Ramen Noodle History

Kids love them for lunch, they are a quick meal and college students live off them. They are inexpensive and come in a wide variety of flavors from chicken to kim chi. That item is Ramen or the instant noodle. But how did it come to be? Noodles have been around for centuries and eaten in almost every culture, but in 1958 the noodle became instant. Although the moniker is misleading, the noodle still has to be cooked or reheated before it can be eaten, it is still a very quick way to get a flavorful meal when time is short and money is tight.

In a little test kitchen, actually a small shed behind his home, in Japan, Momofuku Ando experimented with the noodle and by trial and error perfected what is dubbed the chicken noodle. The noodle had the flavor already imparted within it. He started the company that is now known as Nissan Noodles shortly thereafter. During World War II, the noodle helped with the food shortage that threaten Japan as a quick and inexpensive meal which many stood in long lines and in 2007 the New York times gave him the nickname of "Mr. Noodle". (Source: www.nissinfoods.com)

According to Ron Konzak [The Book of Ramen (1995)], the process that he perfected starts with simple noodle dough whose ingredients vary from company to company, but all still hold the basic premise of flour and water. The noodle dough is sent through cutters much like a pasta machine where it is rolled out and cut into its familiar shape. The net conveyer belt that runs beneath the cutter moves at a slower speed than the cutting machine, thus giving the instant noodle its familiar wavy appearance. The wave in the noodle is not only for appearances, it has a function in that it helps with the cooking process both originally and when it comes to making it in your kitchen. The wave allows the product to cook quickly, but allowing steam to travel through the noodle more efficiently.

From the cutter to the steamer, the noodle travels to a steamer where it is partially cooked. From there it is immediately cooled by large fans before it is cut and folded into its familiar square shape. From the steamer to the fryer - the newly cut, formed and cooled noodles are sent through a deep oil fryer for one and a half minutes. This process helps remove any excess water that is still within the noodle. Once again the noodle is cooled to prevent the oil building up and causing a rancid product. The instant noodle now is ready for packaging where it is paired with the flavoring packet and packaged.

A fairly straight forward process for one of the world's most beloved quick and easy meals. Thanks to www.ramenlicious.com we now have an interesting tidbit to ponder - within every package of instant noodles, not matter the company that produces them, there are on average 79 noodles per package.