Ramen Review 3 - Mama Whole Wheat Ramen, Pork With Black Pepper

Ease of Preparation: 9/10.
Empty the seasoning packets into a bowl, add noodles, pour on about 2 cups of boiling water, and cover for three minutes. Lift the cover, stir, and serve. As easy as it gets.

Vegetable packet: None.

Seasoning packets: 7/10
There were three packets. Pork flavored broth envelope with powdered black pepper; a palm oil packet with some thickeners, more finely ground black pepper, and salt; and a small chili pepper packet that was pretty wonderful all on its own with roughly ground smoky chili peppers, fairly hot but richly flavorful.

Taste: 7/10
The broth had loads of umami, thanks to the salt and MSG in the packets, but was much more artificial tasting than even cheap Maggi pork bouillon cubes. Still, the fruity aroma and sharp bite of freshly ground pepper made up for the pork's shortcomings, and even better was the way in which the black pepper and the dried ground chile pepper accented and intensified each others' heat.

Spiciness: 8/10
Good burn, not so hot as to be uncomfortable but several notches above what Western food companies call "spicy."

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Recommended.

Links:
Thai President Foods Public Company Ltd.