Here’s a brand I’ve been hoping to review for a while but have had a seriously hard time finding. Ching’s Secret is a company from India that produces Chinese inspired foods. This flavor is a little puzzling though – Manchurian? What flavor is that? I consulted Wikipedia and got some information:
Aha – so this is much like Nyonya food in Malaysia – Chinese foods strongly influenced by Malay flavors. Interesting!
The cuisine is believed to have originated from the Chinese of Calcutta and Chinese food is still popular there. At present, the Chinese population in Calcutta stands at approximately 2,000.[2] Most of these people are of Hakka origin; however, the dishes of modern Indian Chinese cuisine, such as Chicken Manchurian, bear little resemblance to traditional Chinese cuisine.[3]
This is interesting too; maybe this is to have the flavors of Chicken Manchurian? Also, the Hakka reference – I’ve had Hakka varieties from Taiwan before, but the noodles didn’t look like this at all. Well, let’s have a look inside!
Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, boil 225ml water. Break noodle block into 4 pieces, add contents of seasoning sachet and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Enjoy!
The noodle block.
The seasoning base sachet.
Has a kind of salty lemon scent.
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added chicken, sweet onion, coriander, sliced carrot, sliced green onion and broccoli that I sauteed. The noodles are of a standard gauge and have a nice texture to them. They sucked up all of the liquid in 2 1/2 minutes. The flavor is very strong – very India and very spicy. I was honestly quite surprised at how spicy this stuff is. It’s got this masala hit to it as well as a saltiness too. I liked it. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8901595963317.
Have you ever taken a clove of garlic and eaten it straight? I would have to say that I’ve done it with a few different varieties. Some types of garlic are extremely hot and spicy, rivaling chilli peppers. They’re no joke and they burn like fire! I had a bite of this tiny little one once – I think it was a Himalayan variant – and it was so freaking hot! Well, I like spicy things and I like garlic, so this one really piques my interest. Let’s check out this Ching’s Secret Hot Garlic and see if we can find out if the secret is hot or not.
Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, break noodle block into 4 parts and add pieces and seasoning sachet contents to 225ml boiling water. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Enjoy!
The noodle block.
The seasoning sachet.
I am very happy to report that this stuff has a very strong garlic scent!
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added coriander. The noodles soaked up all the liquid and ended up kind of like an instant noodle with an alfredo sauce consistency coating to them. I wasn’t sure if they’d truly be hot garlic, but that sense of wonder was quickly replaced by mouth burning heat! Little bits of garlic throughout and just a mean burn – lasted for minutes after I finished – these are not for the faint of heart and weak of heat. Definitely a contender! 3.75 out of 5.0 stars.EAN bar code 8901595963331.
As many might know, I started The Ramen Rater (click to see the old site) in 2002 and did about 60 reviews. Then, I turned my attention to spicy hot sauces with The Sauce Rater. In 2010, I resumed my instant noodle reviewing. I’ve long been a fan of the spicy side of things – strong heat and good flavor are a couple of my favorite things. Let’s have a look at the absolutely hottest varieties I’ve found in my over 1,700 reviews of instant noodles from around the world in this year’s The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2015 Edition.
