The Birth of Haeguri
The name of the ramen I was creating—the youngest daughter of Nongwon be damned—was Haeguri. A name that naturally blended the flavors of sea and land. An ambitious project to perfect a deep, rich broth.
"Haeguri, huh? Baby miss, that has a nice ring to it."
"Right? Above all, Haeguri's goal is to pair perfectly with Hansung Jjapaghetti."
If history unfolded as it should, Haeguri would probably skyrocket to fame thanks to some movie in the future. Even so, it was undeniably a highly appealing product. In time, Haeguri would be exported to over eighty countries, selling a staggering four billion units over thirty years.
I scanned the spread-out ingredients in the lab with Dr. Lee. Kelp, anchovies, shrimp, and squid for the seafood extract base; onions, garlic, and green onions for the vegetable foundation. Seasonings centered on salt, sugar, and soy powder, with chili powder essential for the spice.
"Haeguri's flavor comes down to one thing above all: kelp."
"Kelp..."
Dr. Lee jotted it down meticulously in his notebook with his pencil.
"It's not just for aroma. Kelp has to be the root that carries the broth from start to finish."
"Uh... Baby miss, won't that make the production cost sky-high?"
"With seafood in the mix, even accounting for that, we'd probably need to price it about fifty won higher, right?"
Back then, bagged ramen typically went for around 150 won, so that was quite pricey. And yet, Haeguri flew off the shelves from launch. It settled into the market faster than expected and became a hit within a few years.
The domestic ramen market was already fiercely competitive, but Haeguri carved out its niche perfectly. The deep umami of the kelp broth held the center firm, layered with the aromas of shrimp and anchovies, creating a depth unlike any existing product.
Once the soup mix was complete, Dr. Lee and I made a prototype and tasted the broth.
"Oh!"
"Spicy and refreshing, right?"
"Whoa, baby miss! This flavor's perfect for pounding drinks at a dinner party and then having it as hangover soup the next morning. Heh heh hew~"
It cleared the gut while leaving a clean aftertaste. At first, the kelp's deep umami enveloped the tongue, followed by the sweet shrimp scent and anchovy savoriness. Finally, the chili's sharp heat slid down the throat, tying it all up neatly.
Yeah. That was the flavor that had won Haeguri so much love from people.
"By the way, baby miss."
"Yes?"
"I heard a rumor somewhere. They say Nongwon's pulling in some super famous actor for a big ad campaign."
"Nongwon doing ads?"
This was news to me. At this point, Nongwon should have been aggressively pushing their Chilgyejang Bowl Ramen—that bullfrog of a product.
Once Chilgyejang hit the scene, the era of big cup ramen would dawn.
"What was it... 'Tadomen' or something?"
"Tadomen?"
This was a new ramen name that hadn't existed in my previous life. A drop of cold sweat trickled down my spine, and I felt an inexplicable wave of guilt.
Dr. Lee nodded. "Yeah. Word is, they're launching a ramen over 20,000 Scoville with a big ad push. Like, 'if you can handle this, give it a try' vibe."
"?"
20,000 Scoville? That wasn't food for humans. Eating raw cheongyang peppers raw numbs your mouth and pickles your tongue tip—and that's just 10,000 Scoville. 20,000?
I gaped in disbelief, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. Dr. Lee scratched his chin awkwardly.
"Our economy's booming these days, right? Young folks are all about challenges and pushing limits. Guess that's what Nongwon's aiming for."
"Foolish."
"Pardon? What do you mean, baby miss?"
"There are many kinds of spiciness. But pain-for-pain's sake? That'll never succeed. Nongwon doesn't understand spice at all."
Really, for a monster like 20,000 Scoville to succeed, it needed a compelling story. And an addictive taste to match.
"Whatever the competition does, we stick to what we do best. No need to worry about Nongwon."
Still, I had a feeling something exciting was brewing at Nongwon.
＊ Nongwon headquarters.
Division head Jang Se-hoon sat gingerly on the cushioned chair, his face twisted in a scowl. That pivotal day for him had also been the one where he'd rushed to the bathroom over thirty times.
"Urgh!"
The executives who had showered him with scorn as he stank up the whole company...
Just thinking about it made his stomach churn.
"Division head, may I come in?"
