What is the story behind instant noodles?

There are three things that guarantee a mind of bliss and satisfaction. The resonating yet gratifying sound of solid noodle blocks being cracked before the pieces are dropped into a boiling pot of water. Then there’s the smell that erupts when you mix in the spices and let the noodles simmer. And finally, the beautiful sight of the softened ramen folding and twisting around the fork as you bring it to your mouth, ready to explode with flavour!

Born from a war

That’s right. The delicacy many of us enjoy due to its flavour and ease of preparation was created following observations made during the aftermath of World War II. The inventor of instant ramen, Momofuku Ando, had witnessed a painful sight that served as the main base of influence for his creation. Following World War II, Ando had seen hungry folks in Osaka wait out in the cold in long queues just so that they could get a single bowl of ramen. In his biography, he recalled the powerful influence the sight had on him. Making a normal bowl of ramen took up a lot of time and money.

During this time, food scarcity was a common serious issue, and Ando remembered telling himself this strong piece of advice: “Peace will come when people have food.” This is when the easy-to-prepare, mouthwatering noodle dish first originated in the form of an idea. Marketing was done for the first time for instant noodles on 25 August 1958, under the brand name Chikin Ramen. After constant trial-and-error experimentation in his garden shed, Ando came up with the idea of flash-frying cooked noodles in oil, vaporising their water content. He formulated this idea from watching his wife make deep-fried tempura. This method of flash-frying gave the noodles a longer shelf life, more than that of frozen noodles.

“Peace will come when people have food.””Momofuku Ando

Noodles in cups

If there is one smell that would take my mind to another world and lift the soles of my feet off the ground, it would be the strong flavour that spreads and enters my nostrils the second I take a sniff from the open lid of a container holding fully prepared cup noodles.

But when did instant ramen become available in cups? Well, the answer to that lies in a journey Ando had taken to the United States in the year 1966, with the goal of spreading the business of Chikin Ramen across the seas. There, he realised that the traditional bowls that were used to serve ramen were not readily available. He witnessed the locals breaking the ramen blocks into paper cups, adding hot water, and eating them with forks once they turned soft. This simple method was soon turned into a global product that many of us choose to consume for days when we want a simple, delicious snack.

A word of caution

Yes, instant ramen is incredibly delicious and easy to make. But it is also known to be unhealthy, due to its low fibre and protein. It’s fine if you eat it occasionally, but don’t make it a regular on your food list! Studies have shown that those who frequently consume instant noodles are highly likely to face nutritional imbalance, low blood pressure and glucose. It’s not that you can’t enjoy a steaming bowl of these noodles. You can, just don’t turn it into a frequent meal!