#10: Wugudaochang Sichuan Pepper & Chicken Flavor – China
The Sichuan pepper was something relatively new to me until I really got a mouthful of them in this variety. It kind of reminds me of the way a hot pepper acts, but then when you inhale, it has a kind of cooling kind of sensation like mint; hard to explain but definitely something different. This one came with a peanut and pepper garnish and the noodles had a very nice gauge and texture. Original review here
#9: Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja – South Korea
While still not available in the United States, Jinjja Jinjja is back in South Korea! This one packs a serious punch of heat along with pork, peanut and black sesame seeds. Original review here
#8: JML Emperor Instant Noodles Spicy Chicken – China
I wasn’t expecting this one to be extremely spicy at the outset and then was in for a ride. Very very hot – augmented with a large sachet of coarse chilli peppers. Original review here
#7: emart Dare You! Habanero Jjamppong – South Korea
Extreme heat is paired with nice bit of seafood broth and lots of bits of seafood. All the fire and flavor melded together with thick ramyun noodles make it hot as well as delicious. This one comes in at 1,960 SHU (Scoville Heat Units). Original review here
#6: MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodle – Malaysia
MyKuali’s new recipe added a big punch of heat to their already amazing and groundbreaking Penang White Curry Noodle. Thick almost saucelike broth fires up the palate and includes a generous amount of garlic this time. Original review here
#5: Ching’s Secret Hot Garlic Instant Noodles – India
When I found this one at a local Indian market, I was very enthused. I thought to myself ‘hey, I like garlic!’ I kind of expected a salty, buttery and almost fettucini kind of thing. But no – this innocuous looking plate of noodles was violently spicy! Super hot garlic spiciness just builds and builds! Original review here
#4: Paldo Teumsae Ramyun – South Korea
On the list for four years now! Another South Korean ramyun with serious kick to it. This isn’t to be trifled with! Teumsae has restaurants in South Korea which serve up some seriously spicy fare. I really like the text underneath the word Teumsae which reads, ‘Flavor. Culture. Human’ Original review here
#3: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyeon – South Korea
I would say that I’ve seen dozens of videos on YouTube showing people competitively eating this one. This stuff is extremely hot. Another brothless variety and it really packs a punch as well as has a nice taste to it. Thick ramyun noodles round everything out nicely and will transmit the spicy sauce to your tongue. Original review here
#2: Paldo Bulnak Bokkummyun Spicy Fried Octopus Ramyun – South Korea
See that little octopus on the package with the smile on his face? He’s laughing. Laughing as he watches you sweat as you eat this ultra spicy ramyun! I’m not kidding this one was over the top spicy! Bring a fire extinguisher. Original review here
#1: emart Dare You! Habanero Ramyun – South Korea
For the fourth year running, this stuff tops the list. Despite a packaging design change, you should still heed the warnings; habanero pepper top right corner, temperature gauge and screaming person, black packaging… Yeah – it’s not one to underestimate; this is violently hot. The broth just keeps delivering the heat and it’s just insane. Try licking a lit candle – I swear this stuff is hotter! Original review here
Every year, I review a ton of instant noodles – and every year I come out with quite a few lists. This list tends to change the least of all my lists – I’ve had a lot of spicy instant noodles in my time and just seems like nobody’s getting any spicier products to market. Could be that they don’t want to melt people’s faces off perhaps. Anyways, here’s this year’s list – the spiciest varieties out of over 2,100 reviews. Enjoy – if you dare!
A video presentation of The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 Edition.
#10: Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja – South Korea
While still not available in the United States, Jinjja Jinjja is back in South Korea! This one packs a serious punch of heat along with pork, peanut and black sesame seeds. Original review here
#9: JML Emperor Instant Noodles Spicy Chicken – China
I wasn’t expecting this one to be extremely spicy at the outset and then was in for a ride. Very very hot – augmented with a large sachet of coarse chilli peppers. Original review here
#8: emart Dare You! Habanero Jjamppong – South Korea
Extreme heat is paired with nice bit of seafood broth and lots of bits of seafood. All the fire and flavor melded together with thick ramyun noodles make it hot as well as delicious. This one comes in at 1,960 SHU (Scoville Heat Units). Original review here
#7: MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodle – Malaysia
MyKuali’s new recipe added a big punch of heat to their already amazing and groundbreaking Penang White Curry Noodle. Thick almost saucelike broth fires up the palate and includes a generous amount of garlic this time. Original review here
#6: Ching’s Secret Hot Garlic Instant Noodles – India
When I found this one at a local Indian market, I was very enthused. I thought to myself ‘hey, I like garlic!’ I kind of expected a salty, buttery and almost fettucini kind of thing. But no – this innocuous looking plate of noodles was violently spicy! Super hot garlic spiciness just builds and builds! Original review here
#5: Mi E-Zee Perisa Kari Mi Segera – Malaysia
