Thinking about eating ramen?
Let me tell you that most ramen brands out there are not spicy. Now, that doesn’t mean that ramen noodles are not spicy.
In short: Depending on the brand of ramen noodles you have. It may or may not be spicy. But the majority of ramen brands out there are not considered spicy. Brands like Samyang do have spicy ramen, which is often used in the “Spicy Ramen Challenge”
There are 100s if not 1000s of ramen brands out there. So you can’t really say that all ramen is spicy.
Out of the 50+ brands I’ve tried this year. About 50/50 was spicy and the others were not. But let’s dive deeper into the world of ramen.
Which Ramen Noodles Are The Most Spicy?
The spiciest Korean ramen noodles in the world are the Samyang 3X Spicy Buldak Ramen coming is hot at a 13,200 Scoville.
These are the ramen noodles you see everywhere on YouTube. People are doing spicy ramen challenges and trying to eat 10+ packs of these at once.
I mean… if you like doing that, then it’s totally fine.
But I wouldn’t try this myself. These noodles are supposed to be stir-fried so it’s not some soup-based ramen like others. Now, it’s been known that these ramen noodles have a “nuclear” flavor to them.
If you’ve ever tried these noodles… were they really that spicy?
Or is it just all hype.
Anyways.
Out of all the Korean ramen noodles on the market. These are the spiciest instant ramen noodles on the entire market.
Considering that you’ll likely give these a go once in a lifetime. I’d highly recommend getting some ice cream or milk before starting. That’ll likely be necessary if you watch those videos.
Should You Drink Ramen Broth?
Yes, definitely Almost everyone drinks the ramen broth. Not only does it taste great, but it also makes the noodles way better.
Now, the other question is: Is ramen broth healthy to drink?
To be very honest with you. It’s not.
Drinking ramen broth is very unhealthy, but drinking it once in a while shouldn’t be that bad. As long as you don’t do it every single day, then you shouldn’t worry about it.
And there’s also the fact that all ramen broths are different.
I mean… if you’re making the broth yourself, then it could be very healthy. Especially, when you add a lot of vegetables to the broth. But when we’re talking about instant ramen.. It’s a no-go.
Don’t drink it too often if you’re concerned about your health.
With the majority of people drinking it anyway, it shouldn’t be a very big concern. I’ve seen some people say that they don’t like drinking broth because it’s very salty.
Others say: “It’s part of the soup, so why wouldn’t you drink it?”
With that in mind, it’s up to you.
Is The Ramen Seasoning Bad For You?
The ramen seasoning is highly compressed with MSG or monosodium glutamate. These aren’t necessarily good for the health.
But eating instant ramen once in a while shouldn’t be something to worry about.
Generally speaking, ramen seasoning is bad. But since it’s part of the instant noodles, and you aren’t eating it every day it’s nothing to worry about.
I’ve even seen people buy instant ramen noodles, and not use the seasoning….
…Yes really.
What’s the point of buying instant ramen if you’re not going to use the seasoning. You might as well buy the noodles separately for a cheaper price.
Note: if you’re concerned about the ramen seasoning, you can always add half of it.
4 Easy Ways To Cook Ramen at Home
1. Stir-Fried Ramen Noodles
Stir-fried ramen noodles are the best. It’s easy and can be made from all instant noodles. Even though not all noodles are specifically made for this.
You can put the noodles into some hot boiling water, and once they’re done. Stir-fry them and add the seasoning. Sometimes this tastes way better than just boiling the ramen noodles in water and eating them like that.
Also, stir-frying the noodles gives you the option to add other ingredients such as chicken, broccoli, or any other vegetables you’d like.
2. Hot Boiling Water
Boiling the ramen noodles in water is like any other instant ramen. It’s easy and fast, which is why most college students eat a lot of ramen.
I mean… you can’t really complain since it only takes a few minutes and your dinners are ready. It’s way faster than going to the grocery store, then looking through the hallway just to find that one product you need.
Cooking up some spicy ramen is the way to go (if you’re short on time and don’t want to cook an entire dish)
And because there are so many spicy ramen noodles out there, there’s a lot to choose from. This makes it very appealing to college students.
3. Using Milk
Cooking spicy ramen at home with milk is godly. You probably think that it’ll ruin the taste. Well… let me tell you that it doesn’t. Adding milk to the spicy ramen noodles makes them thicker.
Yes… the broth will get thicker and you’ll definitely feel a lot fuller after eating this. Milk is somewhat underrated when cooking spicy ramen noodles. Probably because they think that milk ruins the spicy taste.
Luckily, it doesn’t. So if you haven’t tried cooking your spicy ramen with milk, give it a go. You won’t be disappointed.
Pro Tip: Adding some melted cheese makes it even better.
4. Tteokbokki Ramen
Tteokbokki ramen… you’ve probably never heard about it. But in Seoul, it’s very popular, especially in the local street food markets in Myeong-dong. Lots of people go there just to get tteokbokki ramen.
It’s tteokbokki and ramen combined, and because tteokbokki is already spicy itself. Adding the ramen makes it even better. You don’t need to add any other spices to it.
Adding some green onions or bean sprouts on top will do the job.
Make sure to give this spicy ramen recipe a try, you won’t regret it.
Final Thoughts
The majority of ramen brands are not considered spicy. Though, there are ramen brands out there that may be spicy. Depending on the brand and type of ramen you get, it’ll likely be spicy. There’s no one-size-fits-all and the same goes for ramen brands.
