The heated battle is on today with Nongshim’s Mala Tangmyeon coming up against Samyang’s Mala Tang from a past review. Both are amazing offerings from two of the biggest players in South Korean Ramen, but… there can be only one (insert “Highlander” quote here). So, which cup of instant noodles has the best Mala flavor? Let’s first look at our new review for today of Nongshim’s Mala Tangmyeon!
Flavor:
One of the key points that I think really makes this cup of noodles fantastic is that it taste exactly like Mala Soup, but dialed back ever so slightly. Sichuan peppers and the herbs found in Mala Soup can smell and taste like something from another planet, if you’ve never experienced the unique soup. I can see how some people might jerk back and never touch something with this type of flavor palette ever again. By dialing the flavors back a bit, Nongshim has made this unique flavor accessible to more people to try and become accustomed to the already intense flavor. Pair this with the generous amounts of mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and cabbage found in the dried flakes packet and I think we have a winner.
Spiciness:
I would place these noodles on the spiciness scale at around the heat level of Nongshim’s Shin Ramen. These noodles could be fire to some people, but I find that it’s a manageable heat. Like with most Mala Soup, I did break out in a bit of a sweat and got hit right in the mouth by the numbing heat of the Sichuan peppers. The doesn’t stay for long and doesn’t build, which makes this cup of noodles on the safer-side of volcanic broth.
Smell:
If you’re into Sichuan peppers and other Chinese herbs, you’re in luck here. This cup of noodles has a pungent aroma of the streets of Hong Kong, just like you remember from your vacations. It really does smell like Mala Soup with its unique odor.
Noodles:
Unfortunately, these noodles are just your average ramen noodles. I couldn’t find anything special about them. They weren’t necessarily bad, but they weren’t as unique as the flavor and fragrance of Mala Tang. They just don’t pair well with the rest of the flavor. The cook on the noodles ended up slightly soft, but not too chewy. I think the noodles with their soft texture helped to absorb the soup flavor, which I really liked.
Overall:
I think I’ve picked a winner… If I was to choose between Samyang Mala Tang and Nongshim Mala Tangmyeon, I would go with the instant noodle offering from Nongshim. And here’s why…
These noodles were superior because they have a gentle, more natural flavoring of Mala to them. I find that many of Samyang’s products, especially the ones in their Hot Chicken Flavored Ramen line-up, have a strange, artificial spiciness that coats your tongue with the inferno, but lack in overall flavor.
Nongshim’s Mala Tangmyeon doesn’t have any of this. The spice tastes natural and the heat evaporates from your mouth naturally as well. Also, these noodles taste very similarly to actual Mala Tang, but not so much so to where it becomes too foreign of a taste. I like the fact that Nongshim held back a little here and didn’t go full Mala. I guess you could say… Never go full Mala…
Sichuan peppers are spicy, but have you tried any peppers that were spicier? What kind were they? How did they taste? Let me know down in the comments!
If you’re interested in hearing more about instant ramen, check out my on-going series, Noodle Story: An Exploration of Korean Instant Noodles, here on Medium.
Note: This article may contain affiliate links that support the author’s ramen purchases for these how-to guides and reviews.