The noodles plumped up well and were nice and springy. The broth – ah, the broth. Here’s the improvement! The curry taste is much stronger (the old version called for 450ml water and this one calls for 400ml) – not only that, the little sachet of chilli pepper flake just puts it over the top. It’s hot – real hot – like walking around the living room as my mouth and lips are burning saying ‘ooh’ repeatedly hot. Original review
#4: Paldo Teumsae Ramyun – South Korea
On the list for four years now! Another South Korean ramyun with serious kick to it. This isn’t to be trifled with! Teumsae has restaurants in South Korea which serve up some seriously spicy fare. I really like the text underneath the word Teumsae which reads, ‘Flavor. Culture. Human’ Original review here
#3: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyeon – South Korea
I would say that I’ve seen dozens of videos on YouTube showing people competitively eating this one. This stuff is extremely hot. Another brothless variety and it really packs a punch as well as has a nice taste to it. Thick ramyun noodles round everything out nicely and will transmit the spicy sauce to your tongue. Original review here
#2: Paldo Bulnak Bokkummyun Spicy Fried Octopus Ramyun – South Korea
See that little octopus on the package with the smile on his face? He’s laughing. Laughing as he watches you sweat as you eat this ultra spicy ramyun! I’m not kidding this one was over the top spicy! Bring a fire extinguisher. Original review here
#1: emart Dare You! Habanero Ramyun – South Korea
For the fourth year running, this stuff tops the list. Despite a packaging design change, you should still heed the warnings; habanero pepper top right corner, temperature gauge and screaming person, black packaging… Yeah – it’s not one to underestimate; this is violently hot. The broth just keeps delivering the heat and it’s just insane. Try licking a lit candle – I swear this stuff is hotter! Original review here
Here’s a brand I’ve been hoping to review for a while but have had a seriously hard time finding. Ching’s Secret is a company from India that produces Chinese inspired foods. This flavor is a little puzzling though – Manchurian? What flavor is that? I consulted Wikipedia and got some information:
Aha – so this is much like Nyonya food in Malaysia – Chinese foods strongly influenced by Malay flavors. Interesting!
The cuisine is believed to have originated from the Chinese of Calcutta and Chinese food is still popular there. At present, the Chinese population in Calcutta stands at approximately 2,000.[2] Most of these people are of Hakka origin; however, the dishes of modern Indian Chinese cuisine, such as Chicken Manchurian, bear little resemblance to traditional Chinese cuisine.[3]
This is interesting too; maybe this is to have the flavors of Chicken Manchurian? Also, the Hakka reference – I’ve had Hakka varieties from Taiwan before, but the noodles didn’t look like this at all. Well, let’s have a look inside!
Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, boil 225ml water. Break noodle block into 4 pieces, add contents of seasoning sachet and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Enjoy!
The noodle block.
The seasoning base sachet.
Has a kind of salty lemon scent.
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added chicken, sweet onion, coriander, sliced carrot, sliced green onion and broccoli that I sauteed. The noodles are of a standard gauge and have a nice texture to them. They sucked up all of the liquid in 2 1/2 minutes. The flavor is very strong – very India and very spicy. I was honestly quite surprised at how spicy this stuff is. It’s got this masala hit to it as well as a saltiness too. I liked it. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8901595963317.
Have you ever taken a clove of garlic and eaten it straight? I would have to say that I’ve done it with a few different varieties. Some types of garlic are extremely hot and spicy, rivaling chilli peppers. They’re no joke and they burn like fire! I had a bite of this tiny little one once – I think it was a Himalayan variant – and it was so freaking hot! Well, I like spicy things and I like garlic, so this one really piques my interest. Let’s check out this Ching’s Secret Hot Garlic and see if we can find out if the secret is hot or not.
Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, break noodle block into 4 parts and add pieces and seasoning sachet contents to 225ml boiling water. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Enjoy!
The noodle block.
The seasoning sachet.
I am very happy to report that this stuff has a very strong garlic scent!
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added coriander. The noodles soaked up all the liquid and ended up kind of like an instant noodle with an alfredo sauce consistency coating to them. I wasn’t sure if they’d truly be hot garlic, but that sense of wonder was quickly replaced by mouth burning heat! Little bits of garlic throughout and just a mean burn – lasted for minutes after I finished – these are not for the faint of heart and weak of heat. Definitely a contender! 3.75 out of 5.0 stars.EAN bar code 8901595963331.
As many might know, I started The Ramen Rater (click to see the old site) in 2002 and did about 60 reviews. Then, I turned my attention to spicy hot sauces with The Sauce Rater. In 2010, I resumed my instant noodle reviewing. I’ve long been a fan of the spicy side of things – strong heat and good flavor are a couple of my favorite things. Let’s have a look at the absolutely hottest varieties I’ve found in my over 1,700 reviews of instant noodles from around the world in this year’s The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2015 Edition.
