Why Koreans Call Ottogi 'God-ttugi' and What It Means for Ramen
Jin Ramen (진라면) is the Ottogi packet you'll see at H Mart and most Korean grocers, and if you've ever wondered why Korean friends get oddly loyal about it, this week is a good time to explain. On September 11, Ottogi held a memorial in Anyang for its founder, Ham Tae-ho (함태호), ten years after his death. The Korean coverage landed on Monday morning, September 14 KST. I haven't seen it in English yet, which is a shame, because the story behind the packet is the reason a whole country nicknamed the company 갓뚜기, "God-ttugi." This is a pantry post, not a recipe post. The cooking verdict is near the end. The memorial, and what the Korean papers said According to Asia Economy's report (Korean, published 09:04 KST on September 14), the memorial took place on the 11th at Hamtaeho Hall (함태호홀) in Anyang, and was meant to revisit the founder's "quality first" principle and his giving. Aju Economy's version , out an hour later, has more detail: the h...