Here’s all the noteworthy noodle news you may have missed in June 2026. Samyang makes a big announcement regarding Buldak (it’s probably not what you think), Nissin releases its latest gimmick flavors and some new non-gimmick flavors, and a beloved international brand makes its first foray into the instant ramen product space. Read on for all the news!
Samyang Buldak Has a New Mascot
Move over, Hochi. Samyang has announced that Peppo, first seen on the Swicy and Hotter Than My Ex Buldak packages, is now taking over as the fulltime mascot for Buldak products, and Hochi is being retired. If you click on the press release, you’ll see that Samyang has gone all-in with Peppo, including creating a new digital platform where you can interact with it. New packaging of all Buldak products will start appearing with Peppo in Hochi’s place over the coming months. A lot of people seem pretty upset by Hochi’s sudden departure, but at the end of the day, for me, it’s all about the noodles – I couldn’t care less which cartoon chicken is depicted on the packaging. But if this truly bothers you, you have my condolences, and Samyang doesn’t care.
Nissin’s New Gimmick Cup Noodles for the Summer
Here’s an announcement that I actually got ahead of for once! Nissin has announced and released a pair of new Cup Noodles flavors available for a limited time: Texas BBQ and Kansas City BBQ, just in time for summer barbecue season. Both flavors are available exclusively (at least for now) at Walmart stores across the USA. In a rarity, I was actually able to score both flavors and review them prior to the end of the month, so check that out here to see my thoughts: Nissin Cup Noodles BBQ Flavors Review | Noodle Journey Episode 221.
More New Cup Noodles
Right at the end of June, Nissin also quietly added a pair of new spicy Mexican-inspired flavors to its normal Cup Noodles lineup. Spicy Jalapeño Chicken and Spicy Birria Beef flavors have now joined the normal Nissin supermarket lineup alongside Cup Noodles Chicken, Beef, and Shrimp flavors. Unlike the BBQ flavors above, these are not categorized as limited-edition and should be available in grocery stores around the USA starting very soon. You can already order them on Amazon and my local Wegmans claims to have them in stock. If these interest you, I suspect you’ll be able to find them at your own nearby Walmart or supermarket chain pretty easily in the coming weeks.
Kraft Dinner in Ramen Form
And finally, for our Canadian friends, this one is pretty neat. Kraft has announced that it is expanding its beloved Kraft Dinner product line (what we call Kraft Mac & Cheese here in the USA) to include three new ramen products dubbed “KD Ramen.” The launch lineup will consist of three cheesy ramen flavors: Cheesy Ramen, Extra Cheesy, and Extra Spicy. Apparently, all three flavors have some level of spiciness to them, with Extra Cheesy being the mildest and Extra Spicy being the spiciest. These will be exclusively available in Canadian retailers starting in July. Check out the full press release here.
