A short history of a long noodle

Food prices remain high, even if inflation is switched off and instant noodles are at the top of the cheap options.

More than 100 billion portions of instant ramen are consumed each year, making it one of the most popular food for convenience in the world.

Instant noodles are global goods. But when were they invented, and the ramen have always been a “wrestling meal”?

Early origins

Most people attribute the global popularity of ramen to its low prices and its easy preparation, but an overview of the original history behind noodles reveals roots of the working class and innovative cooking techniques.

In 1910, Ozaki Kan’ichi, a former Japanese customs official, abandoned his career to open a Chinese restaurant in Asakusa, a working class district in Tokyo. Rai -i Ken was the first Chinese restaurant belonging to a Japanese national.

Before it is called the Ramen, fine noodles of Chinese wheat in the soup were called Chūka Soba (literally, Chinese noodles). The Kan’ichi menu included a soybean flavor soup with noodles, roasted pork, dried algae and a fish cake. The broth and garnishes were new additions to the previous versions of Chinese noodle soups served in Japan, which is preparing a more substantial meal.

An ancient Chinese technique using alkaline water, Kansui, made the noodles curly, soft and a light yellow color.

The time of new food was perfect, while workers moved away from agriculture in rural areas to urban centers for work, education and training.

Chūka Soba has become a popular and affordable choice, served in Chinese cafes, pushers and restaurants, informal Western style that are aimed at students and industrial workers at all hours.

Post-war

During the Second World War, restaurants and food trolleys (Yatai) were prohibited in Japan, in order to preserve rare food resources.

After the war, American forces in Japan applied rationing and continued to ban the war in restaurants. To compensate for rice shortages, large amounts of American wheat have been imported to prevent famine. The food distribution system, however, was ineffective, unsafe and subject to corruption.

The wheat has made its way on the black market, where it was transformed into noodles and sold from illegal carts in bombed cities.

A Taiwanese immigrant, Momofuku Ando, ​​saw the long lines of hungry people patiently waiting for noodles and was inspired to find a way to invent noodles that would be quick and easy to do at home.

In his autobiography, Ando shared his vision of the future after witnessing post-war hunger:

Peace will come to the world when all its people will have enough to eat.

In the 1950s, the restrictions on the rationing of wheat went and led to a boom of noodles sold from Yatai. At home, rice shortages continued and bread consumption increased out of necessity, although many hoped that it was a short -term trend.

There was a gap on the market for a more familiar product that was made from wheat but was as practical as bread.

Invented in the garden shed

Ando worked in a hangar in its backyard, experimenting with an old noodle machine and a wok. After looking at his wife doing tempura, he saw that the deep frying has not only cooked food, but also a vaporization of water. He realized that it was the key to creating noodles that could not cook in just two minutes, but which will not become soggy or outdated on the shelf.

On August 25, 1958, Momofoku Ando launched “Instant Cook Chikin Ramen” – considered magical in Japan. The noodles were already seasoned and cooked, reducing time and work, but offering the protein content of bread flour. Ando chose “Chikin” as a flagship flavor, because she has raised food problems for any religion.

Ando popularized the term “ramen”, another name used in Japan for the Suba chuku, borrowed from the Chinese word Lāmiàn for a type of noodle northern. The Japanese Ramen are really rolled and cut, not drawn, and are modeled after Guangdong noodles in the south – but the name stuck.

The first instant noodles cost the ordinary ramen six times more, which took ten minutes to cook and was not flavored. Prices dropped quickly as instant noodles have become popular and that Nissin Corporation of Ando has entered large -scale production.

In 1971, the instant ramen was packed in polystyrene cups, which made it even more practical – add hot water.

Noodles, noodles, everywhere

The cultural importance of instant ramen in Japan cannot be overestimated. He was appointed the most important invention of the 20th century in a survey at the end of 1999.

Although there are two museums in Japan dedicated to instant ramen, the appeal is also global. Vietnam has the highest consumption per capita, followed by Korea and Thailand.

Instant noodles are omnipresent, even behind bars. Ramen packages have become a de facto currency in American prisons, replacing cigarettes after smoking prohibitions were introduced in 2004. Budget cuts in correctional establishments reduced food expenses, making ramen an essential supplement for prisoners and a frequent purchase of the prison commissioner.

Instant ramen are really available everywhere, even in space. “Space Ram” accompanied Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi during his 2005 expedition. Naturally, it was a special edition, designed to eat in a zero-gravity environment.

In Thailand, Mama Noodles launched a noodle index in 2005 as an economic barometer, showing how sales increased during difficult economic periods.

Food prices are still high and the world economy remains uncertain, but at least we can count on instant ramen remaining an affordable option in the world.

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