Clancy Morgan: A new food was created in 1958 with the intention of reducing hunger in Japan. The creator was aware that it needed to be scrumptious, nonperishable, simple to make, and affordable. That food was this 29-cent pack of instant ramen. Every day, 290 million people eat instant noodles. Theyve even been eaten in space. Astronaut: Roger. Clancy: Reportedly, the astronaut said, “I enjoyed it. But you don’t just happen to make billions of dollars in sales and a tie-in with Sanrio. Gudetama! Clancy: So, how did a 48-year-old businessman start a multi-billion-dollar industry knowing virtually nothing about making noodles? Momofuku Ando was an entrepreneur with a crazy résumé. He did everything, including starting a school at one point and selling charcoal and textiles. Now, it must be said that Ando’s tale has become somewhat mythical over time. Additionally, he is the subject of a wonderful children’s book and an outstanding animated short film about his beginnings. The coolest “Our Story” page a business could have is called “Samurai Noodles,” and it’s available online. And I think you can see the resemblance. But anyhow, we have to go back to 1940s Japan to truly understand how that enormous box of ramen ended up in your grocery store. Japan experienced widespread famine and its worst harvest season in decades following World War II. Later, a Nissin representative would say, “At the time, people were starving and waiting in line for noodles at street stalls.” Numerous unofficial open-air markets began to spring up as a result of strict rationing regulations and a ban on the sale of street food. The black market is thought to be where factory workers purchased more than half of their vegetables. Japan at the time relied heavily on the wheat that the US provided during its occupation. Because they were high in calories and kept you full, ramen and gyoza, both made from leftover wheat flour, were referred to as “stamina foods.” However, there was a strong push at the time to make bread using the wheat supplied by the US. The government wasn’t using more of that wheat flour to make noodles, which were much more common in Japan, and Ando, as inquisitive as ever, was curious as to why. “If you change your diet, you are essentially erasing your traditions and cultural heritage,” he said. Ando believed that ramen that was more readily available and simpler to make could be a solution to Japan’s food shortage. But he basically received the response, “If you think it’s a good idea, then do it yourself,” in response. ” So he did. But this was no easy task. Ando had basically no noodle-making experience. He had to figure out how to add great flavor and texture to instant food, so think back to that checklist. After a year of experimenting, he finally had his breakthrough. This is a pretty epic depiction of the development process, according to my favorite anime, “Samurai Noodles,” Basically, he understood that frying the noodles was essential after watching his wife prepare tempura. They could be preserved for a long time by being fried, which removed their moisture, and then rehydrated with hot water. Thats how we got this iconic brick of noodles. You can serve your family in three minutes and for just pennies, which you’ll love. Clancy: What made Ando’s invention so intriguing to me was that it wasn’t an accident. He spent a year trying to figure out the answer because he believed instant noodles would be a success. “The experiences of hardship and suffering strengthened me to succeed in crucial times,” he said looking back. “In 1958, Ando introduced Chikin Ramen and changed the name of his business to Nissin, which you’re probably familiar with. Ando reportedly set up a sales booth in Tokyo to give customers a chance to try the new product. Ando was directly involved in the effort to market instant ramen. It actually cost more than five times as much at first as fresh noodles, but consumers loved the flavor and convenience. It was known as “magic ramen” because it could be prepared in a matter of minutes. More than ten years had passed since the end of World War II. The economy of Japan had begun to strengthen, there was a glut of wheat flour, and people were resuming their long hours of labor. These were the perfect circumstances for instant ramen to succeed. Chikin Ramen sold 13 million packages in its first year. And in just a decade, Japan’s sales increased by billions. As demand increased, a large number of businesses began producing instant noodles. In 1968, instant ramen was estimated to hit 3. 5 billion servings. But Ando wasnt done inventing. It was time to make instant noodles even quicker when I was 61.
Like Chiken Ramen, Nissin’s 1971 introduction of Cup Noodles was a huge success. In fact, despite producing 650,000 cups daily, Nissin was unable to keep up with demand. You can see how, by 1989, sales of packaged noodles completely overtake those of noodles in a cup. Sales of cup noodles in Japan today are more than twice as high as those of packaged noodles.
And Ando was still involved with the company. Even as he celebrates his 88th birthday this year, Ando is still eager to create new variations on his instant noodles, according to a 1998 article in The Japan Times. Today, Japan introduces hundreds of new flavors of instant noodles every year. But it wasnt just a hit in Japan.
At the moment, China is the largest market, eating more than 40 billion servings annually. However, South Korea surpasses it in terms of per-person consumption, with an astounding 75 servings annually. Thats a lot of instant ramen. The first Nissin Top Ramen was introduced in the US in 1972.