He looked up at the young woman's voice. It felt unexpectedly familiar.
Moments later, she knocked lightly and entered.
"You...?"
Jang Se-hoon immediately recognized her as the chairman of Nongwon's youngest daughter.
"Well, if it isn't our Jieun! Hahaha! When did you get back?"
"Last week. How have you been, Uncle?"
"Heh heh heh, doing great. But what's brought you here? Shouldn't you be out enjoying yourself after returning?"
"I'm not a kid anymore, Uncle. Dad said to get some experience, so here I am at the company."
"Really? You should've told me sooner."
"You're always so busy—how could I just call out of the blue?"
"Fair point."
Surprisingly, Division head Jang Se-hoon was the chairman's brother-in-law. That's how he'd held onto his position despite repeated failures.
The woman he welcomed so warmly was Seo Jieun, the chairman's youngest daughter—a royal family member fresh from studying abroad in the US and newly joined at Nongwon.
"Come, sit here. Coffee? Or orange juice?"
"Juice, please. Your office hasn't changed a bit, Uncle—same as always."
"Heh heh, people who change too much die young. To live long, stay the same."
"You might get kicked out of the family that way."
Jang Se-hoon burst into laughter at her teasing jab.
"Hahaha! Then maybe I should change a little, like you say?"
The two chatted amiably, catching up after so long. That's when news of Hansung Food reached Seo Jieun's ears.
"Hansung Food stole the black bean ramen we were developing?"
"Yeah. You know how much effort I poured into that black bean ramen. But somehow, those bastards snatched it right out from under me."
"That's weird. You had tight internal security, didn't you?"
"Exactly why I'm going crazy. Feels like an inside job, but I can't find the rat anywhere..."
"Hmm."
Seo Jieun pondered. Nongwon's planned black bean ramen had been under ironclad secrecy—no way outsiders could know. For it to leak to rivals like Hansung Food...
"Uncle."
"Yeah?"
She frowned as she spoke. "That black bean ramen from Hansung. We can buy it on the market, right?"
＊ Late evening. Back at the mansion, Seo Jieun closely examined the Hansung Jjapaghetti she'd bought from a nearby neighborhood supermarket.
This must be the ramen from Hansung Food.
The packaging was luxurious from the start. A glossy black background on the front with the silver-embossed "Hansung Jjapaghetti" lettering standing out. The side listed key features, ingredients, and cooking instructions. The back featured a large image emphasizing the richer ramen flavor.
She gently stroked the wrapper with her fingertips.
Impressive. This packaging practically begs you to buy it. Who came up with this?
Of course, the taste had to deliver too. She immediately set to cooking.
She poured water into a pot, added the noodles, and as it bubbled, a savory aroma tickled her nose.
"Wow..."
It was the competitor's product, but admiration escaped her first. Lifting a strand with chopsticks revealed the noodles' springy texture and vivid color.
Far firmer and smoother than any she'd seen from other companies.
Come to think of it...
The black bag had shaken a lot inside. The issue was that the noodles hadn't crumbled despite all that shaking. Ramen from Samyang or Nongwon always shed crumbs when jostled roughly.
Thick noodles with great stability. Shaped to absorb the soup well?
As the noodles softened, she drained some water, sprinkled the powder soup evenly, and mixed in the oil-based olive seasoning.
It transformed into what looked like real black bean noodles from a Chinese restaurant.
"N-No way!"
She clutched her face in shock. An irresistibly appetizing black bean ramen sat before her.
Nongwon had failed repeatedly with theirs and worked on improvements. But this Hansung Jjapaghetti looked far more premium and mouthwatering than anything from Nongwon.
Slurp!
"...!"
Who? Who developed such a multifaceted black bean ramen? Did Hansung Food have talent like this? No—if they did, they wouldn't have bothered importing Japanese ramen.
So who the hell made this?
Then she recalled what her uncle had mentioned. The hushed rumor in the food industry: that Hansung Jjapaghetti was developed by none other than Hansung Food's Dr. Lee Jeonghun.
No, not him.
Dr. Lee Jeonghun was a renowned domestic engineer. Not a ramen developer.
Staring at the tempting Hansung Jjapaghetti, Seo Jieun muttered.
"Who on earth made you?"