Is Buldak Ramen Vegetarian? The Answer Will Surprise You

If you adhere to a plant-based diet and love eating ramen, you know that there are many restaurants that offer vegetarian- and vegan-friendly options to enjoy. Sometimes, though, you may prefer to cook at home and make an amazing vegetarian ramen dish yourself.

The Buldak Ramen brand is a popular choice for consumers, but if you follow a plant-based diet, does this brand offer animal-free options that are safe to eat?

Before you go off and purchase boxes of Buldak Ramen, be sure to read this Green Matters guide below. We'll explore the ingredients within Buldak Ramen, identify if any of their various flavors contain vegetarian- and vegan-friendly ingredients, and whether or not you should be skeptical of certain additives in their flavor options that may threaten their animal-free nature.

If you're a ramen connoisseur and you're interested in the Buldak Ramen brand, keep reading below.

No, Buldak Ramen is not vegetarian, for several reasons. According to the Negi & Nori brand website, Buldak Ramen is not vegetarian-friendly. "A bit of chicken extract is used for the savor effect, rendering it unacceptable to vegetarians," according to the website.

Furthermore, many Buldak Ramen flavor options are all animal-based, as the seasoning mix contains chicken powder. "Some varieties contain fish sauce, which complicates matters for vegetarians," per the website.

As the Caring Consumer website notes, "Sugar is also listed as an ingredient in Buldak Ramen’s sauce. While sugar itself is not an animal product, it is often processed with bone char, which is made from the bones of cows."

While the Buldak Ramen brand sadly is not vegan due to the inclusion of sugar that is processed with bone char, as well as chicken flavoring derived from powdered chicken remains, there are still plenty of other vegetarian- and vegan-friendly brands and recipes that you can enjoy.

If you are a ramen lover, thankfully, some very creative vegans have got you covered with plant-based recipes that are sure to be a hit the next time you and your family and friends are craving ramen.

The Easy Vegan Ramen Noodle Soup recipe from Michelle Cehn of World of Vegan is ready in 25 minutes and utilizes vegetable broth, rice ramen noodles from Lotus Foods, and naturally vegan ingredients to replicate the delicious flavors of a savory ramen but without the fish or chicken ingredients.

This recipe from Jeeca of The Foodie Takes Flight on Instagram is definitely a crowd pleaser, and will certainly astound ramen lovers of all dietary preferences. I find that the inclusion of nut butter, garlic chili oil, and gochujang makes the flavor profile of the ramen dish so remarkably complex, incredibly flavorful, and unlike other ramen recipes or those found at restaurants.

This recipe is certainly one to break out for your special occasions.