Bibim Ramen Reigns Supreme in the Scorching Summer (2)
“Baby, are you really saying we can eat ramen cold?”
“Yes. The ramen we're developing this time is meant to be eaten cold.”
The reason for cooling the noodles with cold water was simple. If you boiled them in hot water and immediately mixed them with the bibim sauce, the noodles would lose their chew and elasticity.
Bibim ramen noodles have a rather unique texture. They're typically medium-thick, but bibim ramen noodles need to be slightly thinner and smoother. That way, when rinsed with cold water, they retain their springy chew and firmness.
“I... I see. That makes sense...”
Dr. Lee seemed to visualize the noodle texture in his mind for a moment before nodding. “Fascinating. I had no idea just eating them cold would change the flavor and mouthfeel so dramatically. The moment you bite in, the sauce clings perfectly to the noodles, exploding with that spicy-sweet taste all at once. Hmm? Then the soup base can't be powder—it has to be liquid, right?”
“Exactly. This ramen's soup base is liquid.”
“Ooh!”
As everyone knew, bibim ramen noodles were thin and smooth. If it were powder, the base wouldn't mix evenly with the noodles, leading to uneven flavor or a dry sensation.
“The sequence is to pour the soup base after cooling the noodles, so it inevitably has to be developed as a liquid.”
Mixing powder with cold noodles wouldn't fully dissolve it like with hot ones, and it wouldn't adhere evenly to the surface. That would limit uniform flavor delivery and aroma release. The taste wouldn't permeate the entire noodle evenly—some parts would stay dry, and the consistency of texture and flavor when chewing would suffer.
Honestly, the trickiest part of bibim ramen was harmonizing the noodles with the liquid sauce. A similar example was traditional bibim guksu noodles.
'I visited so many bibim guksu places while developing bibim sauce.'
Back in my ramen researcher days, I'd toured dozens of restaurants trying to create a unique bibim sauce, but nothing topped Paldong's. That's how big a shock Paldong Bibim Ramen delivered to the industry.
Eating ramen cold. Unthinkable in my past life? No—in the 1980s, it was beyond imagination. People believed you needed hot broth for real ramen flavor. I was about to shatter that common sense first.
“From today, our new product concept is bibim ramen—limited to hot summer sales!”
“Aaaahhh!”
A large fan whirred powerfully in the spacious room. I planted myself in front of it and gaped my mouth wide open.
“B-Baby...”
The nanny seemed at a loss for words at my bizarre antics. Come on. Everyone knows you get the coolest breeze with your mouth wide open in front of a fan?
Speaking of which, a letter had arrived from Japan's Ando Momofuku. Written in neat Japanese, it was filled with updates on his well-being.
“Heh...”
“Baby, what does it say?”
When the nanny asked curiously, I translated it on the spot. My Japanese was fluent enough to rival a native speaker. Anyone peeking might mistake it for a love letter, but the content focused less on personal greetings and more on detailed updates from Nissin Foods.
To my young friend in Korea,
I hope this finds you well. Nissin has successfully entered the American market. Non-fried noodle production is now stable, thanks to the insights you shared. A revolution in ramen technology—oil-free yet full of texture and shelf life. Truly groundbreaking.
Looking forward to your next innovation.
— Ando Momofuku
'They've broken into the US already.' In short, Ando had secured non-fried noodle tech faster than I'd anticipated. A first for Japan, perhaps. Of course, I'd beaten him to it.
In an era where fried noodles were the norm, achieving texture and preservation without oil was akin to a great invention. A complete shift in thinking no one had considered. My mind raced through the processes: how to lock in noodle moisture, maintain structure during drying.
I smirked, clutching the letter. The father of ramen lived up to his name.
'This advances Nissin's tech beyond the original history.'
My existence was accelerating timelines for other food companies.
'It's mid-August 1983 now. Paldong Bibim Ramen launches around June 1984—a year from now. Nongwon's spicy new one in October 1986.'
If ramen history was changing, even the timelines I knew might shift. New ramens could launch earlier than expected.
I chuckled. Life just got interesting. This was the thrill I craved. If it had been easy mode until now, it had jumped straight to very hard.
Not that difficulty scared me off.
'First priority...' Developing bibim ramen noodles and liquid sauce.
