This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Maya Stokley. Find her on Instagram at @maya.aesthetic. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
If you were scrolling on TikTok during the pandemic, you have stumbled upon a certain food item that has been circling around the app for a while. Actually, you may have seen a specific animated chicken with black hair, wearing a red/yellow skirt, and holding a bag of ramen noodles on your For Your Page. And, the chicken goes by Hochi, the mascot of the popular Korean ramen brand, Buldak! Buldak ramen has reached its acclaim globally on TikTok through users who host mukbang live streams on their profiles. With different flavors from Jjajang to Carbonara (the iconic pink bag of Buldak), the brand is not going anywhere anytime soon! Over my spring break (yes, I am still in college!), I decided to try Buldak noodles for the first time since I was getting major FOMO!
A Little Disclaimer Before We Feast!
I have not tried ALL of the flavors that Buldak ramen offers! I only tried the Carbonara 5-pack and paced myself very slowly! So, my review will be about the Carbonara flavor and note subtle ways to make Buldak noodles into your own preferred dish! I recommend checking out multiple reviews of the brand and buying a few packs here! Okay, now on to my review!
4/5 Stars for Buldak Ramen Carbonara Spice Level
All right, everyone, this ramen is spicy. When I say spicy, I mean SPICY! I totally underestimated the spice level of Buldak noodles. When you purchase a pack of them, there is a red packet that is labeled “SAUCE.” If I had known any better, I would’ve added a quarter of the sauce, but no, I thought to myself, it is all or nothing. So, I dumped the entire packet of sauce into my bowl without any care in the world. I didn’t prepare my tongue or mind for the situation on my counter. But anywho, the sauce does add the kick that the noodles needed.
The sauce packet (based on my taste palette) has a few base ingredients like corn syrup, chili pepper, onion, and garlic infused together. Also, I can tell that the packet also has soy sauce and black pepper in the Carbonara pack. If you are not a fan of spice or hot levels, I would suggest adding milk to help dilute the sensation in your mouth. You can add a cup of milk to it, giving the noodles a creaminess if desired.
Or, if you are lactose intolerant (there is no shame here), starches like potatoes and rice can also help dilute the spice levels. In a few TikTok videos, some users use rice as a side dish along with the Buldak noodles to help them ease their way into digesting the meal. But, if you are a spice lover through and through, feel free to add more spices and seasonings to the noodles. For example. You can amplify the meal with Gochujang, a Korean chili paste. Or, you can use sesame oil, garlic, ginger, kimchi, and many more additions to keep the spice momentum going with a few savory choices as well!
Overall, be careful with the spice, but don’t be shy!
5/5 Stars for Buldak Noodles Carbonara Customizability
The noodles themselves aren’t the worst, but they are not the best. For example, without the powder and sauce packets, it will taste like a rock of salt. The powder and sauce packets help with the flavor of the noodles. However, if you want to add your own creativity to the meal, you should do so! For example, there are TikTok videos of users adding eggs and vegetables to the meal!
For me, I added more vegetables to my ramen, like corn on the cob, celery, and basil! I don’t like to eat eggs so I didn’t add protein into my meal. However, you are more than welcome to add pork, chicken, or beef strips to your Buldak meal! Buldak noodles are very customizable, which helps consumers transform the dish into their own! Some ramen noodle brands don’t have that space for creativity because their ramen is simply the dish. Overall, Buldak noodles are a perfect base to create your own ramen at any time of day!
2/5 Buldak Noodles Carbonara Aftermath
We all know that ramen noodles are not the healthiest choice of food! The main reason behind that conclusion is sodium intake. For Buldak noodles, the typical sodium intake is 1,280-1,560 mg! Also, one pack of Buldak Carbonara noodles is 550 calories! So yes, I understand why ramen may be a turn-off for some people. Also, because of the high sodium intake, I did suffer from a massive headache after eating just one pack! That is alarming because I have never received headaches from ramen noodles before. In addition, I did feel a bit nauseous a few minutes after eating a pack as well.
This could be my skill issue and my digestive system not passing the Buldak strength test. But I do encourage you to proceed with caution for the aftermath. My one tip to prevent this from happening is to split the pack into two meals and add small amounts of the packets inside. That way, your stomach can adjust to the flavor and consume less than half of the sodium!
Another tip is to eat a pack monthly or on rare occurrences! Because of the lack of nutritional value for the noodles, it is unhealthy to eat them at frequent times. If there is nothing else in your home to eat, like a fridge is empty or the pantry is deserted, then perhaps Buldak noodles is your best resort. Or, if you know the phrase “Once in a blue moon,” this is a “once in a blue moon” kind of meal.
Final Ranking of Buldak Noodles Carbonara Flavor: 3.7/5 Stars
Buldak Carbonara flavor noodles are good! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good meal, a good time! However, it can be improved based on its sodium intake! The fact that I was fighting demons after eating the meal is definitely not a favorite of mine. But, I do think that the Buldak brand is doing a good job of letting consumers customize their products and having a plethora of flavors! If anything, they should keep pumping them out! I’m excited to see what they may have next!
Have you even tried Buldak noodles? What is your favorite flavor? How would you rank it? Share in the comments!
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