48-Pack: Koyo Ramen Noodles
- Less sodium than most instant ramen, plus they’re vegan, organic, and preservative-free
- You can get 48 of the tofu miso
- You can also go splitsies: 24 of the tofu miso and 24 of the buckwheat shoyu
- Finally, you can get the ultimate variety pack: 24 tofu miso, 12 buckwheat shoyu, and 12 shiitake mushroom
- Favorite Cohen brothers movie: No Country for Old Ra-Men
Don't Get Salty About It
Once, when we sold an entirely different brand of ramen, someone commented:
No Ingredient list that I could find. That is always important, especially the sodium content.
To which someone else replied:
You’re looking at instant ramen. Just assume that sodium=very yes
And they’re right. You should just assume there’s a stupid amount of sodium in all instant ramen. That is, except this instant ramen we’re selling today.
You see, this stuff offers you the satisfaction of instant ramen without all that sodium. It’s also organic, vegan, and preservative-free. Thus, it’s an easy-to-make meal that’s also pretty healthy. (Something, we might add, that you could probably use this time of year: dinners that don’t take long to make and aren’t loaded with fat and all sorts of other bullshit on those rare nights between holiday potlucks and company Christmas parties and whatnot.)
Sounds great, right? Sure. But the question is: does it actually taste great?
That’s what it always comes down to with these kinds of food products. Keto fried chicken, jackfruit pulled pork, cauliflower pizza crust–they’re all great in theory, but if they don’t satisfy your craving, what does it really matter that they minimize the assault on your bodily health?
So, we went digging on Amazon and found a few reviews that seem to answer this crucial question.
Here’s one for the tofu miso flavor from clam:
Sure, it’s not as much of a flavor bomb as more junky ramen. But when you’re a stem major with adhd (hello) eating instant noodles almost every day, it’s nice to 1) not fry my taste buds and 2) not die of sodium poisoning. Even though the taste is milder, it’s still good, and the noodle texture is great. As far as ‘healthy’ ramen goes this is my favorite.
That’s one vote for: not as flavorful as traditional instant ramen but still satisfying.
Kwan Lowe, meanwhile, offers these thoughts concerning the shiitake mushroom flavor:
Like any packet ramen, the trick is in the preparation. Just by itself it’s fine. Taste is decent if not particularly complex. But add a boiled egg, some dried mushrooms, scallions and other odds and ends and it’s quite tasty and IMHO at least as good as the corner restaurant’s ramen meal. This extra preparation may seem to defeat the purpose of a package ramen, but believe me it’s worth it.
That’s one vote for: not as flavorful as traditional instant ramen but easy to zhuzh up.
Kat T adds their insight via a review of the buckwheat shoyu flavor:
I used these to make my home made ramen. They work great! Didn’t use the seasoning packets, so can’t comment on their taste or authenticity.
That’s one vote for: who cares; toss the packets and just use the noodles. (And given the price we’re offering a 48-pack of these things that usually sell for over double the price, that’s not a terrible idea!)
In conclusion: if low-sodium ramen sounds too good to be true, that’s because it sort of is. As in, it might not taste quite as delicious as the nuclear umami bomb that is traditional instant ramen with its ridiculous amount of sodium. But, also, it won’t make you feel as icky, either. And if you really need the extra spice, just add some seasoning yourself.
Now please, buy it.
