NOTE – THE 2024 LIST IS OUT – CHECK IT OUT HERE

It’s true – some like it hot. This list is comprised of the hottest varieties I’ve tried – that are currently available as far as I can tell. In prior years, there were some that were so hot that the #1 on here was like cotton candy. That being said, I’m guessing there weren’t many repeat customers. At the bottom, you’ll see those varieties. This list is current as of review #4300. Let’s get spicy with The Ramen Rater’s Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2023 Edition!

The Ramen Rater’s Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2023 Edition

Video Presentation

Watch for my commentary and images of The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2023 Edition!

The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2023 Edition

#10: Paldo Volcano Curry Kkokkomyun – South Korea

A dry noodle from South Korea by Paldo. This doesn’t feature the curry flavor I would have expected; it’s kind of like it’s own rendition of curry which didn’t honestly make me really think of curry all that much. But it’s spicy – that’s definitely not in question. Original review | Mukbang | Get it here

#9: mi ABC Selera Pedas Spicy Beef Stir-Fry Noodles – Indonesia

The noodles have a nice gauge – they seem slightly wider and more chewy than most instants. The flavor was a surprise – a nice beef taste with a savory hit and then the spiciness. It’s really quite spicy – worthy of a mukbang. Original review | Mukbang | Get it here

#8: Mamee SLRP! Mi Segera Perisa Kari Xtra Pedas – Malaysia

If you like curry and you like it hot, this will definitely do the trick. A strong, rich Malaysian curry shakes hands with a spicy bite that really will test your tastebuds and get you running for the water! Original review | Mukbang | Get it here

#7: Paldo Teumsae Ramen 9,413SHU Version – South Korea

I’ve ben trying to get this one for a very long time and the folks at Paldo finally sent me some – thanks! This one was very tasty and very hot, although I remember the first time I tried it many years ago and it blew my head off. These days it’s not too hot to handle for me, but it’s still plenty hot. Original review | Mukbang | Get it here

#6: GB Company The Devil Of Fire Ramen – South Korea

This one was sent in by The Fat Hipster from YouTube – thanks! While incredibly spicy, it’s definitely not the spiciest I’ve had, that’s for sure. But it’ll burn you really good. What’s more, it sports a good noodle and a nice flavor to it which is excellent. Original review | Mukbang | Get it here

#5: Liangchengmei 30S” Hot Bird Noodle – China

Thirty seconds to cook, featuring fresh noodles. This company is coming up with some really unique and delicious varieties which I thoroughly enjoy. This one is very reminiscent of another one on this list with a chicken. Original review | Mukbang

#4: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyeon – South Korea

While not the spiciest in their lineup, I find this to be the real baseline for the heatwave instant noodles have experienced in the past few years. This is the origination of the Fire Noodle Challenge – and it’s popular. I can get this at the local store even – and that’s really saying something to it’s popularity. Original review | Mukbang | Get it here

#3: Mamee Shinsegae Ghost Pepper Spicy Chicken – Malaysia

Not the first time Malaysia’s been on this list that’s for sure, but the spiciest offering by far. Black noodles – that’s all I’ve got to say. Ominous and lethal! Original review | Mukbang | Get it here

#2: Mamee Shinsegae Ghost Pepper Kari Lontong – Malaysia

Here we’ve got a Malaysian variety with a heat like no other. This is definitely the strongest curry on the market right now – at least that I can find. This was a seriously hard pack to scarf down – heat upon heat, upon heat! A beautiful broth and sensational flavor. Original review | Mukbang | Get it here

#1: Samyang Foods Buldak 3x Spicy HOT Chicken Flavor Ramen – South Korea

Every year, Buldak seems to get a little hotter. If this is 3x, that’s 13,200 SHU. This one was pretty tough to get down – but I did it. Nice flavor and very, very hot. If this is just out of your ballpark, I can highly recommend the tomato Buldak – that one’s far less spicy and absolutely delightful. Original review | Mukbang | Get it here

Previous Varieties

These two were even hotter, yet I can’t currently find them anywhere.

