Instant noodles
Also known as: instant noodle, instant ramen
Instant noodles are pre-cooked noodles dried by frying or hot air and sold with seasoning, so they only need hot water; Momofuku Ando invented them in 1958.
Instant noodles are noodles made almost ready at the factory: their starch is pre-gelatinised and the noodles are then dried by frying in oil or by another method. At home they only need hot water or a short boil. This is how the international Codex standard CXS 249-2006 describes them: the base is wheat or rice flour, other flours or starches, and the noodles may be alkaline.
The standard sets moisture limits for the noodle block without seasoning: no more than 10 % for fried noodles and no more than 14 % for non-fried ones. Fried noodles also have a limit on the acid value of the oil, at most 2 mg KOH per gram. Japanese rules name wheat or buckwheat flour, salt and kansui or other agents for elasticity as the base; noodles without kansui must be gelatinised. Seasoning and sometimes dried toppings are added, and frozen or chilled products do not count. If there is less than 30 % buckwheat, the word soba may not be used on the pack.
Momofuku Ando invented them. He worked alone for about a year in a backyard shed in Ikeda near Osaka. The idea of frying came from tempura batter, which pushed out moisture in bubbles in hot oil. On 25 August 1958 Chicken Ramen went on sale for 35 yen as the world's first instant noodles, and Cup Noodles in a cup followed in 1971. According to WINA, the world now eats more than 120 billion servings a year.
Why it matters to you. Compare the salt per 100 g: dry Cup Noodles Chicken (US) has 4.53 g, about 2.9 g per cup, while the WHO advises less than 5 g a day. Non-fried noodles may contain more moisture, fried ones contain oil.
Facts
| Raw material | Wheat, rice or other flour or starch; water, salt, often kansui |
|---|---|
| Moisture | At most 10 % (fried) and 14 % (non-fried) under Codex |
| Legal basis | Codex CXS 249-2006; Japanese labelling code for instant noodles |
| Year founded | 1958, Chicken Ramen, Momofuku Ando |
What it includes
Results: 60 of 60
B
I
M
- Maggi
- Maggi 2-Minute Noodles
- Maggi 2-Minute Noodles Masala
- Maggi Atta Noodles
- Maggi Masala Veg Atta Noodles
- Mama
- Mama Oriental Kitchen
- Mama Oriental Kitchen Takoyaki
- Mama Rice Vermicelli Tom Yum
- Mama Shrimp Tom Yum
- Mama Tom Yum Pork Flavour
- Maruchan
- Maruchan Instant Lunch
- Maruchan Instant Lunch Cheddar Cheese Flavor
- Maruchan Instant Lunch Chicken Flavor
- Maruchan Instant Lunch Shrimp Flavor
- Maruchan Ramen
- Maruchan Ramen Hot & Spicy Shrimp Flavor
- Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup Chicken Flavor
- Maruchan Ramen Roast Beef Flavor
- Maruchan Yakisoba
- Maruchan Yakisoba Chicken Flavor
- Mivina
- Mivina Street Food
R
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How it connects to Noodles
Instant noodles → kind of → 🍜 Noodles
Links
- Made from
- Wheat flour
- What is used
- Frying and drying instant noodles
- Part of
- 🍜 Noodles
- Similar and different
- Noodle brands, Ramen, Itsu, Chapagetti, Lucky Me! Pancit Canton, Mama Oriental Kitchen, Mama Shrimp Tom Yum, Vifon Hoàng Gia, Itsu Noodles worth loving
- In other topics
- 🍝 Pasta
Frequently asked questions
Who invented instant noodles?
Momofuku Ando, founder of Nissin. His Chicken Ramen went on sale in Japan on 25 August 1958, and in 1971 he created Cup Noodles in a cup.
What is the difference between fried and non-fried instant noodles?
Fried noodles are dried in oil, non-fried ones by hot air or another method. Under the Codex standard fried noodles may contain up to 10 % moisture, non-fried up to 14 %.
What are instant noodles made of?
Wheat, rice or other flour or starch, water and salt, often with kansui. Seasoning and dried vegetables or meat come separately.
Which country eats the most instant noodles?
According to WINA, China together with Hong Kong eats the most, followed by Indonesia and India. The world total is more than 120 billion servings a year.
Is it true that all instant noodles are fried?
No. The Codex standard covers both fried noodles and non-fried noodles dried by other methods, and sets different moisture limits for them.
What to read next
- Frying and drying instant noodles — Frying and drying instant noodles is the last stage: after steaming, the strands lose their water, down to a few percent moisture, by frying in oil at 140–160 °C or by drying with hot air.
- Noodle brands — Noodle brands are the marks under which instant and other noodles are made: Nissin, Indomie, Nongshim, Samyang, Mama, Maruchan, Lucky Me!. Most grew out of Asian companies between the 1950s and the 1980s.
- Wheat flour — Finely ground common wheat: in Italy it is used for home-made fresh and egg pasta, in Germany for spätzle.
- 🍝 Pasta — Dough of flour or durum wheat semolina and water, sometimes with eggs, that is shaped, dried or kept fresh, and boiled in water.
- Ramen — Ramen is a Japanese dish of wheat noodles made with the alkaline water kansui and served in broth; under Japanese rules its noodles belong to chūka men, Chinese noodles.
Similar
How noodles are made · Noodle brands · Noodle dishes · Wheat noodles · Starch noodles · Rice noodles
Sources
- Codex Alimentarius: Standard for Instant Noodles CXS 249-2006
- Japan Fair Trade Council: Fair Competition Code on Labelling of Instant Noodles (即席めん)
- Nissin Foods: Founder Momofuku Ando
- World Instant Noodles Association: global demand for instant noodles
- Open Food Facts: Nissin Cup Noodles Chicken Flavor (0070662030035)
- WHO: Salt reduction fact sheet