In Russia, Instant Noodles Are Called 'Dosirac' — 8 Billion Bowls, Started by Busan Port Traders
In Russia, a cup noodle is simply a 'Dosirac.' Paldo's Dosirac has sold 8 billion units there alone, ten times its 800 million in Korea. It started as word of mouth among sailors and traders shuttling through Busan port.
It started at Busan port
Dosirac debuted in 1986 as Korea's first container noodle with a lid and a square tray. In the early 1990s, Russian sailors and traders traveling between Busan and Vladivostok began buying it by the crate.
It looked like their portable soup containers, its flat square base stayed put on a ship, and the spicy broth felt like Russian soup.
It stayed when everyone left
Paldo opened a Russian office in 1997. When Russia declared a moratorium the next year and most global companies pulled out, Paldo stayed and pushed into Siberia and the Urals.
Local factories followed in the 2000s. Dosirac now holds 60% of Russia's container-noodle market, according to Money Today.
A fork, and mayonnaise
Russians eat a lot of noodles on trains, so every product comes with a fork. That is a big reason it became a Trans-Siberian essential.
Russians' habit of stirring mayonnaise into the broth until it melts like cheese led to 'Dosirac Plus,' launched in 2012 with a mayo sachet.
Now it's a 'kingdom'
Paldo's Russian sales arm posted record revenue of KRW 500.9 billion for 2025 (Bizwatch). In February it set up a new entity, 'Dosirac CG,' with about KRW 10.6 billion (Asia Economy).
Now Nongshim is entering Russia too, pricing mid-range lines at around KRW 2,000 and premium from KRW 3,800.
Worth knowing
In 2014 Dosirac won Product of the Year from the Russian National Trade Association, a first for an instant noodle, and in 2021 it received 'well-known trademark' status from Russia's patent office, a first for a Korean company.
The Russian lineup differs from the Korean one, with chicken, pork, mushroom and shrimp flavors for local tastes.
Sources & context
2026-10-18T03:15:09.376Z
Money Today · report on Paldo's Dosirac in Russia (June 6, 2026) ↗Bizwatch · report on Paldo and Nongshim in Russia (Apr. 14, 2026) ↗Asia Economy · report on Paldo's new Russian entity (Apr. 23, 2026) ↗Paldo's Dosirac as sold in Russia. Photo: courtesy of Paldo