Bibim ramen was boiled then shock-cooled in ice water. The surface temperature plummeted, forming a moisture film. For springier, firmer noodles, I needed the base design for the liquid sauce that would coat them.
Liquid sauce basics: a three-layer structure. First, the aqueous phase—sugar, vinegar, salt, soy sauce. Forms base flavor and viscosity. Second, oil phase—chili oil, fragrance oil, sesame oil. Delivers aroma and coating. Third, solid pulp—gochujang, pear or apple puree. Adds depth and body.
Stabilizing those three in emulsion was the key tech for this sauce.
“Hmm...”
Absorbed in research, I didn't notice the nanny slip out and return with a cool glass of cocoa.
“Baby, drink this first.”
“Hehe, thanks.”
The cocoa cleared my head. Sweets really get the brain firing. Time to head to Hwanggeum Noodle Factory and consult Kim Bokhyeon, the noodle master.
Seo Jieun stood before the massive building.
[Daehan Yakult]
“Welcome. You're Seo Jieun, team leader from Nongwon, right?”
“Yes, Seo Jieun from Nongwon.”
“Ah! Our director is waiting. Please, come in.”
The guard bowed politely and opened the door. She returned a light greeting and followed the guide inside.
“Well, if it isn't Seo Jieun.”
“Long time no see.”
“Yeah. You come back to Korea and don't even call me first? I'm hurt.”
“Sorry. Been busy.”
“Fair enough. Word is Hansung gave you a real beating?”
“!”
The suited man before her was Yoon Hak-su, Daehan Yakult's chairman's second son and head of new business.
“Let's head to my office first.”
“...”
Their connection dated back to high school. Seo Jieun had been a top student, one of the most popular girls. Yoon Hak-su's grades were decent but no match for hers; his natural charisma made him the center of any group. And the one girl he'd truly liked? Nongwon's Seo Jieun.
“Sit. Coffee? Juice? Ah, pick between orange or apple?”
“No, just ice water, please.”
“Got it!”
Yoon Hak-su buzzed the intercom for his secretary.
“You called?”
“Two glasses of ice water, please.”
“Yes, Director.”
Soon, the secretary placed chilled glasses before them. Seo Jieun lifted hers and took a slow sip.
“Curious why I called you here?”
He leaned back on the sofa with a knowing smile.
“I've taken over a new division this year. Guess what it is?”
“?”
“Ramen. The main product your Nongwon handles.”
“...What?”
The domestic ramen market was a three-way split: Hansung, Nongwon, and Sanmi. Now Daehan Yakult was entering the fray.
Seo Jieun steadied her trembling hands and listened intently.
“We've debated entering ramen for ages. It boils down to one thing: does it make money?”
“You're really entering ramen?”
“Yeah. We've been developing something unique. Wanna guess?”
Yoon Hak-su leaned in with a probing grin.
“Cold ramen.”
“...Cold ramen?”
“Yep. Hansung, Nongwon, Sanmi—the big ramen cartel has always centered on hot broth. Ours is the total opposite.”
“How? The noodles won't cook properly.”
“Normally, yeah. But we're changing the cooking method itself.”
“Why tell me this top secret?”
“To show you.”
“What?”
He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit up. Inhaling deeply, he exhaled with a puff. Seo Jieun wrinkled her nose at the acrid smoke but composed herself. This could upend the industry.
“Curious?”
“...”
“Jieun.”
“Yeah?”
“You know I still like you, right?”
“...!”
“Back in high school, you were always one step ahead. Got compared to you a lot. But I liked that about you. Then the girl I finally fell for leaves for America. That's when it hit me—I'd use everything I had to hold onto you.”
“You...!”
“I'll show you. Me crushing Hansung—the one that tormented you—with my own hands.”
“What did you say?”
Seo Jieun shot to her feet in shock. Hansung was no pushover. Yoon Hak-su, clueless, was throwing down the gauntlet against the unknown monster lurking there.
“Hansung's no joke. There's...”
“It's just a company run by people. Besides, we have a secret weapon no one knows. It'll steal most of Hansung's market share.”
Daehan Yakult's cold ramen could indeed shake things up. But despite herself, a bad premonition crept into Seo Jieun's chest.
'Would Hansung really overlook cold ramen?'
She shook her head. Hansung had an incomprehensible existence propping it up. One he knew nothing about.