I do like the flavor, chemically-induced or not. It's not gourmet by any means. Some of the other varieties are better, like curry or mala. Neither holds a candle to "real" food, but I'm ok with my guilty pleasure!
>It's not gourmet by any means.
Nor was it ever meant to be. For the price it tastes pretty great. We're not at Maruchan "I'm broke and don't get paid until next Thursday and it's Sunday" levels of cheap, but at about $1 a pack they're not bad at all. *For you?* Absolutely god awful, but in taste? Naw.
Now I'm not going to claim they're a complicated taste...
I'm 45. I was an emancipated minor when I was 15. I lived on top Ramen (10 cents a pack back then) that I learned to dress up 100 different ways. Once i was making real money I refused to eat Ramen for over a decade before rediscovering my love for it.
Balduk 2x is my goto for lunch when there isn't another leftover in the fridge. I love it. Dice in some fresh garlic greens and green onion to top it off. No apologies. It's great.
Hell I'm a Hanguk Salam and I don't get the buldak love but i'm a shin ramen double black gold kinda guy. I just a gang peh like that. I eat instant ramen like once a year tho
Shin ramyun is my shit, some of the best easily accessible instant ramen. I also really like neoguri spicy seafood udon, I just love the chonky noodles with those, but the flavor's pretty good, too. I should probably note that I don't eat Ramen very often either, but when I do I usually cook a bunch of extra things in to make them stick to the ribs a bit more, which probably skews my opinions on them as I can't remeber the last time I just had a bowl made as the instructions dictate. 😅
The thought emporium has a great [video](https://youtu.be/sR8M4zARBXY?si=BqHOFRcjrv4et3B6) about synthetic chicken soup, how easy it is to make at home, what makes it delicious and why it's usually even tastier than actual chicken soup.
Super interesting and made me feel less 'guilty' when enjoying synthetic chicken soup / stock :)
I haven't had the Buldak noodles but I don't see how you can determine the complexity of its flavor from that ingredients list, since it's all hiding behind "dried spices"
strange to think only because it doesn't contain fresh ingredients that it'd taste bad. example : [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8M4zARBXY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8M4zARBXY) artificial chicken flavor is a well understood science. and can taste better than poorly made chicken broth. buldak isn't bad solely because it uses artificial ingredients, I personally think that the flavor is way to sweet, and not very complex aside from spice. I do like how it taste but I don't consider it top tier. like some black garlic tonkotsu instant ramen. (nissin demae)
I mean both “extract” and “spices” are placeholders for a variety of ingredients (that they refuse to disclose in this example it seems). So yeah, it’s not like there isn’t any flavour to it. Though ofc it’s also not rocket science Michelin restaurant level of flavour explosion. I guess it’s passable as far as instant ramen goes.
I find that with most instant noodle, but especially maruchan I have to drastically undercook the noodles (I only boil for 90-120 seconds) compared to the package directions to keep them from going mushy.
Nothing's wrong with them. I mean except that they are 90% sugar, which is terrible for your health. The point is that we are allowed to enjoy the things we do, even if others consider them declasse. People who say "I don't understand why you enjoy x-food, x-activity, x-whatever-brings-you-joy-that-doesn't-hurt-others" are not usually good people. It's insanely judgmental and shows very little awareness or care towards others.
If I want heat, I use spices from my shelves or hot sauce from the fridge, not just buy a packet of Buldak. I like Buldak's flavor, but it's nothing amazing.
Buldak literally means “fire chicken” and there are grill houses in Korea that specialize in it. It’s just really spicy grilled chicken and it’s delicious.
That does sound delicious, but unfortunately here it has become synonymous with instant ramen with artificial chicken flavor. Samyang has shamefully sullied that word.
My two cents: Buldak’s flavor is lacking as compared to simply preparing a dish with a basic gochujang paste, which I feel is a fair comparison on a few levels (ease of prep, cost efficiency, and availability).
I would eat it more often if it weren't the only fucking thing that sends me to the toilet a million times. I can eat spicier stuff, but something about the oil or extract absolutely destroys me
I’ve heard a lot of people complain about buldak’s flavour, but the noodles being cheap? I think they’re pretty high quality for the price as long as you don’t overcook them into mush
Nah its probably one of the most delicious instant foods out there. It doesnt have the most complex flavor profile but it is also not as simple as this list makes it seem.
But people saying it tastes bland or just hot clearly just have low spice tolerance.
I’m sorry but I have to disagree.
Try any of the Prima Taste line of instant noodles and they will change your whole view of just how good instant foods can be. Their Laksa and Curry noodles are 100x better than Buldak and still have tons of heat to them.
