What are Instant Noodles?

By: Razin Azhan

What Exactly are Instant Noodles?

Instant noodles, or instant ramen, are a block of noodles flavored with the packets of special flavoring or seasoning oil. They are mostly sold in cups and packets ready to cook. Some noodles are fried instead of boiled. Instant noodles are mostly made of processed wheat or flour. They also sometimes come with some vegetables like carrot or pieces of meat and chicken.

Who was the inventor of Instant Noodles?

The inventor of instant ramen or instant noodles is Momofuku Ando. He made instant noodles in 1958. He has a biography called The Story of the Invention of Instant Ramen, published in 2002. In his biography he remembers walking through Osaka after World War II and seeing a lot of cold, hungry people waiting for a bowl of ramen. So, he experimented with different flavors and made instant noodles in his shed behind his house.

What ingredients are used to make Instant Noodles?

The main ingredients of instant noodles are flour, starch, water, a lot of salt, and kansui. Kansui is a type of alkaline water that contains sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate. Other common ingredients are monosodium glutamate (MSG), seasoning and sugar.

Thank you for reading my article, I hoped you learned more about instant noodles and enjoyed reading about it. Maybe you’ll remember this article the next time you are eating instant noodles! (there's also a secret bowl of noodles somewhere in this page).