On 2nd March, Nongshim launched the Baehongdong Makguksu, the fourth product in its Baehongdong line of cold mixed noodles. The new offering combines a dried buckwheat noodle made with domestically grown Korean buckwheat, the brand's signature spicy-tangy bibim sauce, and the nutty richness of perilla oil. It follows the original Baehongdong Bibimmyeon (2021), Baehongdong Jjoljjolmyeon (2023), and Baehongdong Kalbimmyeon (2025), and marks the brand's first foray into the makguksu category — Korean-style buckwheat noodles traditionally served cold.
The Story
The Baehongdong brand traces its origins to 2021, when Nongshim introduced its Baehongdong Bibimmyeon — a cold mixed noodle dressed in a sauce fermented from pear, red chilli, and dongchimi (radish water kimchi). Backed by sharp marketing and a genuinely distinctive flavour profile, the product claimed second place in the summer cold-noodle market in its very first year, breaking the near-total dominance that Paldo Bibimmyeon had long enjoyed and establishing a credible second pillar in the category. Nongshim built on that momentum, extending the line into chewy jjol noodles and flat knife-cut noodles, before turning its attention this year to makguksu.
Makguksu differs meaningfully from standard cold bibim noodles: its identity rests on the earthy depth of buckwheat and the toasty fragrance of perilla oil. To honour that, Nongshim opted for dried noodles incorporating Korean buckwheat, and reworked its existing bibim sauce by adding perilla oil and a sharp note of mustard. The product also includes dried seaweed and whole-buckwheat flakes as toppings, gesturing towards the experience of eating at a specialist makguksu restaurant. Nongshim has previously said that differentiation in sauce quality sits at the heart of the Baehongdong proposition; this latest release can be read as an attempt to extend the brand into new territory by introducing perilla oil as a meaningful new variable.
Taste Assessment
The first thing you notice is a vivid sweet-and-sour punch. The bright acidity and sweetness derived from pear, red chilli, and dongchimi hit first, followed by a gentle, lingering nuttiness from the perilla oil. A light kick of mustard sharpens the finish, producing a flavour profile that is clearly distinct from a standard cold bibim noodle — more complex, more rounded. The heat level is mild rather than aggressive, making this accessible even to those sensitive to spice; sourness and savoriness do the heavy lifting here.
The buckwheat noodles themselves deliver a pleasingly earthy, soft texture that sets them apart from conventional bibim noodles. The seaweed and whole-buckwheat flake toppings add both visual appeal and textural contrast, lending the finished bowl a credibility that approaches a proper sit-down makguksu restaurant. In May, Nongshim collaborated with Sauvage — a buckwheat-focused fine-dining restaurant that has earned a Michelin Selected listing for two consecutive years (2025 and 2026) — to present the Baehongdong Makguksu reimagined as a course within a fine-dining menu. That partnership speaks to a degree of confidence in the product's underlying quality.
Verdict
The strength of the Baehongdong Makguksu lies not in any single standout feature but in the even persuasiveness of all three dimensions: flavour, concept, and price. The combination of the sweet-tangy sauce with perilla oil's nuttiness distinguishes it from the rest of the Baehongdong range while offering exactly the kind of refreshment that suits summer eating. Repositioning the product around the makguksu category carves out a clear point of difference in an already crowded cold-noodle market. And the Michelin collaboration suggests Nongshim is confident the product can hold its own under scrutiny. This is not a noodle you buy on the strength of one bold trick — it is a choice that holds up when you look at the whole picture.
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)
In a sentence "No single moment dazzles — but nothing disappoints either."