DIARY

“Mukbang” has become one of the most popular types of content on YouTube. Celebrities have joined in, preparing their favorite dishes and other interesting recipes on camera. How about trying some Korean dishes based on recipes from your favorite Hallyu stars? In this feature, we present two special recipes to enjoy Korea's iconic ramyeon.

BTS’s Jung Kook | Bulguri

Following BTS's Jung Kook's introduction of a dish with buckwheat noodles and perilla oil combined with Buldak sauce, another Buldak recipe he shared is Bulguri—a combination of Buldak Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen and Neoguri. Many YouTubers have showcased mukbang videos of this recipe, inspired by Jung Kook's reveal. Additionally, singer and cooking enthusiast Sung Si Kyung praised Bulguri on his personal channel, calling it "the best late-night snack."

In Korea, a recipe trend has been popular for the past few years, where two types of ramyeon are combined, similar to the Chapaguri (a mix of Chapagetti and Neoguri) featured in the film Parasite. Both Buldak Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen, which tempts global consumers with its spicy kick, and Neoguri, known for its thick noodles and a piece of dried kelp for umami, are popular ramyeon varieties that can be easily found in supermarkets both in Korea and abroad.

1) Ingredients

- Buldak Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen (1 pack) and Neoguri (1 pack)
- Roasted whole sesame seeds (1 tablespoon)
- Perilla oil (1 tablespoon)

2) Recipe

(1) Boil 650 ml of water in a frying pan.
(2) Before the water boils, add the liquid seasoning from the Buldak Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen, half of the seasoning powder and flakes from Neoguri.
(3) Once the water boils, add both packs of noodles and simmer for four minutes.
(4) Top with the Buldak Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen flakes and roasted sesame seeds. Drizzle perilla oil over the noodles.

• Editor’s Review: Korean spicy stir-fried noodles normally use thin noodles, but thicker noodles work surprisingly well, too. The noodles will absorb the broth and may become dry as you eat, so it's advisable to leave a little water in the pan while simmering.

iKON’s Song Yunhyeong | Neoburi Soba

iKON’s Yunhyeong Song often shares recipes on his YouTube channel that use simple ingredients, such as potato pancakes made with Pringles and spicy bean curd ramyeon made with Yeol Ramen. Among these is Neoburi Soba, abura soba made with Neoguri. This dish is Song Yunhyeong's reinterpretation of abura soba using Korean ramyeon, created to satisfy his craving for Japanese ramen during the pandemic. It was featured on the cooking variety show Crazy Recipe Adventure, where it received high praise from singers Sung Si Kyung and Haha.

Abura soba is a spicy Japanese noodle dish mixed with an oily sauce, known for its rich umami flavor and the variety of toppings that can be added to suit individual tastes. Song Yunhyeong’s Neoburi Soba replicates the original dish’s flavor and texture using ingredients that are easily available at convenience stores. So feel free to give it a try.

1) Ingredients

- Neoguri (1 pack)
- Green onion (2-3 stalks)
- Onion (1/2)
- Boiled egg
- Raw egg yolk (from 1 egg)
- Spam Lite (sliced, 40g)
- Olive oil (4 tablespoons)
- Soy sauce (1 tablespoon)
- Sugar (1 tablespoon)

2) Recipe

(1) Chop the green onion and onion finely, and cut the Spam into bite-sized pieces.
(2) Mix the sugar, soy sauce, half of the Neoguri seasoning powder, and olive oil to make the oil sauce.
(3) Add the noodles and flakes to boiling water and cook for four minutes while grilling the Spam in a frying pan.
(4) Mix the noodles with the oil sauce, then top with green onion, onion, Spam, the boiled egg, and raw egg yolk.

• Editor’s Review: The balance of sweet and salty flavors is excellent, and the texture of the noodles coated in the oil sauce makes them irresistibly delicious. For a variation, you can also consider using grilled thin-sliced pork belly or beef loin.

* This column was last updated in August 2024, and therefore information may differ from what is presented here. We advise you to confirm details before visiting.