In the past reviews of Baijia products, I haven’t been really stoked. I have been told by those keen on Sichuan cuisine that this is good stuff, but I think I’m not one of those who are keen on Sichuan cuisine. Regardless, I shall try this with an open mind. Let’s have a go at this one.
Here’s the back of the package – click to enlarge.
The sweet potato thread.
The powder seasoning.
Interesting.
Liquid base.
These usually look gross but are very good.
The veggie packet.
Lots of these little bean-like bits.
Finished. The noodles soaked up most of the liquid and really I must say there is a huge amount of them. The noodles are a little hard to eat; maybe using scissors to cut them before the meal would be helpful as in the way naengmyon is served in Korea. The noodles are thin and don’t separate very well. They aren’t slimy but have a gelatinous texture. They are easily broken by pursing the lips. The broth (what was left after the engorging by the noodles) was interesting,. First, very spicy and has a black pepper taste. Also has an almost vinegary acidity that almost acts like a component of the spiciness. The veggies are disappointing as they don’t really re-hydrate as one would expect. I must say this is a lot better than I expected, but I still definitely cannot eat the the whole thing by any stretch of the imagination. It’s very salty and very heavy. I would say that one of these packs could easily feed two people – kind of has that ‘stick to your ribsy’ kind of way to it like rice and beans in its fillingness. So far, probably the best Baijia I’ve had. 2.75 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 6926410321396 – get it here.
Here’s the second of the two packs sent to me by Chris H. of Westport, CT – thanks again! So this is the other extremely popular variety out of Korea, Samyang’s Nagasaki Jjampong. I read that ‘white broth’ instant noodles are all the rage there – none are for sale in the Asian grocery stores I frequent and the ones Chris sent are from Korea. Anyways, let’s give it a try!
Here’s the back of the package. I decided that adding 550mL water and cooking for three minutes would do the trick.
The noodle block in this one’s round.
Powder seasoning packet.
Amazing – it smells and tastes like Jalapeno Cheese Cheetos! It’s pretty tasty!
The veggie packet.
I smell fish and see some seaweed. Curious as to how this will come out.
Finished. First, the noodles. Wide and chewy – like an instant udon. The broth is spicy and has a nice heartiness to it. The little veggies are good too – not exactly sure of everything in the packet but it has a meat-like texture; maybe fish? Not sure. All in all, this is excellent. 4.75 out of 5.0 stars! UPC number 8801073110472 – get it here.
So for the 400th revaiew, I went with one I’ve thought should be interesting – seafood curry. These are Cup Noodles that are not for sale usually in the United States. I’ve found two – Crab Flavour and Seafood Flavour, but this Curry Seafood Flavour came from Canada.
I think the packaging on these reflect a little more pride in the product as well as quality. For example, a Shrimp Flavor Cup Noodles for the US doesn’t have such ornate images or shiny gold on them. Of course, what matters is what’s inside.
Look at that – a ton of stuff is in this one! Usually the ones sold in the US have an eighth as much stuff. Was nice – an immediate curry odor filled the nostrils as only Japanese curry can.
Nothing added. The noodles steeped perfectly. The vegetables and little bits of dehydrated fish came out just perfect, and the broth was very curry. My only complaint was that the curry flavor overwhelmed the seafood taste so that there was really none at the end of the day. I really liked this one though. 4.25 out of 5.0 stars.
Ah the fruits of the sea! I wonder if it’ll be a fishy spicy thing going on? I sure hope so…
One packet – I bet its full of angry red flavoring inside!
Yeah, that looks angry alright! The veggies were underneath the noodle block and there was dehydrated fish in there too!
Looks angry! Reddish broth and noodles and lots of seaweed and bit of re hydrated fish… Smells fishy. First bite contained an almost broccoli tone. That lent itself to deep seaweed flavors. Noodles are good. Wow this is pretty spicy… The fish is interesting but it has no chewiness or flavor – everything is overwhelmed in the end by the spiciness. Then the seaweed comes back… Weird stuff… Much like a hot and spicy Neoguri… Found a chewy bit – clam or mussel perhaps. Interesting combination of flavors here and some odd textures. Kind of interesting. I’m going to give it 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. Get it here.
Compare to Nissin’s Seafood cup – look at all that stuff!
Ladies and gentlemen, the enormous Ramen Box has been opened and we begin. This one comes from Korea.
A single packet of powdered soup base.
Holy cow look at this one! There’s the big pile of seasoning powder in the middle, but look at all this other stuff! Wow, I’m thoroughly impressed – I wasn’t expecting to see this much stuff going on here. Neat little naruto slices, sliced fish stuff, and fried somethings. I would love to know what all these things are! Lots of veggies too – carrot and onion and more.
Bamm finished product. Mmm… The noodles are nice – chewy and thick… Was nice to find a lot of pieces of fish and veggies with every bite! This is a rarity in the instant noodle world I assure you. The broth had a very nice seafood taste and was very nice. I really was impressed with this one and give it 4.5 out of 5.0 stars! Get it here.
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THE RAMEN RATER 