Instant noodles

Instant noodles, or instant ramen, is a type of food consisting of noodles sold in a precooked and dried block with flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil. The dried noodle block was originally created by flash-frying cooked noodles, which is still the dominant method used in Asian countries; air-dried noodle blocks are favored in Western countries. Dried noodle blocks are designed to be cooked or soaked in boiling water before eating. Ramen, a Japanese adaptation of Chinese noodle soup, is sometimes used as a descriptor for instant noodle flavors by some Japanese manufacturers. It has become synonymous in the United States with all instant noodle products.

Instant noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando of Nissin Foods in Japan. They were launched in 1958 under the brand name Chikin Ramen. In the 1960s, they became popular in the United States, and a subsidiary of Nissin Foods was established there. In 1971, Nissin introduced Cup Noodles, the first cup noodle product. Instant noodles are marketed worldwide under many brand names.

The main ingredients in instant noodles are flour, starch, water, salt and/or kansui (かん水), a type of alkaline mineral water containing sodium carbonate and usually potassium carbonate, and sometimes a small amount of phosphoric acid. Common ingredients in the flavoring powder are salt, monosodium glutamate, seasoning, and sugar. The flavoring is typically in a separate packet. In cup noodles, flavouring powder is often loose in the cup. Some instant noodle products are seal-packed and can be reheated or eaten straight from the packet or container.

History

The history of noodles in China dates back many centuries, and there is evidence that a noodle that is boiled and then fried and served in a soup, similar to Yi noodle, dates to ancient China. According to legend, during the Qing dynasty, a chef put already-cooked egg noodles in to boil. To rescue them, he scooped them out and fried them in hot oil, serving them as a soup. According to the Journal of Ethnic Foods, early instant noodle packaging was labelled "Yi noodles."

Modern instant noodles were created by Momofuku Ando in Japan. They were first marketed on 25 August 1958 by Ando's company, Nissin, under the brand name Chikin Ramen.

Before Ando invented instant noodles, the process of mechanically curving noodles into a wavy shape had already been invented by Yoshio Murata in 1953. Murata's invention made it possible to curl noodles dozens of times faster, paving the way for the mass production of instant noodles. Curving noodles into a wave shape presents the advantages that more noodles fit into a small package, the noodles are less likely to stick together during cooking, they cook more evenly and have improved taste and flavor, they are less fragile and easier to transport and store, drying and shaping is easier, their elasticity is improved, and the noodles are less likely to slip off chopsticks or forks when eaten.

Ando developed the entire production method of flash-frying noodles from processes of noodle-making, steaming, seasoning, to dehydrating in oil heat, creating the "instant" noodle. This dried the noodles and gave them a longer shelf life, exceeding that of frozen noodles. Each noodle block was pre-seasoned and sold for ¥35. The instant noodles became ready to eat in two minutes by adding boiling water. Due to their price and novelty, Chikin Ramen were considered a luxury item initially, as Japanese grocery stores typically sold fresh noodles for one-sixth of their price. Despite this, instant noodles eventually gained immense popularity, especially after being promoted by Mitsubishi Corporation. First gaining popularity across East Asia, the United States, and Southeast Asia, where they are now firmly embedded within local cultures, instant noodles eventually spread to and gained popularity across most other parts of the world.

A separate claim of origin for instant noodles comes from Pingtung County in Taiwan. Chang Kuo-wen, a Pingtung local, filed a patent for instant noodles in 1956. On 16 August 1961, Zhang supposedly transferred the patent to Momofuku Ando for ¥23 million.

In 1966, when Ando was in the United States promoting Chikin Ramen, he observed how Americans would divide up a ramen block, put it in a paper cup, and pour boiling water over it, inspiring him with the idea for his new product. In 1971, Nissin introduced Nissin Cup Noodles, a cup noodle to which boiling water is added to cook the noodles. Dried vegetables began to be included in the cup, creating a complete instant soup dish. Cup noodles combine the functions of packaging material, a container for boiling water, and a bowl to eat the noodles from. Heading off the recent rise in health consciousness, many manufacturers launched instant noodles with various healthy recipes: noodles with dietary fiber and collagen, low-calorie noodles, and low-sodium noodles.

In a Japanese poll conducted in 2000, instant noodles were voted the best Japanese invention of the 20th century. As of 2018, approximately 103 billion servings of instant noodles were eaten worldwide every year. China consumed 40 billion packages of instant noodles per year (39% of world consumption), Indonesia 12 billion, India 6 billion, Japan 5.7 billion, and Vietnam 5.2 billion. The top three per-capita consuming nations are South Korea (74.6 servings), Vietnam (53.9 servings), and Nepal (53 servings).

Composition

There are three key ingredients in wheat-based noodles: wheat flour, water, and salt. Other than the three main ingredients, USDA regulations allow instant noodles to contain palm oil, seasoning, sodium phosphates, potato starches, gums, and other ingredients.