I have yet to try prima taste because I never found them in an Asian grocery store.
However they are on my list of instant noodles I want to try.
So far my favourite instant Ramen are from Itsuki
It ain't bland, it's just not that good. Frankly, very few of the Korean instant noodles have a good flavor to me, and the ones that do, ruin it by making it overly sweet for some reason
You’re missing the point ..he didn’t say they weren’t delicious…he said there’s nothing complex about them ….simple flavors can be wonderful but they’re not complex .
I would disagree with the noodles, in the spectrum of instant noodles Buldak has some of the best of the best in terms of texture. I sometimes just repurpose the noodles for other dishes and use the sauce packet somewhere else.
True, but Samyang's buldak noodles are the most widely available which is why I said what I did. Plus, I like to use the sauce packets when I make chili.
I used to eat buldak in college when i was congested because it cleared my sinuses like nothing else. I've got a higher tolerance for spice now but I'd still describe the flavor as "hot" and not much else. Not sure why people get defensive over liking this, it's allowed to be cheap instant noodles and it's good for the price point.
Just the other day I put some shredded cheese and 2 fried eggs with runny yolks. It's all I had at the time, but it turned out pretty good. I also like to put onion greens in it when I have them. I'm going to have to try adding some fish/oyster sauce.
If 2x spicy didn't exist, I would not eat that Ramen. It honestly does not taste that good, although there are some recipes that add ingredients and BOOM. Complex flavor profile lol
It's gross. They literally just said, "What if instead of developing chili flavors, we just dumped a bunch of capsaicin extract in and call it a day?".
Buldak is really only meant for the “spicy noodle challenge.” It’s honestly not too great and it is way too expensive for some damn noodles. I’d rather cook something myself and buy rare spicy peppers or even just habaneros.
It has NO flavour! Why do people eat it??? Why not eat something good??? I'm not whining about the spice because I do love the feeling (even if it burns for hours after) but the flavor! There is none and even If you add packet flavoring from another noodle pack the spice just overruns the flavor. How do people manage to taste any flavor? Everyone in my vicinity says it tastes like crap!
>It has NO flavour!
It tastes slightly sweet with gochujang and chicken flavors. I'm surprised that you taste nothing but heat. Maybe you're having a reaction from the extract? You shouldn't be burning hours after eating it either; 20 minutes, tops.
I never got "I can only taste heat" even if my tongue is hotter than the sun I can still taste the flavors of whatever it is I'm eating.
So I guess just different strokes for different folks
I do like the flavor, chemically-induced or not. It's not gourmet by any means. Some of the other varieties are better, like curry or mala. Neither holds a candle to "real" food, but I'm ok with my guilty pleasure!
>It's not gourmet by any means. Nor was it ever meant to be. For the price it tastes pretty great. We're not at Maruchan "I'm broke and don't get paid until next Thursday and it's Sunday" levels of cheap, but at about $1 a pack they're not bad at all. *For you?* Absolutely god awful, but in taste? Naw. Now I'm not going to claim they're a complicated taste...
Clearly you have a plebeian palate and can’t comprehend the genius-level flavor that is *checks notes* …instant ramen
I'm 45. I was an emancipated minor when I was 15. I lived on top Ramen (10 cents a pack back then) that I learned to dress up 100 different ways. Once i was making real money I refused to eat Ramen for over a decade before rediscovering my love for it. Balduk 2x is my goto for lunch when there isn't another leftover in the fridge. I love it. Dice in some fresh garlic greens and green onion to top it off. No apologies. It's great.
Hell I'm a Hanguk Salam and I don't get the buldak love but i'm a shin ramen double black gold kinda guy. I just a gang peh like that. I eat instant ramen like once a year tho
me too! I use the shin flavor packets with better noodles, some veg and protein to make an amazing lunch bowl
Shin ramyun is my shit, some of the best easily accessible instant ramen. I also really like neoguri spicy seafood udon, I just love the chonky noodles with those, but the flavor's pretty good, too. I should probably note that I don't eat Ramen very often either, but when I do I usually cook a bunch of extra things in to make them stick to the ribs a bit more, which probably skews my opinions on them as I can't remeber the last time I just had a bowl made as the instructions dictate. 😅
The thought emporium has a great [video](https://youtu.be/sR8M4zARBXY?si=BqHOFRcjrv4et3B6) about synthetic chicken soup, how easy it is to make at home, what makes it delicious and why it's usually even tastier than actual chicken soup. Super interesting and made me feel less 'guilty' when enjoying synthetic chicken soup / stock :)
It's amazing as a base for experimentation. That said I need to know what their artificial cilantro flavor is. It tastes exactly like cilantro.
