This one definitely falls under the category of “I didn’t know this existed.” My wife challenged me to review something more exotic, and while I’m not sure this qualifies, I couldn’t resist the product description. Unif Artificial Beef with Sauerkraut wasn’t on my radar until it popped up as a new item for me on Yami, and the flavor combo was just strange enough to justify an impulse purchase. I love sauerkraut. I love beef broth. I love noodles. All three together? No idea. But that’s what the channel is for.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 12: Unif Artificial Beef and Sauerkraut NoodlesUnif is a Chinese brand I hadn’t heard of before, but this was easy to get in the US. I paid $1.99 for it on Yami, and given the portion size, that’s not a bad deal, assuming it doesn’t taste like crap. For those wondering, the “artificial beef” in the name means there’s no actual meat, just a mix of MSG, yeast extract, soy, and salt doing an imitation of beef. It might even be vegan, but don’t take my word for it. The sodium, though, is definitely real: 2290mg, which is 95% of the daily allowance. That’s the highest I’ve seen at 12 episodes in.
Noodles:
These are weak. Cheap texture, no real chew, and definitely not doing any favors to the rest of the bowl. They remind me of bargain-bin ramen in that they function well enough to get the broth and toppings into my mouth, but other than that they’re very forgettable.
• 3.5/10
Spiciness:
This caught me off guard. Between the pickled mustard greens, pickled chili, and a ton of pickled ginger, there’s a good amount of heat here. If you thought “sauerkraut” meant this was going to be mild, surprise!
• 5/10
Overall:
This is a weird one, but not in a bad way. The broth doesn’t taste like sauerkraut in the traditional sense, more like an interpretation of it. As I said in the video, it’s like someone in Germany described sauerkraut over the phone to someone in China and they gave it their best shot. There’s a strong ginger and mustard profile here, which worked for my wife but not as much for me. I did like the mustard greens, though; they added something earthy and sour that tasted nice, even if it didn’t quite land as the “sauerkraut” promised on the packaging. Interestingly, the more I ate, the more that fermented flavor came through. Most of the stronger components had sunk to the bottom of the bowl, which I didn’t realize until I was halfway through. So despite a solid stir, the flavor distribution was uneven. The oiliness might also be a dealbreaker for some. It’s a bold flavor, though, and one I’m glad I tried, even if the noodles dragged the whole thing down. I originally gave it a 6, but after hitting the bottom of the bowl and getting more of the intended flavor, I bumped it up slightly to its final score.
• 6.5/10
If you like mustard, ginger, and the idea of sour-spicy instant noodles, this is definitely one to try at least once. I won’t be rushing to stock up, but I don’t regret the experience.
Notes since filming: I eventually learned a while after filming this that lots of Chinese brands produce this flavor, but it’s known more commonly as “pickled vegetables” rather than “sauerkraut.” I ended up really enjoying the flavor in this and I still occasionally crave it, but I just wish those soft noodles were a bit better.
