Explainer | What are Korean Buldak fire noodles? Spicy ramen tickles taste buds worldwide, is deliciously addictive
- US singing star Cardi B is a fan and TikTok food critic Keith Lee loves them
- Standard setter for spicy food in Korea prompts ‘Fire Noodles Challenge’
A TikTok influencer had to be rushed to hospital after consuming a type of spicy ramen known as Buldak or “fire chicken” in Korean, every week for six months.
US-based Lucy Mourad, 24, developed kidney stones and blood poisoning triggered by her obsession with this type of instant ramen.
However, her dash to accident and emergency has not stopped millions around the world from enjoying the product made by South Korean brand, Samyang.
Enthusiasts for the dish include American singer Cardi B and celebrity TikTok food critic Keith Lee.
“If this happened to me, I’d still eat Buldak,” more than one online observer said about Mourad’s plight.
The Post explains the global fascination with these noodles.
What is Buldak ramen?
This type of stir-fried noodles is flavoured with Buldak, or fire chicken, sauce.
The intensely hot dish sets the standard for spicy food in South Korea.
Its sticky sauce is made with red chilli peppers, garlic, soy sauce, sugar and other seasonings.
The original Buldak noodles register at 4,404 units on the Scoville scale, which is used to measure the pungency or heat of peppers. This is roughly the heat level of jalapeño peppers.
After cooking in boiling water, the noodles are then drained and mixed with the sauce, flakes of seaweed and sesame seeds, before being covered with melted cheese.
International appeal
It became popular in South Korea after debuting in 2012 and has gradually gained recognition across Asia.
Unlike most instant noodle brands, Buldak targets the more adventurous consumers.
Starting with YouTube influencers filming themselves devouring the dish, the “Fire Noodles Challenge” soon came under the social media spotlight.
Participants around the world share their attempts to consume the fiery dish and test the tolerance of their taste buds.
Recently, Western interest in the dish escalated after American singer Cardi B said in a video that she sometimes drove 30 minutes just to buy them.
Who makes it?
Buldak sauce is usually used to marinate chicken, but South Korea’s Samyang Foods adapted it to create this form of instant noodles in 2012.
Kim Jung-soo, the company’s chief executive, said the inspiration for her brand’s ramen came from a fried rice restaurant in Seoul.
Kim’s development of Buldak noodles turned out to be a lifesaver for the company.
After marrying into the Samyang Group family, Kim was a full-time mother for a while but joined the company following bankruptcy during the 1998 Asian financial crisis.
Today, she is the company’s CEO, a rare female corporate leader in South Korea.
Last year, Samyang Foods announced that cumulative sales of its ramen surpassed five billion units, generating a total revenue of three trillion won (US$2.2 billion).
According to government data, the company is one of the largest contributors to South Korea’s ramen exports.
Now, Buldak is hitting US shelves.
In March, Samyang Foods began building new factories specifically targeting the North American market.
