Samyang Foods launches new kimchi-flavored Buldak spicy noodles

Samyang Foods' Kimchi Buldak stir-fried noodle / Courtesy of Samyang Foods

By Baek Byung-yeul

Samyang Foods is expanding its popular hot spicy chicken-flavored stir-fried instant noodle to meet the tastes of more consumers who want to try different varieties of the so-called “fire noodle,” the company said Sunday.

The food company said it recently launched the Kimchi Buldak stir-fried noodles, which adds the flavor of the traditional Korean side dish, kimchi.

For the new product, Samyang Foods has collaborated with Hite-Jinro, the country's leading alcoholic beverage maker. The packaging design of the Kimchi Buldak noodles features Hite-Jinro's trademark character “Dukkeobi,” Korean for toad.

“We added the flavor of kimchi, one of the most popular foods in Korea, into the Kimchi Buldak stir-fried noodles. By combining kimchi flavor with our noodles, the Kimchi Buldak stir-fried noodles taste both spicy and sour,” the company said.

Samyang Foods said it decided to collaborate with Hite-Jinro to take on the popular “newtro” trend, a Korean buzzword combining the words “new” and “retro.” The package design of the new product also features Samyang's “Hochi,” the signature character of the Buldak Stir-fried Ramen product line alongside Hite-Jinro's toad mascot.

“The package featuring Hite-Jinro's Dukkeobi is a limited edition, which will be produced until October,” the company said. “The Kimchi Buldak stir-fried noodle has been rolled out in a bagged version and the cup version will be launched in November. It is priced at 1,500 won,” Samyang Foods added.

Since Samyang Foods released the Buldak instant noodle line of products in 2012, the product has become popular worldwide. The product went viral after YouTube content creators have taken part in the “Fire Noodle Challenge.” Thanks to the popularity of the series of videos challenging people to eat the fiery noodles, Samyang Foods now exports the product to around 80 countries.

Despite economic upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Samyang Foods saw its export volume rise, standing in the second quarter at 108.9 billion won ($93 million), a 56 percent increase year-on-year.

The company's record-high performance was a result of its instant noodle sales in the United States and China which increased respectively by 75 percent and 145 percent year-on-year.

Established in 1961, Samyang Foods is famous for launching the country's first instant instant noodles in 1963. The 1960s was a time when most Koreans had to tighten their belts due to food insecurity. Samyang Foods' instant noodle products contributed to solving the food shortage problem.