The Gooey French Cheese Instagram Loves Adding To Instant Ramen Noodles

It may not have been that long since you studied all night and thanked the ramen gods for providing the comfort of a cheap, tasty, and convenient meal. Those paper bowls of freeze-dried noodles and spice might no longer grace your pantry shelves, but maybe they should.

"Making instant ramen is spiritual, important, and methodical for Korean-American kids," Chef Roy Choi, father of the gourmet food truck trend and South Korea native, told Tasting Table. The staple of budget-minded American college students is also the heart and soul of Korean and Japanese youth — similar to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or grilled cheese. Chef Choi proposed a twist on ramen by adding a slice or two of American cheese as a topping. 

Korean ramyun with cheese is a classic combination that results in a silky, creamy broth. Plus, dairy can help temper some of the dish's spice level. Thanks to TikTok and Instagram, the latest cheese-in-ramen hack has gone viral. Expanding on the cheese theme, the soup is further improved by adding a higher-caliber cheese. Instead of Choi's standard yellow slices, some influencers propose adding a small wheel of brie or Camembert cheese. Brie is the milder, but fattier of the two. 

In a video, Instagram user @dasol2_ places a whole wheel of brie on top of the ramen noodles before adding hot water. On TikTok, @thecrunchbros hack uses milk instead of water and cut pieces of brie. Both leave on the rind, which is edible. 

To brie or not to brie? Some TikTok and Instagram users bristled at how the combo might taste — even if they hadn't tried the hack yet — and questioned whether an ingredient like brie is worth its additional cost. "Dear people. Pls stop putting cheese in ramen," said one TikTok user. An Instagram commenter said, "Nowadays I think cheese is more expensive than my life." Still, most were enthusiastic about the cheesy ramen hack. "Where are my Lactaid pills?" asked another TikTok follower.

Perhaps you want something more than cheese to upgrade your ramen. You can easily add nutritious ingredients like tofu, shrimp, or spinach. Consider other flavor enhancers like soy sauce or miso paste, too. Bored? Sprinkle in aromatic touches, such as garlic, ginger, or green onions, over your ramen. Feeling creative? Other websites and social media outlets have suggested Asian-inspired modifications like adding a hard-boiled egg, mayonnaise, bok choy, chives, Thai chili, kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage), or katsuobushi (dried bonito fish flakes). Or do something completely different and follow the lead of Chef Frankie Celenza, who created a wholesome, crunchy salad using instant ramen (via YouTube).

Whether or not you add other ingredients, making this instant ramen hack is simple. First, empty the soup packets into the bowl of instant noodles, add brie and hot water, and cover. The cheese will melt into the broth and cling to every noodle. 

Disclaimer: Static Media owns and operates Mashed and Tasting Table.