Ramen roundup
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Prepare your tongue for the ultimate thrill, as Kraft Dinner has once again veered wildly out of its box and into new territory.
Just when we all thought the brand had peaked after unleashing its limited-run New York-style KD Mac & Cheesecake earlier this summer, the beloved pantry staple set its sights on dethroning another kitchen cupboard essential: instant noodles.
Mike Aporius / Free Press KD’s new line of ramen comes in three flavours: cheesy, extra cheesy and extra spicy.
Emboldened by the rapturous reception of cheesecake lovers nationwide who had clearly been hankering for the savoury-sweet combo, the convenience food’s latest mashup pairs its infamous neon-orange cheese powder with classic ramen soup seasoning and dehydrated noodles.
The resulting bowl is a respectable attempt at creating a North American version of the South Korean trend of noodle lovers adding slices of processed cheese to their ramyeon to temper spice levels and added creaminess.
The noodles come in three flavours: extra cheesy, cheesy and extra spicy cheesy.
When we whipped up a batch in the newsroom feedback ranged from “oddly delicious” to “weirdly addictive,” with more than one reporter going back for seconds.
Mike Aporius / Free Press Free Press staff members all found at least one variety of KD Ramen worth recommending. Back row, from left: Ben Sigurdson, Conrad
Sweatman and Sheldon Birnie. Front row, from left: Darren Ridgley, Jen Zoratti and Jill Wilson.
Sheldon Birnie, the newest addition to the Arts & Life team, said that while he wouldn’t buy them for himself, he’s sure his children will enjoy them.
“It could make a good introduction to the concept of ramen for kids who might not be the most adventurous eaters, a good little gateway to the world of ramen,” he said.
Books editor/wine writer Ben Sigurdson pronounced the extra spicy cheesy noodles the best of the lot, pointing out that it had flavours typically found in packet ramen.
“The umami flavours come through most strongly to the detriment of the cheesiness, and for me that’s not a bad thing. I like both ramen and KD, but prefer to eat them separately and don’t really see the point/enjoyment in combining the two,” he said.
Columnist Jen Zoratti, however, prefers the plain cheesy version over the extra cheesy and extra spicy ones.
Mike Aporius / Free Press Columnist Jen Zoratti preferred the plain cheesy version.
“I feel like the extra cheesy is a little Lipton’s chicken noodle, or like plane food. The second one is quite delicious; it has a better depth of flavour. Third is definitely the spiciest but also maybe the saltiest. For my money, the second one is the best, and I’d actually choose this over regular KD; I prefer a ramen noodle,” she stated.
Arts & Life editor Jill Wilson concurred, noting that the dish had best blend of cheese and ramen flavour.
“It has a little tiny bit of heat that gives it some depth. The extra cheese is quite creamy and offsets the broth flavour. I could see myself buying this,” she said.
“I would probably add my own hot sauce at home.”
Mike Aporius / Free Press Books editor Ben Sigurdson said the extra spicy variety of KD Ramen was the best of the lot.
Noodle purist Conrad Sweatman is not a fan of adding cheese powder to ramen, going so far as to deem it a “sacrilegious” move.
‘It’s a guilty pleasure, it’s like having a McDonald’s cheeseburger,” he said, adding that he found the cheesy and extra spicy cheesy noodles the least offensive because “they taste the least like KD cheese powder.”
Copy editor Darren Ridgley was the only taste-tester to vote for the extra cheesy bowl. He said it tasted like a typical Kraft Dinner without the accompanying dense and gloopy texture.
“It feels like a lighter dish, owing to the thinner, longer ramen noodle. It’s a Kraft Dinner for the person who doesn’t want the congealed glop of a traditional KD,” he explained.
KD’s cheesy noodle flirtation is just the latest in a line of surprising moves from the iconic brand.
Their next concoction comes not on a cake tray or noodle bowl, but as liquid in a glass. Yes, they’ve only gone and blended the cheese powder into a breakfast drink, the KD Cheesy Mango Smoothie, which made its debut at the recent Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto.
The “refreshing” tropical-forward beverage is made with KD Shaker dust blended with mango, pineapple juice and vanilla frozen yogurt. Other outrageous drink combos that made their mark at the annual end-of-summer fair include dill pickle ice coffee and smoky bacon and white chocolate mocha.
av.kitching@winnipegfreepress.com
AV Kitching is an arts and life writer at the Free Press. She has been a journalist for more than two decades and has worked across three continents writing about people, travel, food, and fashion. Read more about AV.
Every piece of reporting AV produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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