Cup Noodles

Preparation of cup noodles

Cup Noodles is a brand of instant ramen noodle snack manufactured by Nissin, packaged in a styrofoam or hard plastic cup. Other brand names are used in specific countries, most notably the Cup Noodle (not plural) in Japan.

History

Instant noodles were invented in 1958 by Momofuku Ando, the Taiwanese-born founder of the Japanese food company Nissin. He used Chikin Ramen (Chicken Ramen) as the first instant ramen noodles. In 1970, Nissin formed the subsidiary Nissin Foods (USA) Co. Inc, to sell instant noodles to the United States. Nissin recognized that the bowls traditionally used to package instant noodles were not common in the U.S, so they instead turned to the paper cup; in 1971, they introduced instant ramen packaged in a styrofoam cup. Nissin subsequently introduced this to Japan.

Today, instant noodles in Japan are often sold in styrofoam bowls, sometimes with plastic utensils. Styrofoam bowls are easily portable; they are very convenient for outdoor activities. Styrofoam bowls are also inexpensive, disposable, and light, and thus convenient as an "on-the-go" meal.

Supermarket chain Lidl also uses the "cup noodle" name on their version of the product.

Cooking

Different flavors are available under the Cup Noodle (Japanese) brand.

Cup noodles contain a pre-cooked (fried) block of noodles that only requires the addition of hot water and sometimes flavouring, usually contained in small packets. Cooking time is usually around 3 minutes; boiling water is preferable to cold water and microwave cooking.

Flavors and Statistics

In the United States, there are 13 flavors of cup noodles; common ones include shrimp, chicken, and beef. New additions include spicy picante flavors and spicy cheese variants. Recent news says that the beef, chicken and shrimp flavors of cup noodles will become all 100% natural around this summer, removing monosodium glutamate and other regular flavor enhancers in favor of all-natural flavor enhancers.

Different flavors are available in other parts of the world, such as tom yum in Thailand, curry in Japan, crab in Hong Kong, Bolognese sauce in Brazil, and so on. ^[1]

People who are watching their sodium intake but still want to enjoy Cup Noodles, can easily add lemon juice or add more water to the cup.

List of Cup Noodles flavors by country

Brazil

Cup Noodles
- Galinha Caipira; Chicken
- Bacon
- Camarão; Shrimp
- Carne; Beef
- Legumes; Vegetable
- Tomate a Italiana; Italian Tomato
- Frango com Requeijão; Chicken & Cheese
- 4 Queijos; Four Cheese
- Calabresa; Smoked Sausage
- Bolonesa; Bolognese sauce

China

合味道 (Héwèidào / Hàhpmèihdòuh, Cup Noodles), marketed in Guangdong
- 五香牛肉味; Beef
- 海鲜味; Seafood
- 香浓叉烧味; Char siu Pork
- 虾仁原味味; Shrimp Original
- 香辣海鲜味; Spicy Seafood

合味道 (Hàhpmèihdòuh, Cup Noodles), marketed in Hong Kong
- 什錦; Vegetable
- 雞肉; Chicken
- 蟹柳; Crab
- 冬菇雞肉; Chicken Mushroom
- 五香牛肉; Beef
- 香辣海鮮; Spicy Seafood
- 海鮮; Seafood
- 咖喱海鮮; Seafood Curry
- 香辣牛肉; Spicy Beef
- 蝦; Shrimp
- XO醬海鮮; XO sauce Seafood

开杯乐 (Kāibēilè, Cup Noodles), marketed in Shanghai
- 五香牛肉面; Beef
- 海鲜面; Seafood
- 意大利牛肉面; Italian Beef
- 虾仁原味面; Shrimp Original
- 香浓叉烧面; Char siu Pork
- 咖喱牛肉面; Beef Curry

Germany

Cup Nudeln
- Huhn; Chicken
- Rind; Beef
- Garnele; Shrimp
- Huhn & Champignons; Chicken & Mushroom
- Huhn & Curry; Chicken & Curry
- Tomate; Tomato
- Brokkoli; Broccoli
- Süss-Sauer; Sweet-Sour
- Tom Yum; Thai-Style
- Spicy; Hot/Spicy
- Kartoffelbrei; Mashed Potato;

India

Cup Noodles
- Spicy Vegetable
- Tangy Chicken
- Mast Masala

Indonesia

Cup Noodles
- Rasa Ayam; Chicken
- Rasa Udang; Shrimp
- Rada Daging Sapi; Beef
- Tominapple

Japan

See Japanese article for the discontinued flavors.

