Buldak Ramen[1] (Korean: 불닭볶음면; RR: Buldak-bokkeummyeon; lit. 'fire chicken stir-fried noodles') is a South Korean brand of instant noodle, produced by Samyang Foods since April 2012.[2] It is Samyang's best-selling product, with 6.6 billion sales worldwide by September 2024.[3] It is considered one of the spiciest instant noodles available in the South Korean market, with the original packet having 4,404 Scoville units.
 English-language logo | |
 Korean-language logo | |
| Product type | Instant noodles |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Samyang Foods |
| Country | South Korea |
| Introduced | April 2012 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Website | https://buldak.com |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 불닭볶음면 |
| RR | Buldak-bokkeummyeon |
| MR | Puldak-pokkŭmmyŏn |
 | |
History
editBuldak Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen was first launched in April 2012.[2] It was inspired by a spicy chicken stir-fry dish that Kim Jung-soo, a member of Samyang Foods' sales department, observed while eating lunch at a restaurant in 2010. Kim recalled that the dish had the customers "sweating and fanning their tongues, assailed by both pleasure and pain". When Samyang's food scientists created prototypes for the ramen, she repeatedly told them to make it spicier.[4]
The popularity of the noodles worldwide surged when the "Fire Noodle Challenge" went viral on YouTube. The challenge was started by the YouTube channel "Korean Englishman" in 2014, in which the host Josh Carrott challenged his friends in the UK to see who could finish the noodles the fastest without drinking any water or beverage.[5] The popularity of the video led to other YouTubers all around the world to do the same challenge and therefore cause a surge in the noodle's popularity.[6]
Some flavours of noodles were recalled in Denmark in 2024, with the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration stating that a single packet's capsaicin levels are so high that consumers risked "acute poisoning".[7] Later, Danish authorities withdrew the recall against Samyang Buldak 2x Spicy Hot Chicken and Samyang Buldak Hot Chicken Stew, but maintained the prohibition on Buldak 3x Spicy Hot Chicken.[8]
Foreign imitation products
editWith its rising popularity and recognition internationally, Chinese and Japanese food companies have begun to roll out products that mimic Buldak ramen to capitalize on this trend.[9]
In 2021, Samyang, in cooperation with the Korea Food Industry Association (KFIA), filed an intellectual property lawsuit against Chinese companies that produce and distribute its imitated products. Later, in March 2023, a Chinese court ruled that Chinese companies had infringed on intellectual property rights by imitating trademarks and designs in a lawsuit filed by four South Korean companies, including Samyang, and ordered them to pay reparations.[9]
In April 2023, Nissin Foods, a Japanese food company, sparked controversy in South Korea by launching a Korean-style stir-fried instant ramen with spicy sauce that mimics a packaging design similar to Samyang's Carbonara Buldak ramen. Regarding the controversy, Samyang said it plans to promote products that emphasize uniqueness and originality in the Japanese market in the future.[10][11]
Imitation brands of Buldak Ramen are popular across the world, being sold in China, Southeast Asia, Russia, and North Africa. A brand called Bingoone is manufactured in China and sold in markets in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Egypt, and multiple African countries.[12] Chinese manufacturers of imitation products sometimes put misleading logos indicating that the product is from Korea and Halal-certified on packaging.[13] In 2025, the North Korean Rason Ryongseon Joint Venture Company released an imitation ramen product called Spicy Kimchi Bibim Guksu on the Chinese market. The newspaper Korea JoongAng Daily noted that the North Korean product was "a near-perfect imitation" of Buldak Ramen.[14]
Spinoffs
editSamyang has expanded the Buldak brand beyond instant noodles into other products like Buldak Hot Sauce,[15] Buldak Potato Chips,[16] Buldak Fried Rice, Buldak Tteokbokki,[17] Buldak Dumplings[18] and others.
In April 2026, Samyang debuted with a new line of Buldak Mac and Cheese in the United States, with distribution at Walmart.[19]
Description
edit
Buldak ramen is considered one of the spiciest brands of instant noodles available in the Korean market, with the original packet having 4,404 Scoville units.[20] It is a type of 'stir-fried' dry noodle: after boiling, the noodles are drained, and mixed with a spicy sauce and a topping. The product became famous due to the Fire Noodle Challenge, a viral social media challenge where people film themselves eating the sauce pack or bowl of noodles.[21][22]
Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen is Samyang Foods' best-selling product.[23] 4 billion cumulative sales were reached in August 2022,[24] and the brand attained monthly sales of 6 to 7 billion won the following year (5.1 to 5.9 million United States dollars).[25] From the second half of 2016, as exports of this product increased, they became the company's best-seller. In 2017, the Buldak range accounted for more than 85% of Samyang Food's total exports and 55% of total sales. In 2016, when Buldak-bokkeummyeon began to be sold in earnest, Samyang Foods' sales grew 23.5% to 359.3 billion won, followed by a double-digit growth rate in 2017 with a sales of 450 billion won (estimated value).[26] For this reason, Samyang Foods received the '100 Million Dollar Export Tower' at the "54th Trade Day 2017" event.[27]
The mascot of the Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen series is a chicken named "Hochi" (호치).[28] In 5 June 2026, Samyang announced the replacement of Hochi with a new mascot, "Peppo".[29]
Types
editSince the release of the original in 2012 and subsequent success, Samyang has released varieties that differ in spice and often flavour from the original to keep up with demand.[30]
Buldak product list (Samyang Foods)
editNote: The country columns (US, KR, AE, etc.) indicate which regional websites provide product information, not the countries where the product is sold.
