It has a history of more than 40 years
Instant noodles, also known as instant noodles, instant noodles, instant noodles, and instant noodles, are called doll noodles in Hong Kong. Pasta food that is cooked and eaten within a short period of time.
A Japanese opinion poll in 2000 showed that instant noodles were considered the most important invention in Japan in the last century, followed by karaoke. In 2002, 55 billion bags of instant noodles were consumed worldwide.
After World War II, Japan faced serious food shortages. People were so hungry that they even ate potato stalks. It was during this period that Momofuku Ando (a Taiwanese-Japanese, whose real name is Wu Baifu) began to believe that "with sufficient food, the world will be peaceful." This is the so-called "eat enough to bring peace to the world", so he decided to join the food industry.
One morning, Ando passed by a ramen stand. Although it was still early, there was already a queue of 20 to 30 meters in front of the stall. People were eagerly waiting for the ramen to be cooked in the cold wind. Standing opposite the ramen stall, Ando thought to himself, if there was a kind of noodles that could be eaten by just washing it with boiling water, everyone would probably like it. Looking back, Ando did not immediately develop instant noodles.
In 1948, Ando founded CCCC Food Company and began to engage in nutritional food research. He used high temperature and high pressure to extract the thick juice from the stewed beef and chicken bones and made a nutritional supplement. As soon as the product was launched, it was deeply loved by Japanese people, and Ando became a well-known figure in the Japanese food industry. The production of nutritional supplements laid the foundation for the future development of instant noodle seasonings.
Due to unexpected events, Ando lost almost all his property due to an accident in the 1950s and had to start a business from scratch. At this time, the idea of ??producing instant noodles once again flashed through his mind. From then on, he began his indissoluble bond with instant noodles for decades.
In the spring of 1958, Ando built a simple hut of less than 10 square meters in the backyard of his home in Osaka as an instant noodles research laboratory. He found an old noodle-making machine, bought a 1-meter-diameter wok as well as flour, cooking oil and other raw materials. He rushed into the wooden house and started various experiments before the advent of instant noodles, working from dawn to dusk.
The noodles may seem simple to make, but in fact the combination of ingredients is very subtle. It just so happens that Ando is a complete layman, which added a lot of difficulties to his experiment. He put everything he could think of into the noodle machine and tested it. As a result, some of the noodles made were loose and some were sticky. He just threw it, and did it again. Repeated again and again.
The experiment made Ando a little obsessed. One time at the dinner table, his wife made a delicious fried dish, and he suddenly understood a secret to making instant noodles: deep-frying. Noodles are mixed with water, and the water will dissipate during the frying process, so there will be countless holes on the surface of fried noodles. After adding boiling water, the noodles will become soft quickly like a sponge absorbing water. In this way, by soaking the noodles in the soup to add flavor, and then frying them to dry them, you can create noodles that can be preserved and brewed with boiling water. This method he called the "instant hot oil drying method", and he soon obtained a patent for the instant noodles making method.
After Momofuku Ando invented instant noodles, he founded Nissin Food Co., Ltd. to sell "chicken ramen" flavor. The initial price was 35 yen, but imitation products appeared immediately, leading to price-cutting competition.
After Nissin invented instant noodles, it actively developed abroad. In 1963, it first cooperated with South Korea's Samyang Food, and in 1968 it cooperated with an international food company in Taiwan to launch chicken soup-flavored instant noodles. The original San Miguel noodles did not sell well in Taiwan because they used a Japanese recipe. After adjusting the seasoning and texture of the noodles, it has become a best-selling product in Taiwan. Most customers buy it home as a late-night snack, or cook it with eggs. There was a time when this noodle became almost synonymous with this type of product.
Although instant noodles were well received in Asia, they were unable to successfully enter the market in the United States in the late 1960s. Because Americans generally do not have the habit of boiling water, and the tableware at home is mainly dinner plates.
In order to allow people who are not accustomed to using bowls to consume instant noodles, Nissin invented cup noodles in expanded polystyrene containers. They were launched in Japan in 1971 and sold for 100 yen (US$0.25), which was the first time that bagged instant noodles were sold at that time. More than three times the price.
During the trial period, the Cup was sold in places such as stadiums and racetracks. It was unpopular due to its high price, and was ultimately only sold in certain units that had to be on duty at night, such as the fire brigade and the Japanese Self-Defense Force. In order to open up the market, Momofuku Ando cooperated with Mitsukoshi Department Store for promotion in downtown Tokyo, setting a record of selling 20,000 copies in four hours, which laid the foundation for Japanese people to accept cup noodles. Since cup noodles are more expensive, the ingredients include freeze-dried shrimp, and forks are used as cutlery. Tokyo street promotions helped Cup Noodles gain a foothold in Kanto. In February 1972, a confrontation between the Red Army and the police took place in Japan. Cup Noodles became an instant hit because the footage of a policeman eating Cup Noodles was broadcast live on television.
Long before the invention of instant noodles, China already had similar noodles called "Yi noodles" or "Yifu noodles" (which are also called "pasta" in Taiwan). (It is said that when the great calligrapher Yi Bingshou of the Qing Dynasty held a birthday banquet at his home, the cook mistook oil for water and fried the noodles in boiling water. He had no choice but to make the mistake and boil the fried noodles. It was topped with a thick soup made of chicken, pork bones and seafood. Unexpectedly, after eating it, the noodles were so smooth and chewy that the soup was delicious. From then on, this fried noodle was called "Yi Noodles". Because the processing method is very similar to modern instant noodles, later generations regard [Yi noodles] as the ancestor of modern instant noodles.
In addition to being eaten as a quick meal, instant noodles are also cooked in some areas. There are many ways to eat instant noodles, such as cooking instant noodles in the same way as normal noodles. In Kinmen and other areas of Taiwan, a popular method is to cook instant noodles first, then stir-fry them and eat them with vegetable leaves or shredded meat. People crush it directly and mix it with seasoning powder (or shake it again) and eat it as a snack. It is said that this way of eating is probably invented by elementary school students.
I believe that instant noodles will become the future. It is a kind of instant food that has always been loved by mankind. With the development of technology, instant noodles will definitely become more delicious and healthier.