Ramen: The Secret Behind Becoming Koreans' New 'Rice Power'

This is the story of how a humble block of instant noodles became a new cultural ‘staple’ for a generation.

• How instant ramen was invented and introduced to Korea
• How Chapagetti and Chapaguri evolved from simple foods into cultural phenomena
• What ramen means in modern Korean life and culture

1. The Birth of a New Staple: Hunger, Innovation, and Cup Noodles

This chapter traces ramen’s journey from a revolutionary Japanese invention to a unique Korean cultural staple served in iconic bowls. To understand Korean ramen history, we must start at the beginning.

The Father of Instant Ramen: A Vision Born from Despair

The story begins with Taiwanese-Japanese entrepreneur Momofuku Ando (安藤百福). Witnessing Japan’s post-WWII food shortages, he was inspired to create noodles that could be stored long-term and cooked easily.

After a year of solitary research in a backyard shed, inspired by his wife frying food, he invented the “flash-frying drying method.” This technique creates tiny holes in the fried noodles, allowing hot water to quickly penetrate. It led to the world’s first instant ramen, “Chicken Ramen,” in 1958. His philosophy, “Peace comes when people have enough to eat,” reflected a spirit of service to humanity beyond mere commerce.

The ‘Cup’ That Conquered the World

Ando’s second genius idea came during a 1966 business trip to the U.S., where he saw locals break Chicken Ramen into paper cups, pour hot water, and eat with forks. He realized ramen had to overcome cultural barriers of bowls and chopsticks to go global.

This led to the 1971 launch of “Cup Noodles,” a packaging innovation that served as both cooking vessel and dish. Initially slow to catch on, it skyrocketed in popularity after the 1972 live broadcast of the “Asama Mountain Lodge Incident,” where rescue officers eating Cup Noodles in freezing conditions cemented its image as a perfect meal for any situation.

The Start of Korean Ramen and the Birth of ‘Bowl Noodles’

Transferring ramen technology to Korea was challenging. After Samyang Foods was refused technology transfer by Nissin, they turned to competitor Myojo Foods, who, understanding Korea’s post-war hardships, provided the technology free of charge, laying the foundation for Korea’s ramen industry.

The 1980s became the golden era of Korean ramen, fueled by economic growth and the Olympics. While Japan had “Cup Noodles,” Korea had Nongshim’s 1982 launch of “Yukgaejang Bowl Noodles.” Choosing a wide ‘bowl’ shape instead of a narrow cup reflected Korea’s culture of sipping broth along with noodles. This was an excellent example of **‘glocalization’—adapting products to local culture—**making it feel like “our own” food from the start. Yukgaejang Bowl Noodles became the nation’s favorite cup ramen and a representative convenience food.

2. The Black Noodle War: The Battle for Jjajang Ramen Dominance

This chapter explores how ramen companies challenged one of Koreans’ most beloved dishes, jjajangmyeon, creating a new market and a cultural ritual defining a generation.

Instant Revolution: Nongshim’s Chapagetti

Early instant jjajangmyeon in the 1970s was criticized for lacking authentic flavor. Then in 1984, Nongshim launched Chapagetti, completely changing the market. Its success boiled down to three factors:

1. Name: A clever blend of ‘jjajangmyeon’ and ‘spaghetti’ that sparked children’s curiosity.
2. Soup: Inspired by instant coffee, the fine granular soup mixed easily and evenly with noodles.
3. Taste: Instead of mimicking Chinese restaurant jjajangmyeon, it created a unique and addictive ‘Chapagetti flavor’ of its own.

Powder vs. Liquid: Jjajjaroni’s Counterattack

In 1985, Samyang launched Jjajjaroni, a fusion of ‘jjajangmyeon’ and ‘macaroni,’ striking back. Its key difference was the liquid soup. Samyang claimed liquid soup better captured the authentic roasted black bean paste flavor, spawning two major camps in instant jjajangmyeon: powder vs. liquid.

