Like I mentioned in my previous entry, these noodles are the vegetables soup of instant ramen. Ottogi Jin Ramen (Mild) has an irresistibly salty and savory flavor, that’s sure to please even the harshest critics. It just has that enjoyable ramen flavor, that everyone loves. This ramen doesn’t need intense heat, complex sauces, or fancy packaging. These instant noodles play well with a wide-variety of common proteins and vegetables, so you can customize and tweak your ramen to better suit your culinary needs. If you’re looking to prep your instant noodle arsenal, Ottogi’s Jin Ramen and Nongshim’s Kimchi Ramen might just be two of the most simple, yet reliable instant noodles you can add to your pantry.
Flavor:
The broth is absolutely delicious and has that cozy winter’s day, homey flavor. It’s salty, rich, and has just a hint of vegetables. The flavor is extremely satisfying and plays well with added eggs for those of you that need the extra protein and calories. Ottogi suggests on the package that you try these noodles with either eggs, leek, or kimchi. I have eaten these noodles with all three pairings and eggs are definitely my favorite, but the other two are excellent as well. It’s really hard to go wrong with the flavor of these instant noodles.
Spiciness:
There are two types of Jin Ramen produced by Ottogi. They have one that is mild and another that is spicy. This review is all about the mild version of these noodles. To my palate, these noodles aren’t even the least bit spicy. It may have a very slight peppery taste to some, but it is seriously barely even detectable. These noodles are for everyone.
Smell:
These noodles smell pleasant. They have a classic ramen odor to them that everyone will enjoy, unlike your neighbor’s fish curry… There’s a vegetable-like peppery broth smell that feels warm and uplifting to me.
Texture:
These noodles came out hot! Not spicy hot, but temperature hot. I’ve been doing reviews of mostly cup versions of instant noodles lately, so I didn’t realize just how finger-scorching these noodles would be out of the pot. Before putting these noodles to the test, I had to give them several minutes to cool, which in turn, gave the noodles more time to cook. The noodles managed to hold up to the heat quite well, but I would definitely recommend undercooking these noodles if you like them more al dente or have a tongue that is sensitive to heat.
Overall Impression:
These instant noodles are another pantry staple in my book. Ottogi Jin Ramen is just so versatile to cook with. You can add in extra protein, vegetables, or fermented delights to spice these up a bit. Children are sure to love the taste of these noodles too. So, if you need to feed some hungry gremlins, you can easily fix them up a quick snack that’s not completely devoid of nutrients, but sure to please.
Do you find the smell of cooked instant ramen uplifting? Do you prefer mild or spicy ramen? Let me know 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.
