Here’s all the noteworthy noodle news for April 2025! This month we’ve got some new varieties from one of my favorite noodle companies, Marutai, plus a major product line update from Samyang, some great news about a popular Buldak flavor, and a reality check about tariffs.
Read more: Noodle News Roundup: April 2025New Products from Marutai
It’s no secret if you’ve watched my videos that Marutai is one of my favorite noodle manufacturers, or possibly even my favorite noodle manufacturer above all (depending on the day you ask me). I poke around on their website every now and then to see what’s new, and I just saw that they’ve had a few new products launch in February and March that I hadn’t noticed before. Among them are a Yoshimoto Curry Ramen, another restaurant collaboration ramen with Nagahama Ramen Riki, a limited edition Fukuoka Tsukemen, a stick version of their Hiyashi Chuka cold noodles, and a brand-new entry into their “Local Series” product line, Yokohama Iekei Tonkotsu Ramen. Every December, I celebrate this company with a marathon of videos on my channel, so I will be on the lookout to buy any and all of these for your viewing pleasure over the next 7 months!
Samyang Tangle Gets New Flavors and a Facelift
Samyang’s Tangle product line is a favorite in my household, with my wife loving the Bulgogi Alfredo flavor and the Kimchi Rosé being my preference between the two (although honestly, I think both are really good). If you’re unfamiliar, the product line is essentially a Korean/Italian fusion using premium pasta-like air-dried noodles with Italian-inspired sauces. Since it launched in 2023, there have been just the above two products making up the entire line. However, this month Samyang announced some good news about Tangle (along with some bad news if you love the Kimchi Rosé flavor like I do). Samyang has launched a new website to promote Tangle, giving us a glimpse at some new varieties coming soon along with a packaging redesign for the product line. Although no release window has been announced yet that I could find, there are three new flavors that will exist alongside the Bulgogi Alfredo flavor: Chunky Tomato, Garlic Oil, and Creamy Mushroom. Sadly, that means that Kimchi Rosé looks to be discontinued, so stock up on that flavor soon if you enjoyed it because it’s about to be gone. As always, I’ll try to grab all of these for a review as soon as I see them available. Which one are you most excited for?
Buldak Fried Chicken Flavor in English Packaging!
One of the newer Buldak flavors that’s taken the Internet by storm is what we’ve been calling their Korean Fried Chicken flavor. If you check out that review, you’ll not only see that I absolutely loved it, but also that it was a pain in the ass to find in the USA. Well, it looks like this flavor has now gone global because it’s been spotted in bowl form in English packaging at an American supermarket, H-E-B, and a few Redditors in the UK reported spotting it in English packaging as well. As you can see, the official English export name for this variety is “Sweet & Spicy Korean Chicken” rather than “Korean Fried Chicken,” but it appears to be the same great recipe I reviewed a few months back. If you’re a fan of Buldak or a fan of sweet and spicy noodles in general, you should really check this flavor out. It’s one of my personal favorites.
The Unfortunate Truth About Tariffs
If you’ve kept up with global economic news lately, you’ll know that April brought a fresh round of tariffs in the United States. And in case you hadn’t seen it yet, the aftermath of those tariffs have managed to ripple all the way into the instant noodle aisle. While you probably saw most headlines focused on electronics and vehicles, certain food products, including instant noodles and ingredients sourced from China, didn’t escape the hike. For US importers and niche retailers (mainly mom & pop Asian grocery stores) that means higher costs, tighter margins, and some hard decisions on which varieties are worth keeping on shelves. If you have a favorite brand of Chinese instant noodles, expect to pay more in the coming weeks, or worse, watch them quietly disappear from brick-and-mortar stores and online shops.
Personally, I was just about to get around to reviewing a big batch of noodles made by Kang Shi Fu and Shizuren, but now I’m having second thoughts about doing so in case their prices go through the roof or they become completely unavailable; how can I recommend a cup of noodles I paid $3 for that may suddenly increase in price to over $7? Or just might not be available for any of my viewers to buy in the near future? I’ve also been watching Yamibuy.com to see how their Chinese varieties have been affected, because they have an amazing stock of Chinese imports that put most Asian grocery stores to shame. So far, it appears they still have a good enough chunk of inventory that there shouldn’t be a huge impact right now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if certain varieties sell out and never come back in stock while these tariffs are in play.
I’m not here to take a political stance, but I’m just pointing out the reality: tariffs aren’t paid by the exporting country, they’re a tax on importers here in the US. And it’s not just noodle packs manufactured in other countries that get hit. American-made brands that rely on imported wheat, dried ingredients, seasoning blends, or packaging materials are going to feel the squeeze too, which could drive up prices across the board or shift ingredient quality. The global nature of food production means that “Made in the USA” doesn’t always mean American companies are immune. For a perfect example of this, while I was writing this article, I got an email from Ramen Bae that you can read below:
Let’s face facts: their business is unsustainable if these tariffs still exist when their current stock runs out. No one is buying a bag of freeze-dried ramen toppings at 145% of their current price, no matter how good their products are. This would be a punishing blow not only to us as consumers, but to the owners and employees who have grown this business over the last couple of years.
Ramen Bae isn’t the only one – there’s plenty of other examples you can read about elsewhere – but these tariffs are punishing small businesses run by innocent people caught up in a global pissing contest by more powerful people who don’t understand the first thing about global economics. Some international brands are already rerouting exports away from the US, likely because they’re finding other international buyers with fewer headaches. Long story short: if you see an instant noodle product you want that’s still available for a normal price, especially if it’s a Chinese brand you love or have been wanting to try, now’s the time to stock up. There’s no way to know what will still be available in a couple months’ time or how far into the food industry this domino effect is going to reach.
That’s all the noteworthy noodle news I saw for this month. If you have any news to add or comments/questions, leave a message below!
