Korea Souvenir Road

Sometimes, Koreans miss EoMook (Odeng) while working in the office because of its soup. It’s rarely available as it requires bringing a bowl to share and purchasing snacks to accompany it. Interestingly, some office workers have found creative ways to enjoy it, substituting their coffee or tea tumblers with EoMook soup, and even Ddeokbboki. However, there’s still a gap in enjoying it in the real world as one needs to go out to buy EoMook for its soup, often prompting others to eat snacks even when they’re not hungry.  

When was it released?

In 2019, right before Covid pandemic, this tea bag was released. I came across it at Home Plus supermarket last year. Although I’m not an office worker, it intrigued me, but not enough to buy. Recently, I found another package named InSaengHaeJangTea (the best tea for curing hangover in your life), offering three different tastes: Ramen soup, Rice noodle soup, and Spicy hot pot soup. For this tea, I chose Ramen soup, a typical Korean selection. Finally, I ordered it online, opting for three combinations of two types of EoMook tea and one InSaengHaeJangTea, costing about 9,000 won.

The packages

Their packages are simple. The 2 EoMook Tea variants have slightly different tastes: Original and Spicy. You can recognize them by their color, with the spicy one in a red package. InSaengHaeJangTea also comes in 3 different colors, with the Ramen flavor in a dark red package. They showcase tips for enjoyment, such as during outdoor activities, eating snacks at home, or when feeling hungry at school or the office. Additionally, InSaengHaeJangTea provides tips for curing a hangover. 

Ingredient

Both EoMook teas contain EoMookTang soup powder and vegetable mix. EoMookTang soup is the key component that sets them apart. The ingredient list includes glucose, corn starch, and seasoning powder. Collaborating with SamJin EoMook, a renowned company for its EoMook products, adds authenticity to the tea. InSaengHaeJangTea, indicate it as the best tea for curing hangovers, has its own key soup powder, along with a unique powder extract from the fruit of the oriental raisin tree. 

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Brewing teas

The InSaengHaeJangTea package, known as the best tea for curing hangovers, is smaller than others. It recommends pouring 120ml of water, which is 30ml less than other teas, and requires an additional 2 minutes for brewing. Upon pouring hot water, I could smell the aroma of EoMook and Ramen almost immediately. Within a few seconds, the water color changed, though they were just slightly different. Following the instructions, I shook the InSaengHaeJangTea bag for about 2 minutes. 

Taste

EoMook Tea, Original flavor: 

It tasted exactly as I expected, reminiscent of childhood memories. I was surprised to learn that it contains corn starch, which I had never noticed before. I also detected a slight hint of spiciness, perhaps not noticeable to most Koreans but possibly perceived as spicy by non-Koreans. I tried using this tea bag while cooking EoMook Tang (Odeng stew), and there was no noticeable difference. If you don’t have EoMook Tang powder but only have this tea bag, you can boil it instead. 

EoMook Tea, Spicy flavor:

Yes, it’s spicy. Non-Koreans or Koreans unaccustomed to spice may find it quite spicy. I was a bit disappointed; the taste doesn’t quite match that of EoMook Soup—it’s a bit lighter. While it’s good as a tea, it didn’t inspire me to make EoMook Tang🫠.

InSaengHaeJangTea, Ramen Soup flavor:

Hmm, for me, it’s more like a tea than a Ramen soup. I didn’t taste any Ramen, but the flavor of the oriental raisin tree fruit came through strongly. Since this tea is aimed at curing hangovers, I understand the emphasis on the fruit flavor. So, I think it focuses more on relieving hangovers than capturing the taste of Ramen. It may not be the right choice for someone craving Korean Ramen. 

For tourist

It would be great to bring EoMook back to your country, but it might be difficult in some places or add weight to your luggage. For those wanting to enjoy its soup without the extra weight, EoMook tea in the Original Flavor is a good alternative. 

Information

Where to buy

You can purchase it at supermarkets like Home plus, E-mart and Lotte mart.

Cost

About 6,000 for 1 package. 
10 tea bag of EoMookTea per package, 6 tea bag fer InSaengHaeJangTea per package