Instant noodles, also known as instant noodles, instant noodles, instant noodles, instant noodles, and doll noodles in Hong Kong, are a kind of noodle food that can be cooked and eaten in a short time. The principle of instant noodles is to use palm oil to harden cooked and seasoned noodles and press them into blocks. Brew them with hot water before eating, dissolve the palm oil in hot water, and heat and soak the noodles until soft. It can be ready in a few minutes. edible.

According to a 2000 Japanese opinion poll, instant noodles are considered the most important invention in Japan in the last century, followed by karaoke. In 2002, 55 billion bags of instant noodles were consumed worldwide.

Nutrition

The main component of palm oil is saturated fatty acids, which are solid at room temperature. The characteristic of saturated fatty acids is that they are not easily oxidized, but they are harmful to human health. To further prevent palm oil from oxidizing, manufacturers will also add vitamin E as an antioxidant.

Noodles

Red Yeast Noodles

Noodles that have emerged recently due to advocating the concept of low-calorie food. But it's not popular because it's not very tasty.

Non-fried noodles

Noodles are recently invented to deal with the health concerns of fried noodles. They omit the frying process and do not contain palm oil and saturated fatty acids. It is a healthier noodle and its taste is comparable to fried noodle. The future is promising.

Fried noodles

The noodles used in the initial prototype of instant noodles are said to have been invented to remove moisture and incorporate oily aroma into the noodles. However, due to the need to preserve them for a long time, And need to add a lot of preservatives.

History

Instant noodles were invented in 1958 by the Japanese Taiwanese Momofuku Ando (formerly known as Wu Baifu) in Ikeda City, Osaka Prefecture. After Momofuku Ando invented instant noodles, he founded Nissin Food Co., Ltd. to sell "chicken ramen" flavor. The initial price was 35 yen, but imitation products appeared immediately, leading to price-cutting competition.

After Nissin invented instant noodles, it actively developed abroad. In 1963, it first cooperated with South Korea's Samyang Food, and in 1968 it cooperated with an international food company in Taiwan to launch chicken soup-flavored San Miguel noodles. The original San Miguel noodles did not sell well in Taiwan because they used a Japanese recipe. After adjusting the seasoning and texture of the noodles, it has become a best-selling product in Taiwan. Most customers buy it home as a late-night snack, or cook it with eggs. There was a time when "San Miguel noodles" became almost synonymous with this type of product. However, due to poor management, San Miguel finally withdrew from the market. As of 2005, only one San Miguel bakery from the former international food company continued to operate in Xinxing District, Kaohsiung City, but it had already withdrawn from the instant noodles market.

Although instant noodles were well received in Asia, they were unable to successfully open the market in the United States in the late 1960s. Because Americans generally do not have the habit of boiling water, and the tableware at home is mainly dinner plates. In order to allow people who are not accustomed to using bowls to consume instant noodles, Nissin invented cup noodles in expanded polystyrene containers. They were launched in Japan in 1971 and sold for 100 yen (US$0.25), which was the first time that bagged instant noodles were sold at that time. More than three times the price.

During the trial period, the cup was sold at stadiums, racetracks and other places. It was unpopular due to its high price, and in the end it could only be sold in certain units that had to be on duty at night, such as the fire brigade and the Japanese Self-Defense Force. In order to open up the market, Momofuku Ando cooperated with Mitsukoshi Department Store for promotion in downtown Tokyo, setting a record of selling 20,000 copies in four hours, which laid the foundation for Japanese people to accept cup noodles. Since cup noodles are more expensive, the ingredients include freeze-dried shrimp, and forks are used as cutlery. Tokyo street promotions helped Cup Noodles gain a foothold in Kanto. In February 1972, the Asama Villa incident occurred in Japan, where the Red Army took hostages and confronted the police. Cup Noodles became an instant hit because the footage of a policeman eating Cup Noodles was broadcast live on television.

Long before the invention of instant noodles, China had similar noodles called "Yi noodles" or "Yifu noodles" (which are also called "pasta" in Taiwan). Legend has it that during the Qing Dynasty, a local official hosted a banquet at home. The chef mistakenly put the cooked egg noodles into a pot of boiling oil, so he had to pick them up and serve them with broth. Since the guests were full of praise after eating it, this dish has been passed down.

(According to legend, when Yi Bingshou, the great calligrapher of the Qing Dynasty, held a birthday banquet at home, the cook mistakenly mistook oil for water and put the noodles into the boiling water until they were cooked. In desperation, he had no choice but to make the mistake and fry the noodles. The cooked noodles were boiled and topped with a thick soup made from chicken, pork bones and seafood. Unexpectedly, after eating, the guests praised the noodles for their smooth texture and delicious soup. From then on, this kind of fried noodles was called [. Because the processing method is very similar to modern instant noodles, later generations regard "Yi noodles" as the prototype of modern instant noodles. Once, the poet and calligrapher Song Xiang tasted it and found it very delicious. He didn't have a name yet, so he said, "It's a shame that such a delicious food has no name. How about naming it 'Yifu Noodles'?" From then on, Yifu Noodles became known as "Yifu Noodles".

