From Kimchi to fried chicken, Korea has a wide range of globally famous foods. However, you will see another irreplaceable food in every Korean Kitchen drawer, Ramen.
Ramen is a go-to meal for someone who is always on the run. All you need is an electric kettle or microwave, and your delicious savory meals are ready.
While watching your favorite K-drama actors slurping their noodles, you might have wished to join them. There is no need to be embarrassed; it has made everyone’s mouth water.
According to our research, the famous Korean Ramen Brands are Shin, Jin, Samyang, Nongshim, Paldo, and Ottogi Ramen.
6 Famous Korean Ramen Brands
So the next time you go grocery shopping, make sure to add these suggested ramen to your cart. Now, let’s not beat around the bush anymore and jump straight to the first ramen brand from Korea.
1. Shin Ramen
To begin with our list of the top 6 Korean ramen noodle brands, we will start with “cult-favorite” Shin Ramen.
It is one of the most popular noodle brands in Korea and has been around since 1986. This might feel a little too spicy if you don’t have a thing for spicy foods. However, it is still not among the spiciest ones.
Moreover, its beef-stock base gives it an iconic taste that is rare in other Korean instant noodles. As a bonus, there is a small portion of meat and freeze-dried vegetables in the package. Shin Ramen offers a variety of Korean ramen noodles.
For those who want some extra taste and spice, they Should try Shin Ramen Black. It comes with an extra packet of beef-stock flavoring.
You can have it the simple way or whip up a more interesting version of it, such as “Budae jjigae.” Either way, it will soothe your taste buds and leave you yearning for more.
2. Jin Ramen
Right after Shin Ramen, we have Jin Ramen noodles, another well-known Korean Ramen brand.
Although their taste is pretty similar to that of Shine ramen, they have a somewhat less strong beef=stock flavoring. Another difference you might notice is that Jin Ramen has a stronger kimchi taste.
If you like toned-down spicy food, then you’ll love Jin Ramen. Like, Shin Ramen, these Korean instant noodles come with freeze-dried vegetables, which add an extra flavor.
Apart from that, another best thing about Jin Ramen is that they are very chewy and don’t get clumpy soon.
You can enjoy the red version if you want extra spicy Jin Ramen noodles. The spice levels are similar to that of Shin Ramen.
Have you ever tried ramen with seafood flavoring? If not, you are missing a lot. Make sure to try Jin-Jjambbong; it will surely give your tastebuds a big surprise.
3. Samyang Ramen
Introduced in 1961, Sayang Ramen is in of the first instant ramen brands in Korea. This ramen comes with small pieces of cabbage, ham, carrot, red pepper, spring onions, and much more.
If you are looking for less spicy noodles that you can eat along with other foods, you should try these.
Samyang ramen comes in two versions Spice and original. This is common, so you’ll find it in your nearby convenience store easily. Moreover, if you love eating Budae Jjigae, you will surely fall in love with this brand.
Have you ever heard of the famous spicy noodle challenge that stormed the internet? Samyang is the same brand that brought us these Fire Noodles.
You can find various flavors such as spicy chicken, carbonara, curry-flavored, and meat spaghetti. No matter which version you try, make sure to have cold water or milk and tissues to wipe your tears.
4. Nongshim Ramen
Nongshim is a brand that has a massive variation of ramen. You might even be familiar with a few of them without knowing that they belong to this famous brand.
Nongshim Shin ramen is stashed in the kitchen cabinet of most Koreans. This is good for people who want to snack on spicy noodles but not too spicy.
Moreover, Nongshim Chapagetti Jjajangyum is yet another very popular ramen noodle in South Korea. If you are looking for something cheap and much enough to fill you up, then this is what you need.
Lastly, K-Army stew is another ramen variation by Nongshim that has become the talk of the town these days. Nongshim has done an excellent job of bringing the traditional Korean army stew to us n the form of a ramen pack.
5. Paldo Ramen
The next famous brand from our list of best Korean Ramen brands that we are about to introduce you to is Paldo. Like the other instant noodle brands, this also offers a wide variety of ramen flavors.
Paldo cheese noodles are a perfect meal to satisfy your appetite if you are a fan of cheese noodles. The combination of cheese with the spicy red broth is pure heaven for cheese lovers.
If you are familiar with Korean food, Tteokbokki is not unknown to you. But have you tried Tteokbokki and ramen together? We are sure it will leave you speechless, and you will be craving for more.
Apart from that, Paldo Kokomen is another tasty ramen introduced by Paldo. It is a less spicy soup-based ramen and has a light chicken taste.
With the packaging, you get freeze-dried shredded chicken, seaweed, spring onions, and chili. If you prefer strong-taste ramen, this might not be your choice.
6. Ottogi Ramen
The last brand that we have on our list is Ottogi. Ottogi has brought us some very great flavors of ramen noodles. One of them is hot pepper-flavored Ottogi Yeul Ramen noodles. It tastes like yummy spicy red pepper broth.
The noodles are chewy and soft and come with freeze-dried vegetables, carrots, green onion, cabbage, and shiitake mushrooms.
Ottogi Cheese ramen is another popular cheese ramen variation by this brand. The pack includes 3 different packets of seasoning. You can make your variation of ramen with vegetable seasoning, powdered cheese, and soup powder.
If you are a sesame lover, here is a gift for you, Ottogi Sesame ramen. Noodles coated with sesame seeds will keep you yearning for more and more.
You might also like to know more about other Korean Brands:
Bottom Line
To sum up, with such popularity of K-culture, you will rarely find a person who hasn’t heard of Korean ramen. If you are against the clock, but your stomach is growling, ramen is the perfect quick yet tasty meal that will fill you up.
To bless your tastebuds, we have brought 6 of the top Korean Ramen Brands today. The brands mentioned above are not just available in South Korea, but you can find them in your area too.
Each brand offers a variety of ramen flavors that are worth a try once in your life. If you haven’t eaten ramen, you have missed a lot.
Buy your favorite ramen from the list above, and enjoy some effortless and tasty food during your K-drama marathon.