Why Is Buldak So Popular? The Noodle That Saved a Dying Company

Why is Buldak so popular? It's so spicy that Denmark pulled it off the shelves, and yet people all over the world keep crying their way through it. The real Buldak history is even stranger: the company behind it, Samyang, made Korea's very first instant ramen and was nearly wiped out by a single rumor. In 1963, Samyang sold Korea's first instant ramen for ten won a bowl. In 1989, an anonymous letter claimed it was frying noodles in "industrial" beef fat, and even though the courts cleared the company eight years later, it never got its lead back. In 2012, a new noodle so spicy that even its creator could barely eat it went on sale, and almost nobody wanted it. Then two British guys on YouTube turned it into a challenge, fans started fixing the heat with cheese, eggs and milk, and Carbonara Buldak took over TikTok. Now nine out of ten packs are sold outside Korea, and the beef fat that nearly ruined Samyang is back in a new ramen. So, what's your own Buldak recipe? Tell us in the comments. 00:00 Denmark bans a Korean noodle 00:52 A company born from hunger (1963–1997) 02:23 Spring 2010: a line for pain 03:23 Making it hurt on purpose 04:08 Launch, then silence 04:41 The video from London 05:46 Fans fix the flavor 08:28 Buldak today 09:07 The beef fat comes back Sources include: Samyang Foods business reports (2014–2021) and press releases (2026); Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen) recall notice (June 2024); Euromonitor as reported in Korean media (2023); LA Times, "How some very spicy noodles saved the company that pioneered Korean ramen" (2024); Bloomberg (2024–2025); The Korea Herald (2018–2025); Korea JoongAng Daily (2016–2026); The Korea Times (2019–2026); KED Global (2024); BBC, AP, NBC News, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, The Times (2024); Business Insider; BuzzFeed (2016); Know Your Meme; Newsis (2020–2026); Seoul Shinmun (2026); Seoul Economic Daily (2005, 2025); Media Today (2025); Ilyosisa (2026); Dealsite (2026); Money Today (2020–2026); Herald Economy (2024–2026); Segye Ilbo (2012–2025); Asia Business Daily (2015–2024); News Tomato; The Fact; Hankyung Business; Korea Economic Daily (2024–2026); Dailian; Ajou Business Daily and New Daily (2013); Maeil Business (2026); Kyunghyang Shinmun (2025–2026); SBS Biz (2024–2025); Financial News (2019, 2026); Chosun Biz (2017); Republika (2017, halal certification); Hanwha Investment & Securities report; Google Trends. Stock prices from KRX. Video clips used for commentary and criticism (original audio removed): News & documentary: Yonhap News TV    • [기업비사] 42회 : 삼양식품, 국내 1호 '라면' 바다를 건너다  ; KBS News    • ​덴마크, 한 달 만에 불닭볶음면 2종 리콜 해제 / KBS 2024.07.17.  ,    • ‘짝퉁’ 불닭·다시다…중국 법원도 등 돌렸다 [오늘 이슈] / KBS 202...  ,    • “그때 그 맛 돌아왔다”…‘추억의 맛’ 재출시 바람 [9시 뉴스] / KBS...  ; SBS News    • "매운 거 먹고 싶은데 왜!"…불닭볶음면 빼자 덴마크 '분노' (자막뉴스) ...  ; SBS STORY    • “소스 개발은 딸 덕분!” 김정수 부회장이 말하는 K-매운 라면 소스의 탄생...  ; SUBUSUNEWS    • 컵라면이 만들어지는 과정 (feat. 