#10: Wugudaochang Sichuan Pepper & Chicken Flavor – China
The Sichuan pepper was something relatively new to me until I really got a mouthful of them in this variety. It kind of reminds me of the way a hot pepper acts, but then when you inhale, it has a kind of cooling kind of sensation like mint; hard to explain but definitely something different. This one came with a peanut and pepper garnish and the noodles had a very nice gauge and texture. Original review here
#9: Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja – South Korea
While still not available in the United States, Jinjja Jinjja is back in South Korea! This one packs a serious punch of heat along with pork, peanut and black sesame seeds. Original review here
#8: JML Emperor Instant Noodles Spicy Chicken – China
I wasn’t expecting this one to be extremely spicy at the outset and then was in for a ride. Very very hot – augmented with a large sachet of coarse chilli peppers. Original review here
#7: emart Dare You! Habanero Jjamppong – South Korea
Extreme heat is paired with nice bit of seafood broth and lots of bits of seafood. All the fire and flavor melded together with thick ramyun noodles make it hot as well as delicious. This one comes in at 1,960 SHU (Scoville Heat Units). Original review here
#6: MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodle – Malaysia
MyKuali’s new recipe added a big punch of heat to their already amazing and groundbreaking Penang White Curry Noodle. Thick almost saucelike broth fires up the palate and includes a generous amount of garlic this time. Original review here
#5: Ching’s Secret Hot Garlic Instant Noodles – India
When I found this one at a local Indian market, I was very enthused. I thought to myself ‘hey, I like garlic!’ I kind of expected a salty, buttery and almost fettucini kind of thing. But no – this innocuous looking plate of noodles was violently spicy! Super hot garlic spiciness just builds and builds! Original review here
#4: Paldo Teumsae Ramyun – South Korea
On the list for four years now! Another South Korean ramyun with serious kick to it. This isn’t to be trifled with! Teumsae has restaurants in South Korea which serve up some seriously spicy fare. I really like the text underneath the word Teumsae which reads, ‘Flavor. Culture. Human’ Original review here
#3: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyeon – South Korea
I would say that I’ve seen dozens of videos on YouTube showing people competitively eating this one. This stuff is extremely hot. Another brothless variety and it really packs a punch as well as has a nice taste to it. Thick ramyun noodles round everything out nicely and will transmit the spicy sauce to your tongue. Original review here
#2: Paldo Bulnak Bokkummyun Spicy Fried Octopus Ramyun – South Korea
See that little octopus on the package with the smile on his face? He’s laughing. Laughing as he watches you sweat as you eat this ultra spicy ramyun! I’m not kidding this one was over the top spicy! Bring a fire extinguisher. Original review here
#1: emart Dare You! Habanero Ramyun – South Korea
For the fourth year running, this stuff tops the list. Despite a packaging design change, you should still heed the warnings; habanero pepper top right corner, temperature gauge and screaming person, black packaging… Yeah – it’s not one to underestimate; this is violently hot. The broth just keeps delivering the heat and it’s just insane. Try licking a lit candle – I swear this stuff is hotter! Original review here
Every year, I review a ton of instant noodles – and every year I come out with quite a few lists. This list tends to change the least of all my lists – I’ve had a lot of spicy instant noodles in my time and just seems like nobody’s getting any spicier products to market. Could be that they don’t want to melt people’s faces off perhaps. Anyways, here’s this year’s list – the spiciest varieties out of over 2,100 reviews. Enjoy – if you dare!
A video presentation of The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time 2016 Edition.
