Samyang 2X Buldak (Korean) Hot Spicy Chicken Stir Fried Ramen 4.94 oz (Pack of 20)

Ok, where to begin? The packaging says it has under 10,000 SHU. This can't be true, as I regularly use 25K and 100K Cayenne. Maybe it is though, who knows. The packaging is simple - on the front is a very enraged fire chicken warning you what is to come. Inside are your typical cake of dried Ramen noodles and a small packet of what looks to be an oil of some kind. That's it. This is a no-frills nuclear hot ramen. I made this three ways: 1) As directed on packaging - I left a few tbsp of water after draining the noodles, added the oil packet, tossed, and served. I took the first bite, noting it has a pepperiness to the chicken flavor that's pretty good. Not too hot yet. Take a bite. Ok I can feel it getting a bit warm. Take a bite. My heartrate is visibly up. Take a bite. It burns SO MUCH. At this point I'm cackling at how hot it is and the fact my entire mouth and lips are numb from the burning, and I can't stop drooling. At this point I realize finishing this will do a number on my already sensitive gut, despite the fact I want to finish because it actually tasted really good (when you can taste it, that is). It's very splishy-splashy since you mix a few tbsp of water with the oil, and I felt the oil didn't have good coverage on the noodles. Next comes attempt #2. 2) Not reserving any water - Very similar to #1 except this time the oil is VERY well adhered to the noodle. Like #1 except even more intense. 3) Half packet of oil, not reserving any water - Ok, I found the sweet spot. It was pleasantly spicy without being too spicy. I still had to take my time with it, but I was able to get through the entire packet and enjoy the experience. Was it still very, very hot? Yes. But this time it didn't render me a blathering mess, and I didn't hate myself the next day (too much), and I could really taste the peppery chicken flavor. In all 3 attempts, the noodles are pretty good and have a nice chew to them. Not your typical cheap thin ramen noodle. Also, to note, since I'm alive and writing this review, I did not do all 3 attempts in one sitting. These were spaced out about a week apart. If you like spicy ramen, and you can tolerate decently hot things, give these a try. They're actually really, really good, if you can handle the heat.

I absolutely love the flavor of these noodles! They have become my go-to choice for a quick, filling meal whenever I’m feeling too lazy to cook a full dinner. The noodles themselves have a great chewy texture that holds up well, and the sauce is incredibly savory with that signature Buldak taste. Be warned: when they say "2X Spicy," they really mean it! The heat level is intense, but it’s the kind of spice that "hurts so good" because the flavor behind the heat is so delicious. If you aren't a seasoned spice lover, you might want to start with half the sauce packet, but for me, it's perfect. They are very easy to prepare and much higher quality than your standard grocery store ramen. It's definitely worth keeping a pack in the pantry for when you want something tasty with a serious kick.

(UPDATE: On the back of the 5 pack package it claims this is 8,808 Scoville Heat Units which is very low - on par with some of the hotter Jalapeño pepper breeds. So not that measurably impressive. Habanero peppers start at around 100,000 SHU, Ghost Peppers / Carolina Reaper hundreds of thousands/millions higher. Many hot sauces are far hotter than this. Making a YouTube challenge video for this is equivalent to a "can you eat a raw Jalapeño pepper" YouTube challenge, which isn't that impressive. Just pointing that out.) To the original review: This stuff is good. Do not let previous reviews scare you away from ordering this. If you aren't familiar with spice levels on par with hot peppers then this might be too much, but this is no where close to something one would make a "YouTube Challenge" in regards to because it's no where close to Carolina Reaper levels at all. I would even go as far as to say that I've eaten raw habanero peppers that were far far hotter than this. I could easily eat this multiple times without stomach issues or extreme mouth pain. The feeling in the mouth that I get from this is a very light, balanced burn. The heat level is not at a level that I have to run and get milk to cool it down, so I don't find it painful at all; it is pretty much perfect for what I like. Which is a good thing, because I often feel disappointed by how some people define "extremely spicy" in the US. There is actual flavor here in addition to the heat, but if you aren't used to hot food then the heat may distract you more. I'll probably be ordering more in the near future and I hope they raise the capsaicin levels higher than this in future products.

ممتاز

Los paquetes han llegado perfectamente, incluso más rápido de lo previsto. Los fideos son casi incomestibles de lo picantes que son. SUPER PICANTES! Pero muy ricos

Die Schärfe: Das hier ist ein ganz anderes Level. Die "2x Spicy" brennt ordentlich und der Schmerz hält auch eine ganze Weile an. Man sollte definitiv Fan von extrem scharfem Essen sein, sonst hat man hier keinen Spaß. Der Geschmack: Trotz der extremen Hitze schmeckt man immer noch das typische Buldak-Aroma (leicht süßlich, rauchig) heraus. Es ist nicht einfach nur scharf, sondern schmeckt tatsächlich gut – sofern man die Schärfe toleriert. Die Nudeln: Die Qualität der Nudeln ist wie gewohnt top. Sie sind schön dick, behalten einen guten Biss und nehmen die Sauce perfekt auf. Vorratsgröße: Das 10er-Pack ist ideal. Man kommt eine Weile damit aus, da man diese Sorte (zumindest ich) nicht unbedingt jeden Tag essen kann. Mein Tipp: Wer es etwas abmildern will, kann ein wenig Käse oder ein Spiegelei dazu geben. Das nimmt die Spitze, lässt den Geschmack aber wirken. Fazit: Absolut solide 5 Sterne für alle Schärfe-Junkies. Lieferung war schnell, Packung kam unbeschädigt an. Wer die Herausforderung sucht, ist hier genau richtig!

what is there to say.... itsd just super spicy......

Anche se sono a conoscenza che spaghettini più piccanti sono in circolazione, posso già attestare che questi qui sono davvero, davvero, SUL SERIO forti. Quando li ho provati la prima volta, ho singhiozzato, ho pianto, ed ho avuto l'urgentissimo bisogno di bere del latte per stemperare le fiamme che stavano consumandomi letteralmente dall'interno. Gli spaghettini sono di buona qualità, decisamente migliore di tanti marchi da supermercato. Sono spessi e assorbono bene i sapori. Tuttavia la salsa piccante copre ogni tipo di sapore e da immediatamente un sapore amaro e tanto violento da indurre il singhiozzo se si è abbastanza sensibili al piccante. Di certo posso consigliarli agli appassionati di cibo piccante, ma propenderei magari di lavorare in altre maniere con la salsa. Personalmente l'ho conservata a parte dopo averla svuotata dalla bustina e l'ho usata in altri piatti, con poche gocce, l'ideale per regalare a qualsiasi cosa quel po' di piccante.