Created way back in ’92, Ottogi Snackmyeon, is a simple and mild cup of noodles that has a deliciously salty broth. It will keep you coming back for more, until you finish the last grain rice. Oh yeah, did I say rice? If this cup of noodles didn’t already have enough carbs for your “reverse-keto diet,” then make sure you throw some rice in there too! It’s commonly eaten that way in South Korea and I can see exactly why. The flavor of the broth is strong with this cup, so it pairs nicely with white or brown rice and still doesn’t taste bland. There’s plenty of savory MSG notes and saltiness to keep these noodles tasting great!
Flavor:
Ottogi’s Snackmyeon is an old fashioned tasting cup of noodles with a broth that packs a punch. The broth tastes like it’s made from beef stock. It has a salty and savory flavor to it that is as delicious as it is intense. I wouldn’t be surprised if they accidently dumped a truckload of MSG in these noodles, because they have a nearly unmatched savory flavor compared to their other offerings. These noodles are also simple. There aren’t a whole lot of other ingredients in these noodles. I only managed to find: some carrot, miyeok (laver), and teeny-tiny pieces of beef. Adding rice to these noodles is one way to circumvent this problem, but certainly not the only one.
Spiciness:
I can see why a lot of younger kids and students like to snack on these noodles. These are not spicy at all. And… I mean ZERO spiciness. There might be a tad of black pepper in here for flavoring the broth, but honestly, it’s so little I can barely taste it.
Smell:
It smells like ramen! Snackmyeon has a classic or old fashioned aroma about it. It really only smells like beef stock and ramen noodles. That’s it!
Noodles:
These noodles are very, very thin. They might be the thinnest noodles I have ever reviewed! Snackmyeon’s noodles are almost as thin as angel hair pasta, but with a nice wave to them. This is definitely reflected in the cooking time, which is significantly shorter that other cups of ramen noodles. The cooking time is only 2 minutes, but you could even go shorter if you like your noodles to be al dente. They end up going soft quickly because they are so thin and fragile. I followed the instructions with the 2 minute cooking time and the noodles were moderately firm until they spent some time in the broth bath.
Overall:
Ottogi’s Snackmyeon is great for kids because of its simple and mild flavor. The salty and savory flavor works well with either brown rice or white rice, whichever you prefer. Because of this, it can become one of the more filling cups of instant noodles out there. The noodles are fragile and thin, so you might consider undercooking them if you like your noodles al dente. It’s not the most creative cup of noodles out there, but I think there’s a place in the world of ramen for more restrained flavors. Without a doubt, Snackmyeon is a dependable cup of instant noodles that will delicious to almost anyone.
Do you think there’s room for more classic tasting cups of instant noodles or do you like your flavors wild and untamed? What kind of rice do you prefer? Let me know down in the comments! I can’t wait to hear from you!
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.
