As salty as the saltiest pirate or the Dead Sea itself, YouUs Omori Kimchi Stew Ramen is a kimchi stew from concentrate. You’d better take your blood pressure medication, because you might blow a gasket without it! Elevated blood pressure aside, these noodles are pretty good. It will never be a perfectly authentic kimchi stew experience with these noodles, but YouUs gave these one heck of a try. These noodles are simple and plentiful, so you’ll be left feeling satisfied afterward. I really loved the kimchi packet that contained the “fresh” kimchi, because it really boosted the flavor of these noodles, along with the sodium content. You will have a hard time finding a more authentic experience of kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) in a cup of instant noodles.
Flavor:
These just might be the saltiest noodles I have ever tasted in my life. Maybe even the saltiest food I have ever consumed as well… If you’re a fan of kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew), you will enjoy the flavor of these noodles. It tastes like a simplified kimchi stew that has been made into a concentrate. The flavor is very strong. If you hate kimchi, I would run away now! It’s very simple and only contains: kimchi, spring onion, and a few slices of red chili pepper. The kimchi tastes aged or semi-cooked. It really does taste like kimchi you would use to cook up some kimchi jjigae.
Spiciness:
These noodles have a Shin Ramen level of spiciness, meaning they aren’t too spicy or all that mild. You might break into a little bit of sweat, but you’re not going to need to change your shirt or anything. It’s mostly just mouth hot from the Korean red chili pepper powder. The spiciness enhances the flavors.
Smell:
Omori Kimchi Stew Ramen smells like cooked or even aged kimchi. If you’ve ever had kimchi that has been sitting in the refrigerator for a while and just begs to be used for kimchi jjigae, that’s the exact kind of smell I’m talking about. It smells both sour and spicy. You will definitely pick up on the aroma of the red chili pepper powder, because it has a fairly strong spicy smell. The noodles come out in the smell as well, but I could barely smell them. The noodle aroma just isn’t all that prominent.
Noodles:
I’m always pleasantly surprised by how many noodles are packed into a YouUs cup of instant ramen. Omori Kimchi Stew Ramen keeps with this trend and is packed full of noodles. The noodles are thin and made from ingredients just like every other cup of noodles you’ve ever tasted. They are definitely basic. I liked how the noodles let the kimchi remain the star of the cup. They paired very nicely with the overall flavor.
Overall:
You’re going to need about six gallons or liters (whichever unit you choose) of water to accompany YouUS Omori Kimchi Stew Ramen. These noodles are extremely salty! If I ate enough cups of this ramen, I might actually turn into a human fermented kimchi product, or at the very least, jerky. Maybe this is how the ancients mummified the dead? It’s a very simple cup of noodles that’s super tasty though. Not bad, but packed with more salt than contained in the Earth’s oceans. Watch out if you’re concerned about your sodium intake or blood pressure. These noodles are dangerous! If you couldn’t care less about those things like myself, then these will make a tasty saltlick of a snack.
How is your blood pressure? Mine, rides a little on the high side, but that is probably due to eating so many cups of ramen. Do you enjoy eating salty snacks? What are your favorites? 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.
