The Cultural Significance of Buldak Ramen

Buldak Ramen, also called Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen, is a phenomenon in Korea and beyond. This spicy noodle dish has many fans who love its unique taste and are crazy about the challenge it poses. But behind the heat and noise, Buldak Ramen carries deeper cultural meaning derived from the Korean culinary traditions as well as their inclination for hot flavors.

The Origins of Buldak Ramen

In 2012 Samyang Foods, a South Korean food company launched Buldak Ramen. The name “buldak” means fire chicken in Korean language and relates to the sauce that coats noodles being spicy with a chicken flavor. Because of its spiciness, the meal became popular within no time at all; it is rated at 4,404 Scoville units making it one of the hottest instant noodle varieties around.

The spicy sauce made from gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) and gochujang (fermented red chili paste) typical ingredients found in most of Korean dishes have these burning sweet and savory tastes attached to them too. It also has garlic, onion among other spices that enrich its taste resulting into complexity.