#10: Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja – South Korea
While still not available in the United States, Jinjja Jinjja is back in South Korea! This one packs a serious punch of heat along with pork, peanut and black sesame seeds. Original review here
#9: JML Emperor Instant Noodles Spicy Chicken – China
I wasn’t expecting this one to be extremely spicy at the outset and then was in for a ride. Very very hot – augmented with a large sachet of coarse chilli peppers. Original review here
#8: emart Dare You! Habanero Jjamppong – South Korea
Extreme heat is paired with nice bit of seafood broth and lots of bits of seafood. All the fire and flavor melded together with thick ramyun noodles make it hot as well as delicious. This one comes in at 1,960 SHU (Scoville Heat Units). Original review here
#7: MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodle – Malaysia
MyKuali’s new recipe added a big punch of heat to their already amazing and groundbreaking Penang White Curry Noodle. Thick almost saucelike broth fires up the palate and includes a generous amount of garlic this time. Original review here
#6: Ching’s Secret Hot Garlic Instant Noodles – India
When I found this one at a local Indian market, I was very enthused. I thought to myself ‘hey, I like garlic!’ I kind of expected a salty, buttery and almost fettucini kind of thing. But no – this innocuous looking plate of noodles was violently spicy! Super hot garlic spiciness just builds and builds! Original review here
#5: Mi E-Zee Perisa Kari Mi Segera – Malaysia
The noodles plumped up well and were nice and springy. The broth – ah, the broth. Here’s the improvement! The curry taste is much stronger (the old version called for 450ml water and this one calls for 400ml) – not only that, the little sachet of chilli pepper flake just puts it over the top. It’s hot – real hot – like walking around the living room as my mouth and lips are burning saying ‘ooh’ repeatedly hot. Original review
#4: Paldo Teumsae Ramyun – South Korea
On the list for four years now! Another South Korean ramyun with serious kick to it. This isn’t to be trifled with! Teumsae has restaurants in South Korea which serve up some seriously spicy fare. I really like the text underneath the word Teumsae which reads, ‘Flavor. Culture. Human’ Original review here
#3: Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeummyeon – South Korea
I would say that I’ve seen dozens of videos on YouTube showing people competitively eating this one. This stuff is extremely hot. Another brothless variety and it really packs a punch as well as has a nice taste to it. Thick ramyun noodles round everything out nicely and will transmit the spicy sauce to your tongue. Original review here
#2: Paldo Bulnak Bokkummyun Spicy Fried Octopus Ramyun – South Korea
See that little octopus on the package with the smile on his face? He’s laughing. Laughing as he watches you sweat as you eat this ultra spicy ramyun! I’m not kidding this one was over the top spicy! Bring a fire extinguisher. Original review here
#1: emart Dare You! Habanero Ramyun – South Korea
For the fourth year running, this stuff tops the list. Despite a packaging design change, you should still heed the warnings; habanero pepper top right corner, temperature gauge and screaming person, black packaging… Yeah – it’s not one to underestimate; this is violently hot. The broth just keeps delivering the heat and it’s just insane. Try licking a lit candle – I swear this stuff is hotter! Original review here
Okay for a couple years now, the old pack version of Ching’s Secret Hot Garlic has been on The Ramen Rater’s Top Ten Spiciest Instant Noodles Of All Time list. I heard through the grapevine though that Hot Garlic didn’t seem that hot to another review site, Ramen Regret Rater. So, I thought I’d hunt it down to give it another try.
I remember the first time I’d tried Hot Garlic I thought it was hot. Damn hot. Really garlicky and hot.
Now this is from India, but with a Chinese feel to it. In the United States, we have what is known as American Chinese food. Dishes are skewed a bit from their traditional preparation to appeal to the tastes of, well… White people. The same deal is true in India – Indian Chinese food is more skewed towards Indian tastes. I think that’s what they’re referring to on the packaging where it states ‘I (heart) Desi Chinese.’ Here’s a little about Desi Chinese from Wikipedia –
The cuisine is believed to have originated from the Chinese of Kolkata and Chinese food is still popular there. At present, the Chinese population in Kolkata stands at approximately 2,000.[2] Most of these people are of Hakka origin; however, many dishes of modern Indian Chinese cuisine bear little resemblance to traditional Chinese cuisine.[3]
Schezwan (sic) Chicken/Prawn/Fish/Mutton/Vegetables/Paneer – dishes with this name in fact usually bear very little resemblance to ones from China’s Sichuan Province (although they sometimes contain Sichuan peppercorns). They instead center mainly around a sauce containing Indian red chillies and garlic. (The spelling of “Schezwan” is not a mis-print; this is indeed the how the term tends to be spelled in the Indo-Chinese kitchen rather than “Sichuan”, “Szechuan” or “Szechwan”).[5]
Manchurian Chicken/Prawn/Fish/Mutton/Vegetables/Paneer, generally consisting of a variety of meats or paneer with vegetables in a spicy brown sauce.[6] It is basically a creation of Chinese restaurants in India, and bears little resemblance to traditional Manchu cuisine or Chinese cuisine.[3] It is said to have been invented in 1975 by Nelson Wang; Wang described his invention process as starting from the basic ingredients of an Indian dish, namely chopped garlic, ginger, and green chilis, but next, instead of adding garam masala, he put in soy sauce instead, followed by cornstarch and the chicken itself.[7] A popular vegetarian variant replaces chicken with cauliflower,[6] and is commonly known as gobi manchurian. Other vegetarian variants include mushroom, baby corn, veggie ball Manchurian.
