Organic Tofu and Miso Ramen: A Review of the New Organic Packaged Noodles

When a person attends college, it seems that there are certain rites of passage that he or she must undergo before graduation to ensure a "true" college experience: pulling an all-nighter at exam time, for example (or perhaps having several in a row); rolling out of bed at the last minute and heading to class pajama-clad; and depending on Ramen noodles for a majority of one's sustenance when the dining hall food descends to an all-time low. I had my first Ramen experience the summer after my freshman year. I was participating in my alma mater's archeology field school, and found myself on a remarkable adventure in the remote deserts of Nevada, living in a tent and studying paleolithic American history.

During the week, the students rotated through cooking duty, and we turned out some fantastic and hearty meals from a nearby ranch's kitchen. On the weekend, however, we were responsible for our own meals. Combing the grocery store for some cheap and easily prepared food, a number of my fellow students recommended Ramen. I purchased a packet, and that night boiled up the noodles. I did not find it a pleasant experience; the noodles tasted bland, and my throat and tongue felt raw from the extreme saltiness. I vowed never to touch a bowl of Ramen noodles again, and have held true to my word -- until now. While shopping at the local natural foods store, I found a brand new Ramen product -- organic Ramen. Intrigued, I took a closer look. Made with organic whole wheat noodles and generally low in fat and calories, I decided that I might be able to stomach this healthier rendition of the old college standby. I picked up a package of tofu and miso Ramen and included it in one of my lunches for the week.

Preparation

One aspect of the organic Ramen that I immediately appreciated was its ease and timeliness of preparation. Once I had one-and-one-third cups of water boiling nicely on the stove, I simply let the noodles simmer for about four minutes, stirring occasionally. I then removed the noodles to a bowl and stirred in the contents of the flavor packet. Here I ran into a little trouble -- the powder had solidified and cracked into chunks. This prevented the flavor from distributing evenly over the noodles. I tried a few hot noodles. They were very salty, but otherwise I found the flavor enjoyable in spite of the problems withe flavor packet.

As I wanted to eat the Ramen for lunch, I let the noodles cool for a short while before packing them into my bento lunch box. (Learn more about bento boxes here.) At first I thought that a single package of Ramen might provide too many noodles to fit into the space in the box I had designated for the them, but I need not have worried. All of the noodles packed into the box, condensing perfectly. I closed up the box and stowed it away for later.

Taste

When lunchtime arrived, the Ramen had cooled. This would be the ultimate test of the Ramen's success, I knew -- if a person who holds a deep aversion to the noodles could enjoy them at room temperature, who wouldn't? Opening my lunch box, I twirled some of the cold tofu and miso noodles around a fork and took a bite. It tasted surprisingly good. I took a second bite, and then another. The Ramen turned out to be, to my great shock, a delicious addition to my lunch that day. I dipped the noodles in some leftover soy sauce from another component of the meal, and that only added to the taste.

Nutrition

When I purchased the package of organic tofu and miso Ramen from the local natural foods store, I had very low expectations. I felt delighted to discover that the noodles were in reality simple to prepare, easily packable with no mess, and they tasted pretty darn good. In fact, aside from the fact that the flavor powder did not stir into the cooked noodles as well as I would like, the only fault that I hold against this product is its sodium content. With 745 mg of sodium, one serving of organic Ramen accounts for 31% of the recommended daily allotment. However, the organic whole wheat noodles total just 200 calories, with only 12 from fat, and of that fat there is only a single gram of saturated fat and no trans fat. The tofu and miso Ramen also contains no cholesterol, one gram of sugar, and provides 3 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein. Salt content aside, these noodles are a healthy and nutritional addition to any diet (excluding, of course, wheat- and gluten-free diets).

In the end, I'm glad that I set aside my previous differences with the original Ramen and tried the organic tofu and miso Ramen. It was easy to make, it tasted quite good, and the noodles are healthy and nutritious. What's more, at only $0.79 USD per packet, the thrifty shopper can't do much better for a healthy product at a low cost. Other organic Ramen flavors include seaweed, garlic pepper, and Asian vegetable. I will certainly be trying out some of these other organic Ramen flavors in the near future.