I ate pickle-flavored ramen so you don’t have to
Dill pickle-flavored Cup Noodles instant ramen tastes like I'm grabbing a cheap lunch aboard a UFO.
It's a cartoonishly alien tangle of flavors straight out of a '50s sci-fi movie. It's a sour, noodly aberration that discombobulates my sense with flavors that my puny human brain isn't equipped to handle.
Seeing the familiar tangle of cheap noodles in styrofoam, part of my brain is still expecting to get the usual savory vibes.
Instead, it's sour and sharp in a way I was not expecting. There's way more dill flavor than actual "pickle vibes."
It's like expecting to see Coldplay perform when, all of a sudden, a hardcore punk band from Allston takes the stage. I thought I was getting a familiar, chill experience. Instead, it feels like this performance is angry at me.
You might hate it. You might love it. That depends on how much you like your food to taste angry, sour and acidic.
Dill Pickle Cup Noodles Instant Ramen | Review
Dill Pickle Cup Noodles represent an ill-advised sequel to last year's ramen abomination – Smore's Ramen – that cashes in on popular brands' efforts to try a pickle version of everything. (Get ready for society to collapse when Oreo finally gets around to experimenting with pickle crimes.)
Going off the ingredients list, the "dill pickle with other natural flavors" is generated by incorporating dill weed, dried cucumber powder and distilled white vinegar.
Much to my chagrin, the only cooking directions featured on the cup were for the microwave.
So it's with great shame that I admit that I nuked a cup of pickle ramen for four minutes before slurping down this cup of nightmares.
I feel like I just confessed to a crime.
What does it taste like?
The noodles are intensely herbaceous, with the flavor of the dill dominating your palate. Overall, it's sharp, acidic and sour – like lemon juice or vinegar.
You don't get a lot of pure pickle flavor. It's more of a dill-laden hot-and-sour noodle.
The flavor is absolutely "Looney Tunes." But it feels like there's an actual plan here. The sharp acidity of the flavoring creates a nice balance with the starch of the noodle.
The best comparison I can think of is a side of pasta with chicken piccata that's absolutely loaded up with capers and lemon.
So is it any good?
It's a weird flavor, but not terrible. The sour buzz is somewhat enticing, creating a curious crackle of flavors that can be weirdly addictive.
I don't think I'd purposefully eat this again. But I wouldn't be surprised if it fits some people's niche.
This would really benefit from some savory element balancing it out. If it had some pork or even some veggies, that would be a major improvement.
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"I ate it so you don't have to" is a regular food column about off-beat eats, both good and bad. I picked the name years ago and now we're sort of stuck with it.
You can send any praise/food suggestions to nomalley@masslive.com . Please send all criticisms and complaints about pickle being added to everything to atourangeu@masslive.com. You can check out the rest of the series here .
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