Instant noodles should be soaked in boiling water for about three minutes.

But you can choose to soak them longer if you prefer a softer texture. In fact, the instructions for instant noodles recommend soaking for three minutes, as decided by Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant noodles. There is a theory that this time is a psychological trick applied.

The 3-minute wait will make the stomach hungrier, and the noodles will taste better at this time. This is actually a deliberate attempt to whet the appetite. And the reason for not waiting five minutes or even longer, Ando Momofuku explains that a longer wait will make people fidgety and become depressed. When people wait three minutes for food, their psychological expectations are at their highest.

Shelf life of instant noodles:

Most instant noodle manufacturers label shelf life as six months, while the national shelf life of instant noodles is three months. The State Ministry of Light Industry has made new regulations on the shelf life of 12 major categories of packaged foods, including milk powder, sweetened condensed milk, candy, canned goods and instant noodles.

The shelf life of plastic bags of instant noodles is three months, and most of the plastic bags of instant noodles shelf life labeled between 6 months to 12 months, individual brands of instant noodles shelf life even reached 18 months, are far more than the new requirements.

If the instant noodles are out of date, they cannot be consumed. As we all know, some preservatives are added to the instant noodles for storage. When left for a long time, the oils and fats in the instant noodles will be oxidized and decomposed by the air, generating toxic substances.