Ottogi, the second-largest ramen company in South Korea after Nongshim, has recently launched the ‘Oppa Ramen’ series in Vietnam, combining the characteristics of Korean and Vietnamese ramen. Vietnam has the highest per capita ramen consumption in the world, with an annual average of 87 servings per person.
According to the food industry, Ottogi began offering Oppa Ramen, produced at its Bac Ninh factory in Hanoi, Vietnam, on major local online shopping malls and supermarkets at the end of last month. As it is still in the early stages of release, full-scale marketing and promotions have not yet begun.
This ramen is produced and distributed locally by Ottogi in Vietnam, considering the tastes of Vietnamese people while utilizing the planning and manufacturing expertise of the Korean brand. The name ‘Oppa Ramen’ borrows the familiar term ‘oppa’ (meaning ‘older brother’ in Korean) to resonate with Vietnamese consumers.
Among the four varieties of the Oppa Ramen, two feature familiar flavors popular in both Korea and Vietnam: beef and shrimp. The other two, Shallot Seafood Stir-fried Noodles and Pork Rib Jjajang (Black bean sauce) Ramen, introduce new flavors tailored to the local palate.
The portion size is set at 65g, which is typical for Vietnamese ramen, usually ranging from 65g to 80g. In contrast, ramen sold in Korea usually weighs around 120g. Therefore, Oppa Ramen’s portion size is about half of that found in Korea.
The product’s price is also set to match local ramen at 8,000 dong ($0.31) per packet. This is similar to the prices of locally popular brands like Acecook’s Hao Hao and Vifon’s Shrimp flavored Ramen, which are sold for $0.20 - $0.31 in large local supermarkets.
By reducing the portion size and pricing it at about one-third of the cost of existing Korean ramen, Oppa Ramen is considered to have secured price competitiveness. In comparison, Nongshim’s Shin Ramyun and Samyang’s Buldak Bokkeummyeon are much more expensive, at around $0.90.
Ottogi considers its Vietnamese branch a hub for its global business. Despite the company being heavily dependent on domestic sales, with over 90% of its revenue coming from within S. Korea, Ottogi has always struggled to expand its overseas business to secure competitiveness. Currently, Vietnam is the only country where Ottogi has both a local factory and a sales subsidiary.
However, competitors like Nongshim, Samyang Foods, and Paldo are also performing well in the Vietnamese market. Industry insiders believe that Ottogi needed a decisive move like Oppa Ramen to outpace its rivals.
Until now, it has been rare for S. Korean ramen brands to successfully localize the three elements of portion size, taste, and price in Vietnam. Nongshim and Samyang Foods do not have local factories in Vietnam and sell their domestic products directly. Paldo has introduced Vietnam-specific products from its local factory, but these tend to be relatively expensive.