Active Products
editSee also
edit
References
edit- ↑ "Buldak Ramen". Samyang. Archived from the original on 2024-06-15. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- 1 2 Ha, Soo-jung (August 2, 2022). "Samyang Foods' Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen sales surpass 4 bn". The Korea Economic Daily. Archived from the original on 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ↑ "Leading". Samyang Roundsquare. Archived from the original on 27 August 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
- ↑ Kim, Max (2024-03-05). "How some very spicy noodles saved the company that pioneered Korean ramen". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: 런던의 불닭볶음면 도전!! // FIRE NOODLE CHALLENGE!!. YouTube.
- ↑ Lee, Hakyung Kate (5 December 2018). "Foodies across the globe are taking part in the 'fire noodle challenge'". ABC News. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ↑ Mao, Frances (12 June 2024). "Samyang: Denmark recalls Korean ramen for being too spicy". BBC. Archived from the original on 2024-06-12. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
- ↑ Lee, Hyo-jin (July 10, 2024). "Korea's Buldak spicy noodles return to shelves as Denmark reverses recall". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on July 20, 2024. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- 1 2 Lee Kyung-min (6 June 2023). "Korean food's global popularity leads to copycat products in China, Japan". The Korea Times. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Lee Jae-lim (12 April 2023). "Consumers make comparisons between Nissin Foods noodles, Samyang ramen". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Kim Min-seo (30 May 2023). "Imitation controversy followed after a Japanese ramen company launches their new product". The Herald Insight 헤럴드 인사이트 청소년 영자신문. The Korea Herald. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Yoo Jin-woo; Lee Jae-eun (20 March 2025). "Fake Buldak Ramen flood markets as K-food goes global". The Chosun Ilbo. Archived from the original on 12 August 2025. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ↑ Choi Jae-hee (25 March 2025). "Watch out for fake K-food products". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 12 August 2025. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ↑ "North Korea sells its own version of Buldak Ramen in China". koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. 2025-09-18. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- ↑ "Food Truck Announcements | Food Truck Operator". www.foodtruckoperator.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ↑ Choi, Mun-hee (2024-06-23). "Samyang Foods Expands "Buldak" Brand with Potato Chips in Japan". Businesskorea (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ↑ Choi, Mun-hee (2024-11-18). "Samyang Foods' BuldakTteokbokki Newly Launched in Walmart USA". Businesskorea (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ↑ "Buldak Carbonara Now Comes in Dumpling Form — and It's Available in the US". Food & Wine. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
- ↑ "Samyang launches spicy macaroni and cheese | Food Business News". www.foodbusinessnews.net. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ↑ "Super Spicy Korean Noodles (Buldak Bokkeum)". 26 November 2014. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ↑ Annie Jeong (14 March 2016). "Can These BuzzFeed Employees Handle The Fire Noodle Challenge?". Buzzfeed. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ↑ Ysa Singson (6 August 2016). "What Is The 'Fire Noodle Challenge?'". Cosmopolitan Philippines. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ↑ Kim, Da-sol (2019-07-01). "Samyang's bestselling spicy chicken ramen sales top W1tr". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 2024-08-31. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ↑ Choi, Moon-hee (2022-08-02). "Samyang's Hot Chicken Ramen Reaches 4 Billion Cumulative Sales". BusinessKorea. Archived from the original on 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ↑ Shin, Jeana (16 January 2015). "Samgyang Food's "Fire Noodles" Become Popular Overseas". Business Korea. Archived from the original on 2015-03-16. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
- ↑ Yu, ji seung. "[기업분석] 삼양식품, 불닭볶음면 수출로 고성장…해외서 뛴다" MTN, Retrieved 2 February 2018. Archived 2020-09-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Yoon, HeeHoon. "'불닭볶음면' 히트친 삼양식품 '1억불 수출의 탑' 수상" ChosunBiz, Retrieved 5 December 2017.
- ↑ "Hochi and Friends". Samyang. Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
- ↑ Kyung-min, No (2026-06-05). "Buldak's new face: Peppo the flame-topped chick". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ↑ "Foodies across the globe are taking part in the 'fire noodle challenge'". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2021-02-07. Retrieved 2022-03-11.