flavors ― such as curry and "doenjang jjigae," or Korean soybean paste stew ― to cater to the niche market of foodies.
One such player is Nongshim. In October 2021, the company released the special cup noodle edition of its signature product Neoguri, replacing the standard spicy soup base with a curry-flavored one.
Caguri, a portmanteau of the Korean pronunciation for "curry" and Neoguri, is inspired by a recipe which was originally concocted in many 24-hour internet cafes.
At these cafes, where a variety of instant foods and snacks are made available to order right off one's screen, users began to mix these two unlikely dishes together to get something different out of their usual meal. The dish soon became the talk of the town among gamers, who even nicknamed it as "a flavor that helps your gaming skills," and it eventually went viral on social media.
Nongshim announced that more than 2.3 million Caguri cup noodles were sold within just the first month of its release. Riding on its popularity, the company launched a packaged version of the product this February.
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| Ottogi's "Black Pepper Powder Ramen," which added black pepper powder to the company's previously discontinued beef bone soup flavored noodles / Courtesy of Ottogi |
Ottogi is another food firm that is no stranger to adding novelty flavors to its noodles.
In addition to introducing its iconic black pepper powder to the previously discontinued beef bone soup flavored noodles last year, the firm rolled out "Lobster Ramyeon" in March. The noodle product comes with a soup base that is seasoned with seafood including lobster, squid, mussel and shrimp.
Meanwhile, Paldo, which has been dominating the "bibimmyeon" (spicy cold noodles) market for the past 38 years, unveiled two non-spicy, savory alternatives of its best-selling "Paldo Bibimmyeon" in March.
One product is seasoned with perilla oil and seeds and seaweed harvested from Korea's southern coast, while another is topped with sesame oil, fermented soy sauce and apple cider vinegar.
The company also collaborated with Haechandle, CJ CheilJedang's brand which is dedicated to food seasonings and paste, to launch noodles flavored with soybean paste stew with beef brisket. Its soup, steeped in soybean paste, beef brisket and leg bone, has gained a dedicated following, selling over 26,000 packs in two weeks after its release in February.
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| "Soybean Paste Stew with Beef Brisket Ramyeon" launched from the collaboration of Paldo and Haechandle / Courtesy of CJ CheilJedang |
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