Food Review: Samyang’s Buldak Tteokbokki
After the overwhelming success of their Buldak Chicken Bokkeum-Myeon, Samyang has been releasing several new products featuring their mouthwatering spicy sauce. Carbo Hot Chicken Spicy Ramen, Buldak Mandu, Buldak Sausage Kimbap, and hard-boiled eggs are just a few examples of the new products! Although many of the new products have not yet reached all Korean grocery stores around the world, we wait in anticipation to see what else Samyang will come out with next.
On my last visit to the Korean market, I was quickly looking through the noodle section when my eyes caught a glance of Samyang’s Carbo Buldak Tteokbokki. Although my legs kept moving, my eyes remained locked on this miraculous find. Putting my legs in reverse, I took a closer look at this new found tteokbokki. Now, I’ve tried both the Buldak Chicken Bokkeum-Myeon and the Carbo Hot Chicken Spicy Ramen. If the tteokbokki is anything like the ramen, then this will be a delicious experience.
We’ll start off with the regular Buldak Tteokbokki. Preparing the tteokbokki was incredibly simple. The tteok, or rice cake, had no problem with softening up in the microwave. With a little extra time in the microwave, the sauce thickened up pretty nicely. Although it wasn’t as sweet as the ramen version, it still was very flavorful. The intense heat lived in painful harmony with the sweet, savory, and slightly nutty flavors.
What I liked most about the Samyang’s instant tteokbokki was the size of the tteok. Unlike Yopokki, the tteok in this instant bowl was about the same (if not, slightly smaller) than the size of the tteok you get from the grocery store. Looking to turn your tteokbokki from instant to gourmet? Add some melted cheese and a hard-boiled egg after heating!
Samyang’s Carbo Hot Chicken Spicy Ramen is probably my favorite instant ramen of all time; so, my expectations for this tteokbokki version was pretty high. Unfortunately, the sauce did not thicken up as much as the regular buldak version, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t as delicious. Compared to the ramen version, this still wasn’t as sweet but it still shared the same characteristics: slightly sweet, savory, creamy, and spicy. It’s hard to decide whether I like the tteokbokki or ramen version better since they are two different textures. For the optimal experience, make both versions, mix them together, and add some mini sausages.
Overall, the Samyang regular and carbonara versions of Buldak Tteokbokki did not disappoint. For being instant food, it is pretty similar to the real thing. Of course, it won’t have the exact consistency or extra ingredients (such as fish cake or a hard-boiled egg), but if the craving is there when time is tight, this will do the trick. This tteokbokki lover approves.
What are your favorite ingredients to add to your tteokbokki? Cheese? Ramen? Fish cake? Let us know what your most epic serving of tteokbokki would have!
Written by Sarah Wong
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