The beef noodle dish featured in the movie Parasite is causing a sensation.

Ramdon noodles appear in a delightful scene in the film. It's when Mr. Park's family returns home after a day of camping and unexpectedly encounters rain, prompting housekeeper Kim to hastily prepare a bowl of ramdon for Mr. Park's son. Despite its brief appearance amidst the urgency, this unique noodle dish quickly caught the attention of food enthusiasts due to its unusual and appealing appearance.

Ramdon, also known as Chapaguri, is a dish that combines two popular Korean noodle dishes: black bean noodles (Chapagetti) and spicy noodles (Neoguri). Both Chapaghetti and Neoguri are instant noodles that are very familiar to Koreans. However, the filmmakers of Parasite cleverly portrayed the distinct "luxury" of Mr. Park's family in the film – when Mrs. Kim was asked to add a very expensive ingredient to the dish: Hanwoo beef, a type of domestic beef beloved by Koreans and a luxurious gift during holidays and festivals.

“The dishes in Parasite are not just to satisfy the characters’ appetites; they are also metaphors for social stratification, reflecting director Bong Joon-ho’s satirical intentions,” the Korea Herald reported. “The bizarre combination stems from the wealthy mother’s unwillingness to let her son eat a cheap meal. That’s why expensive Hanwoo beef is added to the ramdon noodles.”

GS25, South Korea's largest convenience store chain, reported a 61.1% increase in sales of Chapagetti black bean noodles and Neoguri spicy noodles a day after Parasite won the most important Oscar awards. Cup versions of these two ramen varieties also saw a 33.7% increase in sales over the same period.

Nongshim, the company that produces the two instant noodle products, said sales of both products surged 60% compared to the previous week. Prior to that, when the film premiered domestically last May, sales of these two noodle products also saw a slight increase.

Currently, Nongshim is also making the most of the film's popularity to promote its products overseas. Immediately after Parasite's success, Nongshim uploaded a video of the ramdon noodle recipe to YouTube in 11 languages. A representative said the company is in the process of considering launching a complete ramdon cup noodle product in the US.

Furthermore, thanks to the Parasite phenomenon, other food and drinks featured in the film also became highly sought after. The inexpensive Filite beer, which appeared in the scene where the poor family eats together, saw sales increase by over 20%. Korean retailers seized this lucrative opportunity, offering discounts and attractive promotions for customers purchasing items featured in the film.

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Bong Joon-ho's film *Parasite* recently won four prestigious Academy Awards. It is the first Asian film to win Best Picture and also the first foreign film to win Best Picture in the nearly 100-year history of the Oscars. The film's victory is attributed to its successful portrayal of the stark wealth inequality in modern South Korean society.

Huong Thao