Is The Viral Carbonara Ramen Recipe Worth The Hype?

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Instant ramen isn't exactly known for being the highest quality food. It is usually reserved for when you need a cheap meal, or you're looking for some quick comfort food — but that doesn't mean it can't be delicious. As the product has become popular in global markets, companies are adapting this Asian staple to Western tastes. This is probably why Korean company Samyang decided to come out with a carbonara version of their Buldak (which means "fire chicken") instant ramen. The product quickly went viral, sending social media users scrambling to stores to get a taste, often finding the product sold out.

Ramen carbonara does sound like the best of both worlds. You get the spiciness of Korean food with the rich creaminess of a classic Italian carbonara. Bacon grease is an easy way to upgrade any store-bought ramen, and few things are better than cheese on instant ramen, so I was intrigued to see what the hype was about. But fighting with a teenager eager to follow TikTok trends for the last packet of buldak carbonara ramen at the grocery store didn't appeal to me. These days Samyang Buldak Ramen Carbonara is easy to order online, but being a home cook that loves making life more difficult, I opted for the homemade route.

Carbonara ramen only requires a few ingredients: one whole egg, one egg yolk, ¼ cup (at least) of parmesan cheese, freshly ground black pepper, two slices of bacon, and ramen noodles. Most of the recipes I came across completely did away with the spicy element of the viral Buldak ramen, but I always have gochujaru (Korean red pepper powder) in the kitchen, so I added that plus red pepper flakes to give the dish a bit of heat. Some recipes also call for olive oil to fry the bacon, but I find that this meat is greasy enough to not need oil.

To make it, first add the egg, egg yolk, parmesan cheese, and spices to a bowl and stir them together. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the ramen noodles. Meanwhile, chop the bacon into small pieces and fry it in a pan. Once the bacon is cooked and crispy, add the noodles and a bit of the cooking water to the pan. Pour the egg mixture on top and stir it vigorously so that the egg doesn't cook, then remove from heat when a nice sauce forms. After plating, garnish with more black pepper and parmesan cheese.

Is the carbonara ramen hack life-changing or simply a trend? I definitely enjoyed the dish, and I appreciate that it only took about 10 minutes to cook. However, I wouldn't say that it was different enough from regular pasta carbonara to really make an impression. The only differences are the texture of the ramen noodles and the addition of spiciness. I loved the latter, but don't see why you can't just add some gochujaru to regular carbonara. As for the texture, it was interesting to try something different, though I wasn't completely blown away. Was it worth the change just to save myself the 10 extra minutes that it would take to make a regular carbonara? I'm not so sure. But if you're short on time and looking for something familiar with a slight twist, this could be an easy dinner option.

I may make this dish again if I happen to have all the ingredients on hand, but I think the trend is a bit overhyped. That said, I understand why people are excited to have the Buldak instant ramen — it's a way to enjoy carbonara simply by boiling water. So, if you like the idea of convenient carbonara, try to get your hands on the viral ramen packet. Meanwhile, I'll probably stick to old fashioned method. (Though there are some other intriguing variations out there, like this miso-butter carbonara recipe.)