Clancy: The Washington Post reported six years later that “now the noodles are threatening to replace TV sets as Japan’s hottest export to this country.” Even in LA, Ando received the key to the city. The New York Times also noted in 1989 that “the growing U S. appetite for Asian-style ramen can no longer be ignored. “.
Despite being a novel food for many Americans, it established itself as a staple in supermarkets across the country. Today, instant-ramen consumption in the US is over 4. 5 billion servings annually, with more than 100 billion servings worldwide. And in case you were curious, Ando retired at the age of 95. The business Ando founded, Nissin, reported revenue of over 450 billion yen, or roughly $4, in 2018. 3 billion. Its now led by Andos son Koki.
However, despite its commercial success, Ando didn’t lose sight of his initial objective to fight world hunger. Ando assisted in founding the World Instant Noodles Association in 1997. Its goals are to advance the instant noodle market and deliver emergency food assistance. Since its inception, the organization has assisted in the donation of hundreds of thousands of servings of instant noodles. It is never too late to take any action in life, as Ando once said. Even at 50 or 60 years old, a new beginning is still possible. ” And he really lived his life with that mindset. Whether or not you accept the “Samurai Noodle” story in its entirety, instant ramen fundamentally altered how people consumed a dish that had been consumed for centuries.
Clancy: The Washington Post reported six years later that “now the noodles are threatening to replace TV sets as Japan’s hottest export to this country.” Even in LA, Ando received the key to the city. The New York Times also noted in 1989 that “the growing U S. appetite for Asian-style ramen can no longer be ignored. “.
At the moment, China is the largest market, eating more than 40 billion servings annually. However, South Korea surpasses it in terms of per-person consumption, with an astounding 75 servings annually. Thats a lot of instant ramen. The first Nissin Top Ramen was introduced in the US in 1972.
Despite being a novel food for many Americans, it established itself as a staple in supermarkets across the country. Today, instant-ramen consumption in the US is over 4. 5 billion servings annually, with more than 100 billion servings worldwide. And in case you were curious, Ando retired at the age of 95. The business Ando founded, Nissin, reported revenue of over 450 billion yen, or roughly $4, in 2018. 3 billion. Its now led by Andos son Koki.
Clancy Morgan: A new food was created in 1958 with the intention of reducing hunger in Japan. The creator was aware that it needed to be scrumptious, nonperishable, simple to make, and affordable. That food was this 29-cent pack of instant ramen. Every day, 290 million people eat instant noodles. Theyve even been eaten in space. Astronaut: Roger. Clancy: Reportedly, the astronaut said, “I enjoyed it. But you don’t just happen to make billions of dollars in sales and a tie-in with Sanrio. Gudetama! Clancy: So, how did a 48-year-old businessman start a multi-billion-dollar industry knowing virtually nothing about making noodles? Momofuku Ando was an entrepreneur with a crazy résumé. He did everything, including starting a school at one point and selling charcoal and textiles. Now, it must be said that Ando’s tale has become somewhat mythical over time. Additionally, he is the subject of a wonderful children’s book and an outstanding animated short film about his beginnings. The coolest “Our Story” page a business could have is called “Samurai Noodles,” and it’s available online. And I think you can see the resemblance. But anyhow, we have to go back to 1940s Japan to truly understand how that enormous box of ramen ended up in your grocery store. Japan experienced widespread famine and its worst harvest season in decades following World War II. Later, a Nissin representative would say, “At the time, people were starving and waiting in line for noodles at street stalls.” Numerous unofficial open-air markets began to spring up as a result of strict rationing regulations and a ban on the sale of street food. The black market is thought to be where factory workers purchased more than half of their vegetables. Japan at the time relied heavily on the wheat that the US provided during its occupation. Because they were high in calories and kept you full, ramen and gyoza, both made from leftover wheat flour, were referred to as “stamina foods.” However, there was a strong push at the time to make bread using the wheat supplied by the US. The government wasn’t using more of that wheat flour to make noodles, which were much more common in Japan, and Ando, as inquisitive as ever, was curious as to why. “If you change your diet, you are essentially erasing your traditions and cultural heritage,” he said. Ando believed that ramen that was more readily available and simpler to make could be a solution to Japan’s food shortage. But he basically received the response, “If you think it’s a good idea, then do it yourself,” in response. ” So he did. But this was no easy task. Ando had basically no noodle-making experience. He had to figure out how to add great flavor and texture to instant food, so think back to that checklist. After a year of experimenting, he finally had his breakthrough. This is a pretty epic depiction of