불닭 라면)  ; VIDEOMUG    • 1년치 불닭면 들고 갔다…알파세대 최애 브랜드로 돌아온 사연 / 비디오머그  ; MBC News    • 삼양식품 밀양2공장 준공‥지역경제 활력 (2025.06.11/뉴스데스크/MB...  ,    • [비즈&플러스] '삼양 1963' 부활‥기업들 '젠슨황 마케팅'에 사활 (2...  ; JTBC News    • "급성 중독 위험, 폐기!"…덴마크 '불닭볶음면' 리콜｜지금 이 뉴스  ,    • 36년 만에 '우지' 꺼낸 삼양식품, 불닭 신드롬 이어 갈까?｜지금 이 장면  ; YTN    • [자막뉴스] 라면 폐기·직원 대량 이직...설움 극복하고 명예회복 시동 / YTN  ,    • "틱톡커, 응급실까지"...'불닭볶음면' 보도한 외신 [지금이뉴스] / YTN  ,    • '손에 넣기를, 행운을 빕니다'...외신도 놀란 'K라면' 돌풍 [지금이뉴스...  ,    • 기록 갈아치우는 '면비디아'…세계도 증시도 호령하는 불닭 [지금이뉴스] / YTN  ; Channel A News    • 덴마크에 돌아온 “매운맛의 자유”…‘불닭’ 리콜 해제 파티 | 뉴스A  ,    • 불닭 만든 삼양 며느리…회장 자리 오른다 [자막뉴스] / 채널A  ,    • 삼양식품, 36년 만에 '우지라면' 재출시 승부수 [자막뉴스] / 채널A  ; TV Chosun    • [사건파일24] "시아버지 한 풀어드렸어요"···며느리가 '우지라면' 재출시  ; MBN News    • [신성장] '브랜드 K'로 전 세계 강타한 푸드·뷰티 [MBN 뉴스센터]  ; MTN    • 삼양의 최대 위기를 불렀던 '우지라면', 다시 꺼내든 이유 [MTN 기획특집...  ; KNN News    • 마트서 불닭볶음면 대량구매 알고 보니 외국인들…무슨 일 / KNN  ; Maeil Ilbo TV    • [매일TV] '불닭 열풍' 삼양식품, 중국에 첫 해외 공장 설립  ; Newsway    • "이게 팔리겠어?" 내부 반대 뚫고 2조 매출 찍어버린 불닭볶음면 탄생 비화...  ; tvN D ENT    • [#유퀴즈온더블럭] 전 세계를 사로잡은 매운맛😋 매운볶음면 개발자에게 직접 ...  ; TomoNews Korea    • 인도네시아서 할랄푸드 인증받은 한국의 삼양라면, 이제 무슬림이라도 걱정없어  ; Korea Business News    • The creation of 'Korean fire noodle' BULDAK  ; BBC News    • Denmark recalls Korean ramen for being too...  ; Associated Press    • Denmark recalls some Buldak spicy noodles ...  ; AP Archive    • Reaction in Copenhagen as spicy South Kore...  ; Guardian Australia    • Too hot for Denmark: taste testing spicy r...  . Creators & companies: Korean Englishman "FIRE NOODLE CHALLENGE!!" (2014)    • 런던의 불닭볶음면 도전!!  //  FIRE NOODLE CHALLENGE!!  ; Simon (이촌동 백수)    • 미국 코스트코에서 쇼핑 | 신라면, 불닭볶음면 가격 #k푸드  ; SK PACK    • 53 불닭소스 생산 라인 200g X 80BPM (Spicy Buldak S...  ; Samyang Foods    • [삼양1963] 무죄 판결 받은 라면이 돌아옵니다.  ; Buldak Official    • [Full] Samyang meets ‘Carbonara Buldak Gir...  . Shorts & TikTok: Cardi B (@iamcardib) tiktok.com/@iamcardib/video/7348637533175057710; Hailey Kim (@haileyateit)    • The Best Ramen Combo Only Koreans Know #as...  ,    • The Best Creamy Mayo Ramen Recipe #asmrfoo...  , tiktok.com/@haileyateit/video/7561523624037944606, tiktok.com/@haileyateit/video/7575570463733157151; COOKJA (@thecookja) tiktok.com/@thecookja/video/7660150882704575757; Oree Mart (@oreemart) tiktok.com/@oreemart/video/7695152510230727958; Ramyun ASMR    • I Had No Business Making Buldak Carbonara ...  ,    • This Is What Happens When I Make Buldak Ca...  ; Bento ASMR    • ASMR🎧Let's Make My Bento🍜🧀#asmr #lunchbox ...  ; SuperStas    • This noodle is insane 😍🔥 Save recipe✅ Buld...  ; mukguring    • What I ate for lunch in Korean convenience...  ; food_onetake    • Freshly cooked Buldak Bokkeum Myeon | 出来たて...  . Music: "Investigations" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), CC BY 4.0 Emoji: Noto Emoji by Google, Apache License 2.0 Some scenes are AI-generated illustrations, marked "AI illustration" on screen (people, places and food shown are not real). Faces of private individuals are blurred. This video is not sponsored by or affiliated with Samyang Foods. #korea #buldak #samyang