How to Make Jjapaguri / Chapaguri (Ram-don from Parasite)

Method

Bring a big pot of water to the boil — enough to cover two noodle blocks. (On their own, Chapagetti uses 600 ml and Neoguri 550 ml; most of it is poured away.)

Add both noodle blocks, both packets of flakes and Neoguri’s piece of kelp. Boil for 5 minutes — the time on both packs.

Pour the water away, leaving about a ladleful in the pot.

Add all of the Chapagetti sauce powder and only part of the Neoguri soup powder — start with about half and taste.

Add the Chapagetti oil and stir-fry over low heat for about a minute, until glossy.

For “ram-don” as in the film, top it with pan-fried cubes of steak.

Why it is famous

Koreans were mixing these two noodles long before 2019, but Bong Joon-ho’s film Parasite made the dish famous worldwide: the English subtitles called it “ram-don”, a mix of ramen and udon. Nongshim, which spells it “Chapaguri”, later sold ready-made Chapaguri cups for export.

Tips

Salty? Use less Neoguri powder next time — the Chapagetti sauce alone carries the flavour.
Neoguri’s thick noodles and Chapagetti’s thinner ones cook in the same 5 minutes.
A fried egg or a slice of cheese on top is common at home.

Quick answers

What is Jjapaguri?

Jjapaguri (짜파구리, also spelled Chapaguri) is a mix of two Nongshim instant noodles: Chapagetti (black bean) and Neoguri (spicy seafood). The English subtitles of the film Parasite called it “ram-don”.

How much Neoguri soup powder do you use?

Use all of the Chapagetti sauce and only part of the Neoguri powder — about half is a good start, then add more to taste.

How long do you cook Jjapaguri?

Both packs say 5 minutes, so boil both noodle blocks together for 5 minutes.

Sources

Cooking times are from the Chapagetti and Neoguri packs (Costco Korea listings). The method follows Nongshim’s published Chapaguri recipe as summarised by The Ramen Rater.

How to Make Jjapaguri (Chapaguri, Ram-don) 짜파구리