Many overseas Indian restaurants in the West and the Middle East also cater to the overseas Indians’ nostalgic taste for Indian Chinese food.[8] The cuisine is also branching out into the mainstream in major cities of North America such as New York City, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Toronto, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Vancouver. Chinese food in Nairobi, Kenya, also tends to be of this style. It is also available in Australia, especially in Sydney and Melbourne. In many of these places, the restaurants are labelled as Hakka Chinese, when in fact the cuisine itself has very little resemblance to authentic Hakka cuisine. “Hakka” label in these restaurants are usually referring to the owner’s origins, and many Chinese restaurant owners in India were of Hakka origin.
Well, that was an education on the subject. So this Hot Garlic was a beast last time – let’s see if it still packs the same punch inside a new package design.
Ching’s Secret Hot Garlic Instant Noodles – India
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add one seasoning sachet and one block of noodles to 250ml boiling water. Cook 2~3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
One of the four noodle blocks.
The four seasoning sachets.
Okay that smells very garlicky.
Finished (click to enlarge). Okay so I did some investigating and found something. In a cooking video by Ching’s Secret, the chef mentions using 225ml water. This package clearly is stating the use of 250ml water. Water dilutes. Starting with the noodles, they’re good – standard instant with nice gauge and a good chew. As for the flavor – if you love garlic, this is definitely for you! Lots of bits of garlic in there and a very strong garlic taste. As for the spicy heat, honestly I’m sad to say it won’t be on this year’s top ten spicy list. I don’t think the 25ml water addition made much of a difference though – maybe a new recipe? But I can certainly say this is one to try if you like spicy things – especially the heat you get from garlic. 4.25 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8901595963362.
Well, I found quite a few of these new packaged versions recently at an Indian market in Bellevue, Washington. Now, this is what they call ‘Desi Chinese’ food. What’s that? Let’s ask Wikipedia –
The cuisine is believed to have originated from the Chinese of Kolkata and Chinese food is still popular there. At present, the Chinese population in Kolkata stands at approximately 2,000.[2] Most of these people are of Hakka origin; however, many dishes of modern Indian Chinese cuisine bear little resemblance to traditional Chinese cuisine.[3]
Schezwan (sic) Chicken/Prawn/Fish/Mutton/Vegetables/Paneer – dishes with this name in fact usually bear very little resemblance to ones from China’s Sichuan Province (although they sometimes contain Sichuan peppercorns). They instead center mainly around a sauce containing Indian red chillies and garlic. (The spelling of “Schezwan” is not a mis-print; this is indeed the how the term tends to be spelled in the Indo-Chinese kitchen rather than “Sichuan”, “Szechuan” or “Szechwan”).[5]
Manchurian Chicken/Prawn/Fish/Mutton/Vegetables/Paneer, generally consisting of a variety of meats or paneer with vegetables in a spicy brown sauce.[6] It is basically a creation of Chinese restaurants in India, and bears little resemblance to traditional Manchu cuisine or Chinese cuisine.[3] It is said to have been invented in 1975 by Nelson Wang; Wang described his invention process as starting from the basic ingredients of an Indian dish, namely chopped garlic, ginger, and green chilis, but next, instead of adding garam masala, he put in soy sauce instead, followed by cornstarch and the chicken itself.[7] A popular vegetarian variant replaces chicken with cauliflower,[6] and is commonly known as gobi manchurian. Other vegetarian variants include mushroom, baby corn, veggie ball Manchurian.
Many overseas Indian restaurants in the West and the Middle East also cater to the overseas Indians’ nostalgic taste for Indian Chinese food.[8] The cuisine is also branching out into the mainstream in major cities of North America such as New York City, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Toronto, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Vancouver. Chinese food in Nairobi, Kenya, also tends to be of this style. It is also available in Australia, especially in Sydney and Melbourne. In many of these places, the restaurants are labelled as Hakka Chinese, when in fact the cuisine itself has very little resemblance to authentic Hakka cuisine. “Hakka” label in these restaurants are usually referring to the owner’s origins, and many Chinese restaurant owners in India were of Hakka origin.
So basically, it’s like American Chinese food; Chinese food made more palatable to the local population. Let’s have a look at this curry.
Ching’s Secret Singapore Curry Instant Noodles – India
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add noodles and seasoning to 250ml boiling water and cook for 2~3 minutes, stirring occasionally, Finally, stir and enjoy!