カップヌードル (Kappu Nūdoru, Cup Noodle)
- カップヌードル; "Plain", equivalent to "Shrimp" in other countries
- シーフードヌードル; Seafood
- カップヌードルカレー; Curry
- カップヌードルチリトマトヌードル; Chilli Tomato
- カップヌードル欧風チーズカレー; European Cheese Curry
- カップヌードル Kimchi
- カップヌードル SiO; Salt Ramen
- カップヌードル MISO; Miso Ramen
- カップヌードルクリーミーチキン; Creamy Chicken
- カップヌードル辛口カリビアンシーフード; Hot Caribbean Seafood
- カップヌードルベーコン旨タレ醤油; Bacon Soy Sauce
- カップヌードル MILK; Cream Sauce
In The Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum, Ikeda, Osaka, a visitor can mix their own flavor by choosing ingredients and a soup. [1]

Mexico

Cup Noodles
- Chicken
- Beef
- Crab
- Pork
- Shrimp
- Shrimp & Lemon
- Shrimp Picante
- Tlalpeño (caldo tlalpeño); Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Mariscos; Seafood
- Cheddar Cheese
- Tomatoe
- Hot Sauce Chicken
- Hot Sauce Shrimp
- Hot Sauce Beef
- "Japanese noodles"; ramen

Philippines

Cup Noodles
- Beef
- Seafood
- Chicken
- Batchoy; Beef Soup
- Bulalo; Beef Marrow
- Spicy Seafood

Thailand

คัพนูดเดิล (Kap Nutdoen, Cup Noodles)
- Tom Yam Goong; Prawn Soup
- Minced pork
- Seafood
- Spicy duck
- Garlic Pork Chicken
- Tom Yam Minced Pork
- Mushroom Jey; Mushroom & Vegetable
- Tom Yam Chicken
- Tom Yam Jey; Vegetable Soup
- Tom Yam Goong Creamy
Cup Noodles (for export) [2]
- Prawn
- Chicken
- Mushroom Chicken
- Seafood
- Spicy Seafood
- Tom Yam Seafood
- Curry Seafood
- Chilli Crab
- Tom Yam Veg
- Laksa

United States

Cup Noodles
- Beef
- Chicken
- Roast Chicken
- Shrimp
- Chicken Vegetable
- Creamy Chicken
- Hearty Chicken
- Spicy Roast Beef
- Spicy Roast Chicken
- Shrimp Picante Style
- Spicy Chile Chicken
- Spicy Keesh Vegetable
- Salsa Picante Beef
- Salsa Picante Chicken
- Salsa Picante Shrimp
- Natural Beef (coming soon)
- Natural Chicken (coming soon)
- Natural Shrimp (coming soon)

Popular culture

From 1996 to 2006, a 60-foot (18 meter) Nissin Cup Noodle sign was installed in Times Square, New York City. It was located prominently near the top of the One Times Square building, the location of the Times Square Ball drop on New Year's Eve. The sign was the most recent example in a tradition of steaming signs in Times Square, which started with an A&P 8 O'Clock Coffee cup in 1933. [3]

In the South Park episode Make Love, Not Warcraft, a Cup Noodles cup is seen on Stan's computer desk.

In Cowboy Bebop The Movie, a cup of noodle is seen where one can just "pull the string and it's ready to eat".

In the OVA series Freedom Project, Nissin Cup Noodles are displayed prominently in several scenes, as the food distributor is the main sponsor of the series.

As a part of Project X, Akira Imai and Tadashi Kato's manga Project X: Cup Noodle tells the story of how the original Cup Noodle was created.^[2]

References

^ Japanese Cup Noodle official website has the section "The Cupnoodle in the world" under the "Library", which lists Cup Noodles flavors all over the world.
^ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/releases.php?id=6086

External links

[1] Japanese Cup Noodle official website has the section "The Cupnoodle in the world" under the "Library", which lists Cup Noodles flavors all over the world.

[2] ttp://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/releases.php?id=6086

[1]

[2]