Parasite fans, quick! Which part of the movie was the most iconic? For some, it deals with the basement. For others, it was this jingle about adopting a false identity. Though for me, the most iconic part was the ram-don. When I saw it for the first time, I said to myself, “What is that? That looks good.” I desperately wanted to cook it for myself at home.
By the way, you should watch Parasite if you haven’t. It touches on power dynamics based on class between two families, and it’s an interesting film. I give it a 7.5/10 rating. Though whether or not you’ve seen the movie, this article won’t contain any spoilers about the plot, so read on to learn about something new today.
What is ram-don? Ram-don is a Korean dish made of ramen and udon noodles. Ram-don is a portmanteau of the words ramen and udon, but that’s the anglicized name for Jjapaguri, its Korean name. Jjapaguri is a portmanteau of instant noodle brands Jjapagetti and Neoguri, and both Jjapagetti and Neoguri noodle packs are the dish’s main ingredients. While Parasite (2019) made “ram-don” (as the subtitles called it) recognizable to international audiences, it existed years before the movie entered pre-production (read about its history via South China Morning Post). Albeit, it was more of a secret menu item amongst Korean military troops.
The jjapaguri featured in Parasite is not fully representative of the homemade jjapaguri in Korean households. In homemade jjapaguri, steak (or any form of beef) is not commonly added, while beef is a symbol of wealth in the movie. However, what better way to explore elements of other cultures than through movies? Cultural exchange through media is very powerful, and I credit Parasite for creatively incorporating a dish like “ram-don” into its plot. As someone interested in other cultures’ cuisines, it made a powerful impression on me.
To honor original names, I’m going to use the word “jjapaguri” instead of “ram-don” for the rest of the article. And now that I’ve given some background about what jjapaguri is, let’s talk about my experiences making it. When I saw Jjapagetti and Neoguri noodle packs at a Walmart near my hometown, I got so excited. I said to myself, “Those are the noodles needed to create that dish from Parasite.” Although I’m an adult now, behavioral etiquette from childhood sticks with you. Thus, I asked my mother if I could buy the noodles. Unsurprisingly, she allowed me to buy them since I had money with me.
That was all I needed to get for jjapaguri. The small pouches inside each pack of noodles acted as seasoning, so there was no need to buy any additional spices. Steak was already prepared at home too, so there was no need to buy that either. I intended to cook jjapaguri that same day, and after having an afternoon rest, I walked into the kitchen and began the cooking.
One good thing about jjapaguri is that it doesn’t take long to make. This was especially true since I had seasoned steak on standby. Following the classic cooking rule, I gathered all the ingredients before proceeding to cook. While the first photo shows a bulb of garlic, I didn’t need a clove from it. I thought garlic was a needed ingredient at that moment, but it wasn’t. Anyways, let’s pretend that it was there just for decoration. Although steak was the last thing mixed into the jjapaguri, it was the first thing cooked on the stove. Since you have to be mindful of meat, it’s best to cook it ahead of time for any recipe.
Since I had to boil water, I decided to do that while continuing to monitor the steak. And then when the steak was ready and the water had successfully boiled, it was time to insert the Jjapagetti and Neoguri noodles. My oh my that was the fun part! You have no idea how satisfying it is to see instant noodles separate whilst stirring them in hot water. I would love to see satisfying compilations of that. Though if those videos exist, please send them my way via Instagram DM.
After the noodles became al dente (as I assumed), it was time to pour out half the noodle water. For me, it was hard to estimate when I poured out enough of it. I did my best considering that I am still a novice at cooking meals. However, pouring out hot noodle water was the segue to the much easier part: adding seasoning. The recipe said to use all the Jjapagetti seasoning and only half of the Neoguri seasoning. Though because the jjapaguri remained bland after doing so, I decided to add the rest of the Neoguri seasoning. Several minutes of stirring and simmering later, it was time to stir in the steak cubes. That was relaxing to me, because that concluded the cooking process!
And then the moment of truth: the taste! THE TASTE TASTE TASTE! Surprisingly, my mother was interested in trying jjapaguri with me. She doesn’t know about the movie Parasite, nor is she adventurous with trying different foods. However, it was convenient for her to have a bowl of jjapaguri since I made it myself. If I bought it from a restaurant, she would probably have a bite and then pass. Though how about we applaud my mother for being the secondary taster? I love it, because she verified my opinions and there’s nothing wrong with having a secondary taster.
I’ll be honest. The jjapaguri was tame on the whole. As I stated two paragraphs ago, I had to use all the Neoguri seasoning to intensify its flavor. Even then, the flavor was rather mild. That surprised me, because I was expecting more spiciness than that. Not necessarily to the level of Buldak noodles (that gave me dragon’s breath), but more than mild nonetheless. The noodle and steak textures complimented each other, but my mother and I agreed that there could’ve been much more flavor. It would’ve been smart to add fresh vegetables like cabbage and carrots to jjapaguri. As for the noodles, it was possible to use fresh, high-quality packaged noodles instead of instant ones.
Of course I didn’t perform any additional steps, because I wanted to try jjapaguri à la Parasite. However, I will not use instant noodles the next time I make jjapaguri. Instead, I will use fresher noodles from the store and incorporate seasonings straight from the cabinet. Seriously, I believe fresh jjapaguri would taste so much better, and there are recipes for fresh jjapaguri out there. If you would love to try a unique instant noodle dish, go ahead and make Parasite’s jjapaguri with Jjapagetti and Neoguri noodles. Though if you don’t like instant noodles, you’re better off making jjapaguri from scratch. Either way, it’s worth trying just for kicks.
If you’ve never seen Parasite, have a night where you make jjapaguri and eat it while you watch the movie. That way, you are not only watching a Korean movie, you are also trying a Korean dish that’s present of the movie. That makes for a hands-on and visual learning experience, and you can’t beat a multifaceted approach to cultural engagement.
Link to jjapaguri recipe (courtesy of Kimchimari): https://kimchimari.com/ram-don-jjapaguri-movie-parasite/