The noodle block.
The soup base sachet.
Smells like curry.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added a little chilli flake. I must say I like these noodles quite a bit. The have a slightly wider gauge and definitely chewier than many. Curious things they are. As for the flavor, the broth is not abundant and more of a kind of gravy. It’s not thick as gravy, but does have a bit of viscosity to it. I thought the taste was kind of like a curry meets masala with a dab of heat affair. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8901595963409.
I remember the first time I heard about Ching’s Secret – I was very curious about this whole concept of Chinese food in India. As it turns out ‘Desi Chinese’ is kind of like American Chinese food insofar as Chinese bringing their food to a foreign country and adapting it to the tastes of the locals in order to sell more of it. This is a four pack and I would now like to make a formal complaint.
To distributors of instant noodles from India (and many other countries as well). The stickers you put on these products are enormous and very sticky. It takes me extra time to remove them. This one had a 2×6 inch sticker. It was ridiculous. Now, I know you have to do this, to comply with government requirements when it comes to labeling. But honestly, this drives me nuts. There has to be a better way! Maybe some kind of sticker whose ‘sticky’ isn’t so prone to leaving itself on the package? I mean I need to clean my scanner now as it is sticky as well. Thank you.
Okay so now that I’ve aired my grievance, let’s have a look at this one!
Ching’s Secret Schezwan Instant Noodles – India
Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, aadd one noodle block and one sachet to 250ml boiling water. Cook for 2~3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
One of the noodle blocks.
One of the seasoning sachets.
The powder base.
Finished (click to enlarge). Great noodles – they have that kind of sturdy and mushy chew indicative of varieties from India that I enjoy. The flavor is interesting; a kind of spicy then like a tomato with a tiny hint of masala in the background. Interesting stuff. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8901595963355.
I’m really curious about this one – I don’t usually get a lot of Indian varieties lately. Found these at an Indian grocery in Bellevue, Washington. It says it cooks in 15 minutes? Okay – let’s give it a try.
Ching’s Secret Pad Thai Noodles Green Curry – India
Detail of the packaging (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, soak noodles in hot water for 25 minutes. In a skillet, add 2 tbsp oil and some veggies and prawns. Add in sachet contents and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add in noodles and stir fry another 3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
The rice noodles.
A dry seasoning sachet.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added prawn, basil, sesame seed, crushed red pepper, mung bean sprouts, and green onion. Noodle took 25 minutes of soaking which was a while, butt came out nicely. I think a dash of coconut milk would have been nice as the seasoining has a slight grittiness, but all in all a nice strong green curry. 4.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8901595971190.
While this post will publish long after today, I would like to congratulate the people of India on this day! Why? Well, India has landed a craft on the moon! Yeah! I’ve always been into both science fiction as well as science fact. This is very cool stuff – and it looks like there’s a new space race going on currently. Unfortunately, a Russian lander crashed on the moon which is an expensive setback – a couple days ago. Can’t wait to see what the future is like a hundred years from now (don’t worry – I’ll still be around reviewing instant noodles).
Today it’s a hot garlic variety – years back, this was on the top ten spicy list – it got far less spicy than it was originally, but this looks to be a new version – at least new packaging. Let’s give it a whirl!
Detail of the packaging (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add noodle block and a sachet to 250ml boiling water. Boil for 2~3 minutes. Finally, stir and enjoy!
A noodle block.
The package contains four blocks and four dry base sachets.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added egg, charred garlic, sesame seed, scallion, and crushed red pepper. Noodle was pretty good – light on the chew. Broth seemed more tangy than garlic. Not bad. 3.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 8901595963362.
Here’s my next to last of these varieties and I have to say I’ve enjoyed them so far. Nice chewy noodles, good Taiwanese style flavors. These are made for Momofuku, a restaurant founded by David Chang. A-Sha Dry Noodle is making these, so if you like their products, you’ll like these. Let’s cook it up!
Momofuku Spicy Soy Noodles – United States
Detail of the packaging (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, boil noodle 3 minutes. Drain. Add in sachet contents. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Finished (click to enlarge). Added egg, sesame seed, scallion, chashu, and Momofuku Chili Crunch. Noodle has a wonderful gauge and chewiness. The flavor is soy with a bump of heat and it’s very good. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. Finished (click to enlarge). UPC bar code 193937000301.
