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SEOUL, Nov 3 (Yonhap/APP): Samyang Foods Inc., the maker of the globally popular Buldak spicy ramyeon, said Monday it has launched a new ramyeon product made with beef tallow for the first time in 36 years, as part of its growth strategy centered on its flagship spicy noodle line. The company unveiled the new premium product, “Samyang 1963,” which it described as a modern reinterpretation of its original ramyeon introduced more than six decades ago, it said in a press release. Samyang’s market dominance sharply declined in 1989 after rumors spread that the company had used industrial-grade beef tallow in its noodles. Although the then health ministry later confirmed the ingredient was safe for consumption, the so-called “tallow incident” dealt a severe blow to the company’s brand image. Since then, Samyang has used only palm oil in its ramyeon products. “Beef tallow was the ingredient that completed the authentic flavor of Samyang Ramen. Samyang 1963 is not a restoration of the past but a foundation for the future,” Samyang Foods Vice Chairman Kim Jung-soo said during a product launch event, according to the company. Kim added that Samyang has grown into a global food company promoting Korean culinary culture worldwide but “will not stop here,” noting the launch marks “the beginning of another chapter of innovation.” Samyang said it will initially focus on the domestic market with the new product and later export it after developing localized versions for each region. In the January-June period, Samyang Foods’ net profit jumped 34 percent on-year to 183.03 billion won (US$132 million) on strong overseas sales. Since its launch in 2012, cumulative sales of Buldak ramyeon have exceeded 8 billion units, generating more than 4 trillion won in revenue. The product gained global attention after its extreme spiciness went viral in a food-eating challenge in 2014.