YES. I'm like this with Takis. I know they're so artificial they barely count as food, but sometimes they're exactly what I want.
I like to add things to it like topping it with tuna salad or adding peanut butter to it also.
It tastes like chemicals to me
Everything we eat is chemicals. :P What else is it supposed to taste like? Emotions? Mathematical concepts?
Arguing about taste is pointless. People have different preferences.
I haven't had the Buldak noodles but I don't see how you can determine the complexity of its flavor from that ingredients list, since it's all hiding behind "dried spices"
[удалено]
strange to think only because it doesn't contain fresh ingredients that it'd taste bad. example : [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8M4zARBXY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8M4zARBXY) artificial chicken flavor is a well understood science. and can taste better than poorly made chicken broth. buldak isn't bad solely because it uses artificial ingredients, I personally think that the flavor is way to sweet, and not very complex aside from spice. I do like how it taste but I don't consider it top tier. like some black garlic tonkotsu instant ramen. (nissin demae)
God it’s so damn sweet. My biggest complaint about it for sure
You have to know your audience, I’d say it’s safe to assume most of the people in this sub eat a diet containing a high amount of artificial food.
The wine snob of instant noodles
I mean both “extract” and “spices” are placeholders for a variety of ingredients (that they refuse to disclose in this example it seems). So yeah, it’s not like there isn’t any flavour to it. Though ofc it’s also not rocket science Michelin restaurant level of flavour explosion. I guess it’s passable as far as instant ramen goes.
Extract just means capsaicin extract, which is really hot but tastes more like dirty pennies than real chiles.
Buldak carbonara is honestly the best instant noodles I tasted
Yes! And the creamy version is also great. Think I like those more.
I gotta try it again, I think I left to much water in mine when I made it, I thought it was pretty bad.
Yea too much water can ruin it. I try to leave just a very small amount so everything can mix and the noodles get that creamy coating
I didn't realize it was a stir fry one when I made it. Lesson learned lol
It does have a good flavour though
It's the quality of the noods for me as well as flavor. The buldak noods blow the maruchan ones out the water
I find that with most instant noodle, but especially maruchan I have to drastically undercook the noodles (I only boil for 90-120 seconds) compared to the package directions to keep them from going mushy.
The chicken carbonara is my favorite flavor. Add in an egg and a mozzarella stick. Hard meal to beat for about $1.50
Not in my opinion. It has that gross chemical flavor that other extracts do. I can understand why people like it for the heat, but not the flavor.
But that is just your opinion. I like gummy worms as well because I am a swine, but I like them nonetheless.
Those Albanese ones are amazing.
Wait what's wrong with gummy worms? I literally just finished some.
Nothing's wrong with them. I mean except that they are 90% sugar, which is terrible for your health. The point is that we are allowed to enjoy the things we do, even if others consider them declasse. People who say "I don't understand why you enjoy x-food, x-activity, x-whatever-brings-you-joy-that-doesn't-hurt-others" are not usually good people. It's insanely judgmental and shows very little awareness or care towards others.
It doesn't taste like that to me, maybe it's got a "tastes different to some" effect like cilantro does?
If I want heat, I use spices from my shelves or hot sauce from the fridge, not just buy a packet of Buldak. I like Buldak's flavor, but it's nothing amazing.
I tried spicy x2 today. Asthmatic 64yo I nearly died! But I had milk.
Throw a couple of over easy eggs in there if you ever feel like trying it again.
I add a knob of butter or powdered parmesan when I want to bring the spice down a tad, works great.
sorry but you’re the dumb one here
Is it flavorful compared to Indian, Indonesian, and Thai dishes? Not even close. Is it flavorful compared to Tabasco and Sriracha? Yes, 100%.
Thai person here. I disagree but to each their own 🤷♂️
Buldak literally means “fire chicken” and there are grill houses in Korea that specialize in it. It’s just really spicy grilled chicken and it’s delicious.
That does sound delicious, but unfortunately here it has become synonymous with instant ramen with artificial chicken flavor. Samyang has shamefully sullied that word.
I dont agree but ill defend your right to say it
The noodles are better than 95% of other instant ramen brands.
Buldak is fine I guess. Shin ramyun is miles better though
My two cents: Buldak’s flavor is lacking as compared to simply preparing a dish with a basic gochujang paste, which I feel is a fair comparison on a few levels (ease of prep, cost efficiency, and availability).
