A-Sha's Adorable BT21-Inspired Ramen Collection Is Coming To Target
When three of the world's most popular brands — one culinary, one music, and one visual art — converge to create a new product, you can almost feel the shockwave created by the news traveling at light-speed around the world. That's certainly what the recent announcement of a new line of noodles from A-Sha foods and LINE FRIEND'S intellectual property collaboration with BTS, BT21, felt like.
The noodle collection is a reflection of the spirited and always-unique ethos of BT21 and the delicious and meticulous craftsmanship of A-Sha. According to a press release sent to Tasting Table, the collection includes three variety packs: Street Style, Galaxy, and a combination of both. Street Style contains 8 packs of the company's popular Dan-Dan Noodles with Dream Team Scallion Sauce, which is made from aged soy sauce and red onions from Taiwan, and BT21 Sauce, which consists of soybeans, white chilis, and sesame oil; The Galaxy Variety Box comes with 8 packs of 3-D UNIVERSTAR Meteor Noodle with BT21 Sauce and Galaxy Spicy Sauce, which features chili paste, Sichuan peppers, and white sesame oil.
Both variety packs retail for $19.99 each and the combo pack goes for $36.99. All items are currently available online and expected to arrive at Target stores in October.
Noodles and creatures converge
A-Sha has been carefully crafting its signature noodles for 40 years, but the recipe goes back 100 years to a noodle shop in Tainan, Taiwan, according to the A-Sha website. A deceptively simple combination of finely-sifted wheat, water, and salt, all of the A-Sha line of noodles pack 10 grams of plant-based protein per serving. Unlike most commercial ramen noodles, A-Sha noodles are never fried, but rather undergo a signature 18-hour drying process.
This isn't the first collaboration the noodle company has undertaken either. Outlined on its collaboration page is the noodle company's work with celebrity chef and noted noodle aficionado David Chang. And, according to Spectrum News, the company also recently debuted a dish at the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Los Angeles Market at Smorgasbord LA. Called the Flying Noodle Bowl and inspired by sampuru, the dish was a combination of curly noodles floating over meat and vegetables. The dish debuted in tandem with an L.A.-area food truck meant to highlight and celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.
BT21 brings a playfulness to the collaboration that is matched by the bold flavors of A-Sha. On its site, BT21 explains that the eight characters — each designed by a different member of BTS — are an interstellar band of animal-like creatures.