Buldak’s Spicy Ramen Is Riding TikTok Fame to the Top
The South Korean company’s ridiculously spicy instant noodles have been around for more than a decade, but the growth just keeps on coming, thanks to their repeated online fame.
Photo illustration: Ryan Haskins; Photos: Buldak (3); Getty Images (2)
A girl in San Antonio, Texas, is pulling pink tissue from a polka-dot bag when she begins to cry in disbelief. She’s just opened the thing she wants most for her seventh birthday. It’s not a Labubu or Jellycat or even a Coach bag, but a package of instant ramen—specifically, the spicy carbonara-flavored variety from South Korean brand Buldak. The noodles, with their signature bright pink packaging, cost less than $8 for a five-pack at most major US retailers, but they’re a favorite of Cardi B, GloRilla, K-pop stars Lisa and Jimin–and just about every American kid with a TikTok account. The birthday girl, Adalynn, is so overwhelmed by the gift, she can barely stand. Her cousin recorded the emotional response and posted it online; within two weeks the video had racked up almost 60 million views.