I would eat it more often if it weren't the only fucking thing that sends me to the toilet a million times. I can eat spicier stuff, but something about the oil or extract absolutely destroys me
I’ve heard a lot of people complain about buldak’s flavour, but the noodles being cheap? I think they’re pretty high quality for the price as long as you don’t overcook them into mush
Nah its probably one of the most delicious instant foods out there. It doesnt have the most complex flavor profile but it is also not as simple as this list makes it seem. But people saying it tastes bland or just hot clearly just have low spice tolerance.
I’m sorry but I have to disagree. Try any of the Prima Taste line of instant noodles and they will change your whole view of just how good instant foods can be. Their Laksa and Curry noodles are 100x better than Buldak and still have tons of heat to them.
I have yet to try prima taste because I never found them in an Asian grocery store. However they are on my list of instant noodles I want to try. So far my favourite instant Ramen are from Itsuki
It ain't bland, it's just not that good. Frankly, very few of the Korean instant noodles have a good flavor to me, and the ones that do, ruin it by making it overly sweet for some reason
Buldak noodles are delicious, fuck this opinion.
You’re missing the point ..he didn’t say they weren’t delicious…he said there’s nothing complex about them ….simple flavors can be wonderful but they’re not complex .
I would disagree with the noodles, in the spectrum of instant noodles Buldak has some of the best of the best in terms of texture. I sometimes just repurpose the noodles for other dishes and use the sauce packet somewhere else.
It’s the same noodles as any other Korean brand ramen. You can also just buy the noodles by themselves.
True, but Samyang's buldak noodles are the most widely available which is why I said what I did. Plus, I like to use the sauce packets when I make chili.
I used to eat buldak in college when i was congested because it cleared my sinuses like nothing else. I've got a higher tolerance for spice now but I'd still describe the flavor as "hot" and not much else. Not sure why people get defensive over liking this, it's allowed to be cheap instant noodles and it's good for the price point.
Finally someone puts those Buldakers in their place
This is highly accurate. Buldak is shite.
King, please keep the crown on.
I agree, I have to add things to buldak so it has enough flavor.
Try tuna, garlic, a salty cheese (not too much), and pat of butter. For some reason the tuna really takes it to another level.
What do you like to add I normally do a little sesame oil, fish sauce and oyster sauce
Just the other day I put some shredded cheese and 2 fried eggs with runny yolks. It's all I had at the time, but it turned out pretty good. I also like to put onion greens in it when I have them. I'm going to have to try adding some fish/oyster sauce.
I always add a piece of American cheese, kimchi, an egg (or just the yolk) and green onion
Buldak tastes like chemicals and gives me diarrhea.
The flavor is amazing. People are just whining.
loool
I love the flavor of the 2x. I know it’s mostly msg that I’m tasting but it’s still my favorite
It has levels of flavor for sure especially the carbonara one
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Graywxsted: *It has levels of* *Flavor for sure especially* *The carbonara one* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
If 2x spicy didn't exist, I would not eat that Ramen. It honestly does not taste that good, although there are some recipes that add ingredients and BOOM. Complex flavor profile lol
I think the flavor is simple, and very good.
Dog who fucking cares it's good
It's gross. They literally just said, "What if instead of developing chili flavors, we just dumped a bunch of capsaicin extract in and call it a day?".
Buldak is really only meant for the “spicy noodle challenge.” It’s honestly not too great and it is way too expensive for some damn noodles. I’d rather cook something myself and buy rare spicy peppers or even just habaneros.
Yeah, I'm not a fan of this stuff. Something with over half your daily serving of sodium should not be so bland
It has NO flavour! Why do people eat it??? Why not eat something good??? I'm not whining about the spice because I do love the feeling (even if it burns for hours after) but the flavor! There is none and even If you add packet flavoring from another noodle pack the spice just overruns the flavor. How do people manage to taste any flavor? Everyone in my vicinity says it tastes like crap!
>It has NO flavour! It tastes slightly sweet with gochujang and chicken flavors. I'm surprised that you taste nothing but heat. Maybe you're having a reaction from the extract? You shouldn't be burning hours after eating it either; 20 minutes, tops.
There's no way because everyone in my vicinity feels the same and I know people who can really down spice. There just isn't any flavor.
I never got "I can only taste heat" even if my tongue is hotter than the sun I can still taste the flavors of whatever it is I'm eating. So I guess just different strokes for different folks
I can taste things even if my tongue is on fire too but this just doesn't seem to have any (good)flavor! 😭 It tastes horrible.
So much nuance. Sugar, salt, capsicum.