A New Wave of Spicy Ramen Hits the Korean Market
Spicy food has taken over not just the culinary world but also social media. Fueled by viral challenges and a general love for all things spicy, brands have been racing to produce ramen that can test your tolerance for heat. This trend is evidenced by the sky-high Scoville scale ratings for newly released spicy ramen, a unit that measures the heat of chili peppers by evaluating its capsaicin concentration.
How Spicy Are We Talking?
For context, let’s look at the Scoville Heat Units (SHU) of some of these newly launched spicy ramens in Korea:
- Nongshim Shin Ramen The Red: 7500 SHU
- Samyang Foods Maptaeng (3 Varieties): 6000 SHU
- Ottogi Mayeol Ramyeon: 5013 SHU
- Samyang Foods Samyang Ramen Spicy: 4400 SHU
- Thebon Korea Paik Ramyeon: 2920 SHU
- For comparison, Paldo Teumsae Ramen stands at a whopping 9416 SHU, while traditional favorites like Nongshim Shin Ramyeon and Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeum Myun are at 3400 and 4400 SHU, respectively.
Elevating Spicy to New Heights
Samyang Foods debuted Maptaeng, a new hot ramen brand with a Scoville rating of around 6000 SHU, last month. There are three varieties in the line: Black Pepper Beef Ramen, Garlic Clam Ramen, and Cheongyang Chili Green Onion Ramen. The precise “spice graph” allows customers to decide according to their preferred amount of heat, ranging from “hot” to “sharp” to “clean.”
Similarly, Nongshim released a limited edition of “Shin Ramen The Red” in July, with a Scoville rating of 7500 SHU, more than double its original counterpart’s 3400 SHU. This new variant contains more Cheongyang pepper and additional flavors such as meat and Shiitake mushrooms.
The Equal Opportunity Spice Craze
Data from 7-Eleven shows a whopping 50% increase in the sales of spicy ramen compared to last year. Interestingly, the gender gap is almost non-existent, with 49% of purchases made by women and 51% by men. Age also shows a balanced distribution among buyers, making it evident that the spicy ramen trend has universal appeal.
Spiciness as a Social Phenomenon
Spicy foods have become a subject of various challenges and content, generating trends and even new slang like “Map-jjil-i” (people who can’t handle spicy food) and “Map-busim” (spicy taste + pride). The global popularity of Buldak Bokkeum Myun, for example, was boosted significantly by the viral “Fire Noodle Challenge.”
According to industry experts, as individuals get acclimated to heat, the quest for spicier meals will only accelerate. Whether you’re up for a challenge or simply appreciate the sweat-inducing pleasure of spicy ramen, one thing is certain: the spicier, the better.
Keywords: Shin Ramen The Red, Maptaeng, Mayeol Ramyeon, Paik Ramyeon
Are you ready to take your palate on a fiery journey? Choose your spicy ramen wisely, as these brands are definitely not playing games when it comes to heat!
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