The Easy Cheesy (And French) Upgrade Your Ramen Is Begging For

Instant ramen has been a lifesaver for hungry teens and college students everywhere for over 50 years. Because it's been so beloved for so long, people have realized it's easy to adapt and spice up for upgraded flavor and nutritional value. Adding a fried egg, fresh veggies, or hot sauce are pretty classic modifications. While there are many ways to elevate your instant ramen, one viral way to do it is to get cheesy. If you want to make it feel especially classy, use a few slices of Brie. While most people know what Brie is, not everyone can bring its flavor to mind. It's a mild, fragrant, and traditionally soft cheese hailing from the northern region of France. Unlike cheddar or Monterey Jack, it's aged in a rind for weeks before becoming ripe. When melted, it takes on a rich, buttery, nutty flavor that goes well with cured meats, stone fruit, and walnuts.

While the ramen-and-Brie combo might sound like a flavor abomination, the creaminess this addition creates cannot be denied. The most viral way to perform this hack is by adding several chunks or slices of Brie to a cup of Shin Ramyun, then mixing well to incorporate before eating. You can use pretty much any spicy ramen variety for a silky, spicy broth and cheesy tang. As one enthusiastic Reddit user described it, "the flavors merge together and dance in a circle, something like the Ratatouille scene."

Before you turn your nose up at how non-traditional this fusion is, keep in mind that there is a precedent for adding cheese to ramen. Maybe not Brie, but the original ramen cheese was actually a lot less fancy. During the Korean War, South Korean army bases were inundated with U.S. military rations. These included Spam, canned beans, and, you guessed it, American cheese slices. Koreans began experimenting with these rations as ingredients in more traditional cuisine. They created something called budae-jjigae, or "army stew," that consisted of ramyun noodles, local vegetables, a very spicy broth, and cheese.

Cheese wasn't really used in this region much before the Korean War, but after that, it became a staple of many common local dishes, including instant ramyun. This is very similar to Japanese instant ramen, except it often has thicker noodles and usually includes a spicier, less liquid broth. The cheese mellows this spice and creates a rich flavor without being overpowering. Nowadays, American cheese is still used as a way to make creamy instant ramen easily. While it does get people up in arms at times, the dish has been endorsed by the likes of chef Roy Choi and the New York Times. Considering it's inexpensive and quick to make, you should give it a try before you pan it. If you find you like it, you can kick it up a notch and ditch the American in favor of a more ritzy Brie version.

With all this in mind, Brie doesn't seem like that wild an addition to ramen or ramyun. The French cheese's runniness makes it melt easily and mix in well, thickening the broth and evening out extra spiciness. For more proof that cheese ramen isn't just a TikTok fad, keep in mind that several brands have started making their own cheese instant ramen. These include major names such as Maruchan, Nissin, and Buldak, the latter of which has several cheese flavor options to select from. If you want to get creative, however, and try your own hand at some cheesy ramen flavors, it's pretty easy to experiment.

For a uniformly smooth and thickened mouthfeel, add some spoonfuls of cream cheese to the broth and stir well. If you're craving a mac and cheese sort of vibe, mixing in some cheddar with a little butter near the end of cooking can give you a sharp tang. For simply photographic cheese pulls, top it all with some fresh mozzarella before covering so it gets melty. A creamy carbonara ramen hack has also become viral in recent years, and Parmesan is the perfect way to bring out that salty bite in this dish. Of course, if you want to try the original cheese ramen, apply a slice of yellow American cheese as a topping. You might just end up with a whole new favorite ramen upgrade.