Bone broth bros rejoice! If you’re a fan of the marrowy, collagen boosting properties of the innards of bone, then you’ll be delighted to have a cup of Nongshim’s Sali Gomtang or any other brand serving up their own version of gomtang. Like I mentioned in my previous article about How to Prepare Nongshim Sali Gomtang, Nongshim doesn’t export this exact version of this cup of instant noodles, but instead, offers their Bowl of Beef Noodle Soup. If you’re craving gomtang and you’re living outside of South Korea, I recommend you look at offerings by Paldo.
This unfortunate news aside, if you’ve experience either dwaeji-gukbap (Pork and Rice Soup) or Galbi Tang (Beef-Rib Soup), then these are the noodles you’re looking for.
Flavor:
The flavor is a melody of beef, green onions, milky bone broth, and an almost undetectable underlying garlic tone. It’s a savory and hearty flavor that gets a slight boost from the dash of pepper and splash of salt found in the broth. Somehow this instant version of gomtang retains some of that fatty and oily semi-gelatinous flavor that coats your tongue that you get when you have a delicious bowl of homemade bone broth. The taste is clean and includes quite a generous helping of meat. Definitely a great example of classic South Korean white soup. Yum!
Spiciness:
Featuring a smooth, milky flavor, these instant noodles aren’t even the least bit spicy. These noodles are easy on the tongue, as well as the belly. There’s just a dash of black peppery notes that resonate throughout the beefy flavor. These noodles can be enjoyed by everyone.
Smell:
These noodles smell delicious with their quite prominent beef and onion fragrance with just a touch of black pepper and garlic.
Texture:
The texture of the noodles are a bit squishy, but they do melt in your mouth. I think I prefer these noodles to be a bit softer anyways with this type of flavor profile, so it kind of works.
Overall Impression:
I do have a bit of a bias here. I eat dwaejigukbap at a local restaurant in my neighborhood weekly, so I’m obviously a fan of marrow-based soups. It fills me up and I always get a health boost after consuming it. I’m also a fan of the keto diet and intermittent fasting for losing weight for those beach photos, so I’m also accustomed to consuming bone broth upon breaking a fast or other strenuous diet.
Overall, I think if you’re a fan of either bone broth or gukbap, you can’t go wrong with these noodles or the offerings from Paldo. Also, if you prefer an instant ramen that isn’t spicy or pairs well with something that is spicy, then you could reach for these as well.
So, there you have it. Have you ever tried gukbap or galbi tang? Let me know in the comments below.
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.
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