The production of Yi noodles pays attention to good color and shape, loose but not loose texture, floating but not solid, and tastes smooth and sweet. It is the prototype of Japanese instant noodles and the ancestor of doll noodles)

As far as the instant noodles currently on the market are concerned, most of them are mass-produced by machines in factories, and there are almost no handmade instant noodles.

Because most of them are packaged in factories, people mostly distinguish instant noodles by the way they are packaged: bowl noodles are instant noodles packaged in polystyrene (commonly known as styrofoam in Hong Kong; commonly known as Styrofoam in Taiwan) bowls or paper bowls, and cup noodles are packaged in paper cups. Packaging is also commonly packaged in plastic or paper. When you want to eat, place it in a bowl and brew hot water. In terms of noodle types, since they first appeared in the Japanese market, early instant noodles were mostly Japanese ramen, and later there were different instant noodles such as udon noodles.

Safety concerns

But because the bowl attached to the instant noodles is made of polystyrene, polystyrene itself is not heat-resistant and often reacts with hot water. The soup is mixed together and condenses on the stomach wall, making it impossible to digest food properly.

Seasoning packets may also contain a large amount of preservatives for long-term preservation. Some more expensive instant noodles usually come in soft cans, which is also a method of preservation.

Cooking methods

In addition to being eaten as a quick meal, instant noodles are also eaten in some areas by cooking methods, such as cooking instant noodles in the same way as noodles. A popular type of fried instant noodles in Kinmen and other areas of Taiwan is to boil the instant noodles first, then stir-fry them and eat them with vegetable leaves or shredded pork.

Although instant noodles are designed to be eaten after brewing, some people eat them directly without brewing. Some brands of instant noodles in Taiwan, such as "Prince Noodles", "Science Noodles", and those produced in Thailand "Mommy noodles" and so on, most people just crush them directly and mix them with seasoning powder (or shake them again) and eat them as snacks. It is said that this way of eating was probably invented by elementary school students. [Source request]

In Taiwan, braised food vendors sometimes use instant noodles as one of their ingredients.

In Hong Kong, the "Laoding" that can be eaten in tea restaurants is instant noodles that are eaten in the form of mixed noodles. Put the five-spice pork diced on top and mix well before eating; there are also fried instant noodles, and cooked instant noodles. There are different ways to eat instant noodles such as adding slices of cheese as toppings.

In Macau, you can eat Portuguese-style demaedo at Wing On Cafe, such as turmeric pork, smoked duck breast, salted beef and so on.

In South Korea, instant noodles are also used as ingredients in military pots.

Ingredients

In addition to the noodles, most instant noodle products also contain dried ingredients, such as dehydrated vegetables, dehydrated meat, etc. With the advancement of food technology, vacuum-sealed food preparation bags have also appeared in some high-priced instant noodle products.

Others

In addition, some people in Taiwan also refer to pirated software CDs as instant noodles. Please see the big post.

Famous instant noodle brands

Taiwan, China: Tongyi, Weidan, Weili, Master Kong, Weiwang

China: Baixiang, Huafeng, Wugu Daochang, Uni-President (from Taiwan), Master Kong (from Taiwan), Baijia Vermicelli (its instant noodles are made of vermicelli)

Hong Kong: Doll Noodles, Shou Tao Brand Noodle King, Uni-President Fu Lijia

Japan: Nissin Food’s “Demae Itcho” and “Cup Noodles” (this product is also produced and sold in factories in Hong Kong and mainland China, but the quality is different)

Malaysia: Maggi (MAGGI), Jindan noodles, the only one, MAMEE

Korea: Nongshim’s “Spicy Ramen” (commonly known as “Spicy Noodles” in Hong Kong), Samyang Food’s Samyang Ramen

Thailand: "Mama" brand instant noodles (i.e., "Mama noodles" sold in Hong Kong, usually eaten dry)

Interesting fact: Thailand adopted the "Mama instant noodle index" in 2005 to Noodle sales serve as an indicator to reflect economic growth (economic growth and decrease are negatively correlated with mommy noodle sales). In recent years, Thailand's economic development has gradually increased since the financial crisis in 1997, and the sales of mommy noodles have grown steadily. But when Thailand's economy declined in 2004, mommy noodle sales immediately increased by 5%, and in the first seven months of 2005, they increased by 15%. This phenomenon is because instant noodles are cheap. When the economy was in recession, people bought instant noodles to save money and survive. Therefore, the sales of mommy noodles increased significantly.