Isoyama Shoji 18禁カレーラーメン (Age 18 Prohibited/Restricted/Only La-Men Curry Taste) – Japan

The only variety I’ve NOT been able to conquer. Fail. Twice. First off, I think these taste awful outside of the violent spiciness; like burnt plastic curry. What’s rough is that this calls for 700ml water which I believe is the top end of any instant I’ve had. Not only that, you’d think that would dilute to the point of almost bland but it most certainly does not. I managed 1/4 to a 1/3 each time of trying this. The sheer size of the bowl plays a psychological game with you. It’s mean. Mukbang – Original review

Culley’s World’s Hottest Ramen – New Zealand

This was hard. The only reason I was able to finish it was because of the size. I think that’s why many people have conquered this one. There are some issues with the directions on this one and I think they could be changed without effecting flavor/heat level. Basically, cook the noodles, drain, add in boiling water and sachets and stir. This was conquering the worm for me. I pounded it and then it pounded me. Eight hours of capsaicin cramping – oh so bad. Felt like an alien was going to pierce its way out of my stomach – no joke. Plus I went through a phase where I was tingling all over, slightly numb, and kind of cold. I either went into or teetered on the edge of being in shock – endorphin land to be sure. Mukbang – Original Review

My Thoughts On SHU

‘Oh man, my face is on fire!’ ‘Dude, that’s not even hot.’ Two people can eat the same thing – one may be running for something to put out the fire while the other barely tastes it. That’s where my wife and I are at. The Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) is a way to measure spiciness; a very ridiculous way. The idea is that a glass of spicy and a glass of water are mixed. Does it will taste spicy? That’s 1 SHU. Repeat this, diluting each time. Now, products claiming thousands, hundreds of thousand or millions of SHU aren’t using this method; it would take far too long. Samyang Foods, makers of the Buldak line had this to say in an interview about how they measure –

SHU (Scoville Heat Unit) is a measurement of the spicy heat of chili peppers. First, we measure the concentration of capsaicin and dehydrocapsacin by using the HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). Then, we measure scoville heat units by using the equation below. (Although there is no official rule of calculating SHU, we have used the equation which is generally used.)

SHU = ( Dehydrocapsacin conc. X 0.82 + Capsacin conc. ) X 16 
※ Concentration unit = μg/g

As far as I know, there is no ‘SHU Police’ or group that has a stamp of approval on SHU claims. What’s funny is that people often balk that Buldak’s spiciness – the original is just around 4,000SHU – and they find it’s hotter than things they try that purportedly are 400,000SHU or more. That’s because as far as I can tell, Samyang does take this seriously and more importantly, they’re being honest about it.

I would love to see an industry group that would act as a ‘seal of approval’ – like a seal that companies could get to verify their SHU claims were true. I could sell you a bottle of water right now that said it was 1,000,000SHU and charge $10 for it and you’ll find it’s not spicy at all. Will the SHU Police cry foul? Nope. A seal showing that what’s in there is as spicy as it says it is would be a really great thing for consumers. Anyways, that’s my thought on this matter. Generally, things that say they’re spicy in an ultra-spicy class usually are.

Special Announcements

The Ramen Rater Recipe Experiments

Ever thought of what you can make when instant noodles are an ingredient? Well, if not I have. A lot. I started with making breads last year – even breads with flour make from fried noodles that were ground into a fine powder. Logically, the next step was pizza – everyone likes pizza, right? Finally, I’ve done a few different ice creams. Check the Special Features section to see all of these experiments!

Definitive Guides

This year, I’ve decided to do a special series called Definitive Guides. Recipes, trivia, history, and more on some of the most loved and fascinating varieties of instant noodles around the world! So far, I’ve got one on Nongshim’s Shin Ramyun, and Indomie’s Mi Goreng and Nissin Foods’ Cup Noodles Pumpkin Spice! Very recently, I released a Definitive Guide To Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup. Future guides will include MAMA Tom Yum, and more. My plan is do feature one or two products from each country. I try to make these complete and informative as possible.

Ramen Junkies

Ramen Junkies is a Facebook group devoted to the love of instant noodles. People share their recipes, thoughts, ideas and humor Join the conversation today – over 70,000 members strong!

A Petition To Benefit Those In Need

For the last few years, a thought has been bouncing around in my head. Why is there a spot to donate a dollar to elections on tax returns? I think that little spot can be better by donating a dollar or some set amount to Veterans who are living in poverty. At the end of tax season, the donations can go to all who qualify. I think that would be a good thing. I started a petition to do this, and if you’re in the USA, you can sign it here and please feel free to share it around! Thanks!

The Ramen Rater App For Android

The Ramen Rater App for Android has been given a whole new look and functionality. You can scan bar codes to see reviews I’ve done while at the store, peruse the top ten lists, and do simple searches. It’s really great – even a dark mode! Best of all it’s free and currently ad-free.