“Sunday, I’m the Chapagetti Chef!”

Chapagetti’s status was cemented by one of Korea’s most iconic ad campaigns. The slogan “Sunday, I’m the Chapagetti Chef!” transformed cooking ramen into a family weekend ritual, making Chapagetti a cultural icon of leisure.

3. The Modisumer Republic: Consumer-Led Ramen Recipes

This chapter covers the modern ramen era where consumers took the lead, driving unprecedented creativity and competition that companies followed.

2015 Premium Jjajang Ramen War

In 2015, Nongshim challenged its own dominance by launching the premium Jjawang. With thick udon-like noodles and rich flavor aiming to match Chinese restaurant jjajangmyeon quality, Jjawang caused a market storm.

This sparked the ‘premium jjajang ramen war.’ Ottogi introduced Jinjja Jang with a smoky “fire flavor,” and Paldo launched Paldo Jjajangmyeon featuring Chef Lee Yeon-bok, turning the market into a battleground of taste and technology.

Comparison of Three Premium Jjajang Ramens

The Rise of ‘Modisumers’ and the Chapaguri Phenomenon

The true revolution began with consumers. The portmanteau ‘Modisumer’ (Modify + Consumer) refers to consumers creating their own recipes. The ultimate example is Chapaguri.

This recipe mixing Chapagetti and Neoguri started online and became a nationwide phenomenon through variety shows. In 2019, it appeared in Bong Joon-ho’s film “Parasite” alongside premium Korean beef ribeye, symbolizing a clash between humble food and wealth, gaining global attention as a powerful symbol of class disparity.

The Modisumer trend sparked flavor innovations like spicy-sweet, rose, and mala. Now companies release products following consumer creativity. The modern ramen market’s innovation is democratized, and ‘Modisumers’ have become the industry’s massive R&D department. What’s your special ramen combination?

4. Cup Noodles Become a Modern Life Essential

The final chapter explores how cup noodles permeated every aspect of modern Korean life, from late-night gaming to space travel.

The Science of 3 Minutes: Technology Hidden in a Cup

Cup noodles’ convenience is a marvel of food engineering.

• Floating noodles: The “mid-air placement” technique suspends the noodle block in the container’s middle, allowing hot water and steam to circulate evenly and cook the noodles uniformly.
• Smart containers: Environmentally friendly paper cups, microwave-safe containers, and even patented lid clips have been developed.

The Nation’s Fuel: Ramen in Daily Life

Ramen is inseparable from modern Korean life. It’s essential food for gamers in PC rooms, the best convenience meal for single-person households, and a “recession food” whose sales spike during economic downturns, serving as an economic barometer.

The Final Frontier: Space Ramen

The ultimate proof of ramen’s adaptability is space ramen developed for astronauts. It must cook at a low water temperature of 70°C and have thickened broth to prevent floating droplets in zero gravity, overcoming extreme conditions.

Ramen’s history is a continuous series of ingenious solutions to evolving human needs—from solving food shortages to overcoming cultural barriers, environmental challenges, and zero gravity. It shows ramen is more than food; it is a technology platform embodying human creativity and adaptability.

Conclusion: What Is Your ‘Rice Power’?

Ramen is no longer just instant food. As explored here, ramen tells the story of modern Korea.

Three key points:

1. Icon of Innovation: Ramen began as a technological invention to solve post-war food shortages and transcended cultural barriers with cup and bowl noodles.
2. Cultural Canvas: Chapagetti became a weekend ritual, and Chapaguri was reborn as a global class symbol through consumer creativity and film.
3. Modern Companion: From PC rooms and single households to space, ramen perfectly adapts to busy, dynamic modern life.

From a simple meal in a PC room to Chapaguri in the film “Parasite,” ramen has become the dynamic, endlessly innovating spirit of modern Korea—its new ‘rice power.’