the development process, according to my favorite anime, “Samurai Noodles,” Basically, he understood that frying the noodles was essential after watching his wife prepare tempura. They could be preserved for a long time by being fried, which removed their moisture, and then rehydrated with hot water. Thats how we got this iconic brick of noodles. You can serve your family in three minutes and for just pennies, which you’ll love. Clancy: What made Ando’s invention so intriguing to me was that it wasn’t an accident. He spent a year trying to figure out the answer because he believed instant noodles would be a success. “The experiences of hardship and suffering strengthened me to succeed in crucial times,” he said looking back. “In 1958, Ando introduced Chikin Ramen and changed the name of his business to Nissin, which you’re probably familiar with. Ando reportedly set up a sales booth in Tokyo to give customers a chance to try the new product. Ando was directly involved in the effort to market instant ramen. It actually cost more than five times as much at first as fresh noodles, but consumers loved the flavor and convenience. It was known as “magic ramen” because it could be prepared in a matter of minutes. More than ten years had passed since the end of World War II. The economy of Japan had begun to strengthen, there was a glut of wheat flour, and people were resuming their long hours of labor. These were the perfect circumstances for instant ramen to succeed. Chikin Ramen sold 13 million packages in its first year. And in just a decade, Japan’s sales increased by billions. As demand increased, a large number of businesses began producing instant noodles. In 1968, instant ramen was estimated to hit 3. 5 billion servings. But Ando wasnt done inventing. It was time to make instant noodles even quicker when I was 61.
And Ando was still involved with the company. Even as he celebrates his 88th birthday this year, Ando is still eager to create new variations on his instant noodles, according to a 1998 article in The Japan Times. Today, Japan introduces hundreds of new flavors of instant noodles every year. But it wasnt just a hit in Japan.
Ando’s philosophical take on running an instant-noodle company
Even though Ando was head of a big business that recorded $300 million in profits at the time of his death in 2007, he still enjoyed being an instant-noodle sage in between cups of ramen and rounds of golf. Occasionally, he enlightened employees by shouting, “What are you doing now?” at random intervals, but he also had a more serene approach to management.
His quotations, which were compiled in an employee handbook, resemble Zen koans rather than business jargon:
But his most enduring quote, as loosely translated by Momofuku superfan Andy Raskin, may be the best to end with.
What does it mean? Who knows. But it sounds delicious.
Top Ramen and Cup Noodles continue to be offered by Ando’s company, Nissin, in a variety of flavors, including beef, shrimp, and soy sauce. The Cup Noodles Museum, which has locations in Japan’s Yokohama and Sasaka, honors not only noodles but also tenacity and inventiveness.
In Ikeda, Japan, Ando experimented with various methods for making, drying, and flavoring noodles while working in a shed behind his home. He eventually developed a technique for cooking noodles by first frying them and then sprinkling them with chicken soup. The fried noodles moistened and released their chicken flavor when Ando added boiling water. The initial batch of instant ramen soup was prepared for production. The price of Ando’s product initially exceeded the cost of a freshly made cup of noodles, but as demand increased, it gradually decreased, and instant noodles quickly spread throughout society.
Instant ramen was invented by Momofuku Ando in 1958. In his biography, “The Story of the Invention of Instant Ramen,” published in 2002, Ando relates how, after the end of World War II, he was walking through the streets of saka when he noticed a line of people shivering in the cold, waiting for a bowl of ramen. When food was in short supply, which was common, Ando recalled telling himself, “Peace will come when people have food.” He decided to create a ramen dish that was inexpensive, wholesome, and simple to prepare.
FAQ
Who invented instant noodles and why?
Noodle God and Japanese-Taiwanese businessman Momofuku Ando created instant ramen in 1958. But let’s rewind a bit. Japan struggled to feed its populace after World War 2 (post 1945). Rice shortages around this time didn’t help either.
Who introduced instant noodles?
Nissin Foods’ Momofuku Ando created instant noodles in Japan. They debuted in 1958 under the Chikin Ramen brand. Nissin launched Cup Noodles, the first cup noodle product, in 1971. Instant noodles are marketed worldwide under many brand names.
How was instant noodles invented?
In Ikeda, Japan, Ando experimented with various methods for making, drying, and flavoring noodles while working in a shed behind his home. He eventually developed a technique for cooking noodles by first frying them and then sprinkling them with chicken soup.
What inspired the invention of instant ramen?
According to the official origin story of instant ramen noodles, Momofuku Ando, a Japanese man of Taiwanese descent, was motivated to develop instant ramen after observing long lines for ramen sold on the black market as a way to feed his war-torn nation.
