Hello everyone,
Today, I’m reviewing the latest addition to the Nongshim Shin Ramyun family—Shin Ramyun The Red.
As we all know, Shin Ramyun has been Korea’s number-one-selling ramen for years, so naturally, I couldn’t resist trying their new extra spicy version.
When I heard about this new release, I knew I had to grab it. Luckily, I was right there at the supermarket when the staff was stocking it on the shelves.
No, I wasn’t waiting specifically for it, but it was just great timing.
Alright, let’s dive into the heat and see if it lives up to the name.
Introducing Shin Ramyun The Red
Nongshim has been a big player in the ramen world for decades.
Once, their Ansungtangmyun held the number one spot, until they launched Shin Ramyun, which marked a significant shift in the Korean ramen market.
With the use of the Chinese character “辛” (which means “spicy”), they entered the spicy ramen market, and it was a hit.
This shift paved the way for many other ramen brands to join in on the spicy noodle craze, making spicy ramen the new trend in Korea.
The popularity of Shin Ramyun is undeniable—what started over 20 years ago still holds strong as a favorite today.
It’s not just a trend but an enduring love for spicy flavors, with Shin Ramyun now almost being the benchmark for deciding what’s “spicy” or “not spicy” in Korea.
Their premium version was Shin Ramyun Black, and they also had a stir-fried version called Shin Ramyun Stir-Fry. But this time, they’ve come out with an even spicier version.
On the back of the packaging, it says, “Even spicier! A stronger, deeper, umami-filled broth with plenty of beef and shiitake mushrooms!” It’s always interesting how product descriptions on packages try to convey the essence of what’s inside—let’s see if it delivers.
Cooking Instructions
There’s nothing special about the cooking method.
Just like most instant noodles, you boil 500 ml of water, add the noodles and the seasoning, and let it cook for 4 minutes and 30 seconds.
Though honestly, many Koreans—including myself—tend to add their own twists, making hundreds of variations.
So, these basic instructions don’t usually mean much.
I learned from watching You Quiz on the Block that ramen companies conduct countless experiments before putting these simple instructions on the back.
So, I decided to follow their advice exactly!
Inside the Package
When you open the package, the noodles look just like the usual Shin Ramyun noodles.
However, there are three packets of seasoning.
Two of them—an orange one and a purple one—go in first. The orange packet is the standard powdered seasoning, and the purple one is the dried flakes, which include vegetables and other ingredients.
Then, there’s a red packet, which is the after-cooking spice powder that will take the heat to the next level. I’m excited to see just how spicy it is!
In the picture above, you can see the contents of the orange, red, and purple packets.
Surprisingly, the red packet wasn’t as red as I expected.
But just like how green chili peppers can be spicier than red ones, the color isn’t everything.
The flakes, I must say, were impressive.
There was a lot of controversy at one point over the difference in the quality of flakes between the international and domestic versions of Shin Ramyun, but Shin Ramyun The Red seems to have made amends.
You can clearly see real ingredients like beef, egg, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, and chili peppers.
Smell and Taste of Shin Ramyun The Red
I followed the instructions exactly: 500 ml of water, boil for 4 minutes and 30 seconds.
The color wasn’t as fiery red as the packaging suggests, but it was still enticing.
The aroma wasn’t vastly different from the usual Shin Ramyun, but the scent of beef and shiitake mushrooms was surprisingly strong and pleasant.
It didn’t smell like your typical instant ramen but rather something made with higher-quality ingredients.
The flakes also rehydrated really well, resulting in substantial pieces that gave the soup a hearty texture.
As for the spice level—it hits you right from the first bite.
At first, it doesn’t seem overwhelmingly spicy, but the heat builds as you keep eating.
It’s not just a one-note capsicum heat but a well-rounded spiciness that’s also very flavorful.
I’d say it’s about 1.5 times spicier than regular Shin Ramyun, and it feels on par with—or maybe even a bit spicier than—Buldak Stir-Fried Noodles.
The Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) rating is 7500 SHU, which is over twice as hot as regular Shin Ramyun (3400 SHU) and considerably higher than Buldak Stir-Fried Noodles (4400 SHU).
Perhaps my tolerance has improved, because it didn’t feel as intense as I was expecting.
To compare it with other spicy flavors, I think there are two types of heat: the kind that hits hard and then fades quickly, like Thai or Vietnamese peppers, and the kind that lingers, like Korean Cheongyang chili peppers.
For Shin Ramyun The Red, I’d say it’s about a 30-70 mix of those two types of heat.
Ingredients and Nutritional Information
Here are the ingredients and nutritional information for Nongshim Shin Ramyun The Red:
Ingredients
Noodles: Wheat flour (USA, Australia), potato starch (Germany), palm oil (Malaysia), modified starch, egg shell calcium, refined salt, vegetable extract seasoning, noodle additive (acidity regulator), mixed agent (acidity regulator), oligo green tea flavor liquid, vitamin B2.
Seasoning: Beef flavor base, refined salt, glucose, Mekong spice powder, chili flavor powder, soy sauce seasoning powder, red chili powder, soy sauce powder, black pepper, stir-fry seasoning powder, amino acid soy sauce seasoning powder, Cheongyang pepper powder, beef seasoning powder, refined maltose, flavor seasoning, garlic base, spicy flavor powder, spicy seasoning, disodium 5′-ribonucleotide, seasoned red pepper powder, refined sugar, shiitake extract powder, freeze-dried garlic powder, disodium succinate, garlic extract powder, onion flavor powder, vegetable protein, dried shiitake mushrooms, dried bok choy, chili garnish, dried egg white, dried egg yolk, dried green onions.
Nutritional Information (Total weight 125g / 535 kcal)
Sodium: 1,790 mg
Carbohydrates: 84 g
Sugars: 5 g
Fat: 17 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 8 g
Cholesterol: Less than 5 mg
Protein: 11 g
Calcium: 143 mg
The sodium content is 1,790 mg, which is around the average for fried noodles, which typically have about 1,730 mg. I thought the extra spiciness might mean extra saltiness, but it turned out to be quite standard.
Final Thoughts
So that’s my detailed review of Nongshim Shin Ramyun The Red. As always, Shin Ramyun doesn’t disappoint—this was delicious.
If you’re looking for a spicy ramen with a rich, flavorful broth, I highly recommend giving this a try.
And for those who are already fans of Shin Ramyun, you’ll probably love this even more.
That’s all for today’s review. Bye-bye, and happy slurping!