You’re probably wondering, who in their right mind would enjoy eating weeds that come from the sea? Well, it turns out that many cultures around the world decided that this was a great idea! It would probably be the last thing on my list to shovel into my mouth for survival, but this stuff is actually really nutritious for the human body. Koreans are masters of turning this green sludge into something not only edible, but actually enjoyable to eat. Enter, miyeokguk, a seaweed soup often eaten on birthdays or consumed by mothers postpartum for an immune system boost. Taken one step further by Ottogi and their Sogogi Miyeokguk Ramen, we can enjoy the flavor of seaweed and instant ramen even in a pinch. I can almost see the excitement radiating from your expression right now.
Flavor:
This cup of ramen tastes exactly like traditional miyeokguk (seaweed soup). The seaweed soup flavor is so accurate, that you almost forget you’re eating an instant version of the more traditional offering. There are nice chunks of both seaweed and beef floating in the broth, which also help to sell the memory of mom or grandma’s soup. It is also salty to the point of being well-seasoned. This came as a surprise, because I initially predicted that the soup was going to be bland. On a more negative note, that’s honestly about all there is to these noodles. The noodles themselves are flavorless, so you’re left with a bit of an empty feeling and a cup of noodles that just doesn’t come together into one cohesive package.
Spiciness:
Ottogi’s Sogogi Miyeokguk Ramen is very much in line with traditional miyeokguk in terms of spiciness. This cup of noodles isn’t spicy at all. It’s a perfect snack for kids, assuming you can get them to eat their greens.
Smell:
It’s uncanny how closely this cup of noodles smells like a bowl of traditional miyeokguk. There’s no smell of ramen noodles whatsoever. Basically, if you blindfolded me and put a bowl of this in front of my nose, there’s a one-hundred percent change that I would say seaweed soup!
Noodles:
Sadly, these are your basic ramen noodles. They are the same size and thickness as you would expect from a generic cup of noodles. This might be the biggest let down for an otherwise decent snack. The texture turned out to be a somewhere between chewy and soft, which wasn’t too bad in my opinion. However, the noodles just don’t do this cup justice because they fail to pick up any of the broth flavor. It’s almost like having a delicious soup and consuming bland, mediocre instant ramen on the side. The noodles really don’t contribute anything to the overall flavor. They are flavorless.
Overall:
I really wanted to like this one, but I consider this to be a D- level cup of noodles. It just doesn’t work as a cup of ramen. I would much rather have a satisfying bowl of miyeokguk. Hold the noodles, please! This one isn’t for me, but it might be something for you if you throw out the instant noodles…
Do you think seaweed soup ramen is for you? Or, will you pass on the seaweed? Do you think your children would like seaweed in their ramen? 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.
