Fly By Jing, a woman-owned Chinese condiment brand that went viral for their Sichuan-style chili crunch, is pretty beloved here at Sporked. (And if they’ve been flying under your radar, we encourage you to check out our favorite products from them.) Obviously, when we heard new Fly By Jing noodles had been released, we lined up to try them. Literally. I made Fly By Jing’s new Sweet & Spicy Noodles in the office kitchen, and the rest of the taste-testing team lined up with forks next to me, waiting their turn. But did their noodles live up to our (admittedly high) expectations? Let’s find out.
These sun-dried, knife-cut noodles combine Fly By Jing’s signature Sweet & Spicy Zhong sauce with dried scallions, black vinegar, and soy sauce. On their website, you can get a six pack for $35, which is roughly $5.83 per packet of noodles. Sure, Fly By Jing products have been yummy in the past, but are these small-batch instant noodles worth the price?
Pros: If I die, bury me in a bed of squiggly, knife-cut noodles. No noodles are more satisfying than these slippery, ribbony biang biang noodles, and Fly By Jing’s sun-drying technique really yields quality taste and texture. Plus, the sauce that coats the noodles is incredibly spicy, which is a big plus for heat freaks. You won’t be reaching for the chili flakes—in fact, if you’re anything like me, you’ll squirt a little kewpie mayo on the noodles to calm the fire in your mouth. These almost taste like noodles in a spicy dumpling sauce, not a stir fry sauce, which I’m not mad about.
Cons: Like I mentioned, everyone on the Sporked team tried these new Fly By Jing noodles, and there was one consensus: Under all the Sichuan chili sauce, the flavor is a little one note. We couldn’t decide if it needed more sweetness, saltiness, or just plain MSG. Even a little more sesame oil would add some depth. Don’t get me wrong—these are pretty yummy, just not outstanding, especially for the price. Overall, I definitely enjoyed chowing down on these and they’ll be damn good with some add-ins.
Howdy! I’m a Sporked writer based in L.A., and you can find me overstaying my welcome at just about any coffee shop with free wifi, no matter the speed. Sadly, I can never move back to my home state, Florida, because even if the seafood is totally unmatched, there aren’t enough Mediterranean or Korean restaurants to keep me sane.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!
Ariana Losch
Alex Yakimova
Luke Field
Justine Sterling
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!