For millions of people to be able to pour boiling water into a cup and satisfy their hunger in a few minutes, there is (and has already been!) a lot of manpower. The history of instant noodles began in 1958. In a Japan that was still feeling the effects of the 2nd World War, entrepreneur Momofuku Ando (1910-2007), founder of Nissin, created ramen noodles – the first flavor was chicken. At the time, the product was a luxury and cost six times more than traditional pasta. In 1971, a Nissin employee, Takeshi Otaka, suggested packing the noodles in a styrofoam pot – the design of the cup is the same until today -, later named Cup Noodles.
historical rank
In Osaka, Japan, there is a museum dedicated to Cup Noodles. Every day, 1,500 visitors show up to learn about the product’s history
Hands-on
Instant noodles are already cooked and seasoned at the factory.
1. The dough is taken through a belt to be pre-steamed. After that, it is pressed by cylinders to make it thin before passing through blades that cut it into 2 mm thick threads – in each pot there are about 80 threads, 40 cm long.
light dish
In Brazil, hard plastic is used in packaging. In other countries, cups can be paper and Styrofoam, which, in addition to being light and cheap, is a great thermal insulator. Thus, the container loses little heat, keeping the water hot for a longer time.
2. The noodles in Cup Noodles taste better than regular noodles. To add flavor to the strands, the noodles are immersed for ten seconds in a tank with water at 30°C, seasoned with salt and monosodium glutamate.
chunky flavor
Because of the spices added before frying, ramen noodles (and not just Cup Noodles) are yellower than regular noodles. After being fried, when it comes to packaging, powdered spices and pieces of dehydrated food are added.
3. The noodles are distributed in round molds and dipped in oil to fry for two minutes. The process dehydrates the noodles, which makes packaging easier. But pasta that had 315 calories goes to 420 – every 90 g
good pan
The noodle block is forced against the walls of the cup, increasing the strength of the package and minimizing damage during transport. The empty space at the bottom of the pot serves to isolate part of the water, maintaining the cooking temperature.
• In Japan, cup noodles are called Cup Noodle, without the “s” at the end, and there are 15 flavors available
Consulting Paulo Yoshida, food engineer specializing in instant noodles
Source www.nissin-noodles.com and The Book of Ramen by Ron Konzak