Global Soup + Noodles 2: Each of the package of instant noodles + soup, seen in the photo above, shows this weeks topic. The packages all look similar, and in fact have a lot in common with each other. So this week I am looking at what manufacturing principles are in common, the history of ramen noodles, and then, what basic ingredients each package contains.
What is in Common?
References
I started this series with Global Noodles + Soups, and talked a bit about the role of soups and stews as an important food, used to feed poor people around the world. This is a continuation of that review, but this time I want to write briefly about the history of noodles + soup packages, and list what all (or most) packages have in common.
But first, let me acknowledge who I have referenced in this review.
- Noodlelight, a new web retailer of these packages which I found through a Facebook ad that popped up on my page. I have corresponded with them and they seem nice.(Noodlelight closed December 2021, so the link has been removed.)
- The World Instant Noodles Association (WINA) is an InstantNoodles organization that provided me history and stats.
- Wikipedia provided details on ramen, udon, rice, and wheat noodles.
- And all my usual sources for scientific articles, health, and medical advice.
History of Instant Noodles
From its humble beginnings in the late 1950’s till now, WINA writes that global demand for instant noodles + soup has grown dramatically from ~15 billion servings in 1990, to 100+ billion servings in 2012.
- According to WINA, 60+ years ago, Instant Noodles were created in Japan By Momofuku Ando. This started its trend of ever improving production.
- In 1958 “Chicken Ramen,” the world’s first instant noodles package, was made by dehydrating steamed and seasoned noodles in oil heat.
- Then came the introduction of a separate flavoring packet to produce a better quality and taste product.
- In 1971 “CUP NOODLES®” launched, introducing those styrofoam cups and bowls that many people brought to work for lunch.
- In the 1980s, the instant ramen noodle soups became a Japanese cultural phenomenon.
- Leading, in 1994, to the creation of a ramen museum.
- Now we can can call it a universe-wide phenomenon when, in 2005, the JAXA Space ramen instant noodles were loaded into a space shuttle.
Commonality
All the packages I have reviewed for this series (so far), meet these production requirements:
- These packages are are affordable, some are very cheap, well under $1 per serving. Even the most expensive packages, perhaps serving two, are generally still under $8.00 USD.
- Preparing the packaged noodles + soup, as well as some additional fresh ingredients, take under 5-10 minutes, depending upon what you may add. The packages by themselves take 3-5 minutes. So these packages are quick and convenient; easy to shop for, and very quick to cook.
- The packages are fastidiously ”safe” food. By this I mean, they are produced in clean factories, packaged hygienically, and all components are individually wrapped. At the same time, it supports food safety by requiring boiled water to make.
- They all have at least a yearlong shelf life, some two. But while they post expiration dates on the packages, it is commonly understood by consumers they are still good after those dates.
- They all have packaging waste, that I am unsure is recyclable.
- Finally, all of the packages are created to be minimally palatable, or what I call “good enough”. They tend to have nice chewy noodle textures, an umami-type broth or sauce, and some added nutrients in chili-based oils, cheese powders, dehydrated eggs or veggies. But all can benefit from additional fresh ingredients.
Common Packaged Ingredients
The noodle + soup packages also have a common look, and common food ingredients inside the packs.
Manufacturing: If you have allergies or sensitivities, remember most all of these packages are made in factories that also work with wheat, soy, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, or fish. Read labels carefully. Cross contamination is possible.
Packaging: In general, all of these packaged soups are wrapped in a plastic-type, colorful exterior pack that displays suggested serving additions. Inside there are noodles pucks (compressed dried noodles), and packets of additional flavors, broth, dehydrated veggies/meats, or other nutrients.
Cooking: Most of these dishes call for 1.33C to 2C boiling water. If a soup you add the noodles to the soup for a set amount of time to cook. Then add the packets, mix well and serve. If for a noodle dish (also called dry noodles) you cook the noodles and drain, the place noodles in the bowl and mix with the seasoning packet(s). If rice noodles, boil the water and pour over the noodles and packets in the bowl, steam by covering the bowl for some minutes and eat.
Broth: In my opinion, nearly all the broths (there are exceptions) taste like bullion powdered broth, so most of them would taste better if you chose to use real chicken, pork, beef, seafood or veggie broth. But some of these soups have a broth taste that is deep enough, to be good enough, for a quick and cheap meal without needing additional flavorings. Those soups are among my recommended ones.
Noodles: Most have wheat-based ramen noodles that are either fried or baked. But there are a variety of noodle options: udon noodles, sweet potato or potato noodles, and buckwheat noodles. Additionally, there are a variety of rice-based, gluten-free noodles as well.
Nutrients: Sodium and sugar are generally higher in these packages than in any homemade noodles + soup, and calories can vary widely. Carbs are generally on the higher end (~4-5 exchanges). But surprisingly, some of these dishes are also very high protein; which I believe comes from the meat-based broth and additional soy and is intentional..
Oil: A majority, but not all, contain palm oil, which I do not recommend in general as an import product. However, palm oil is native to many areas of the world, and may be an appropriate choice given their cuisine. But it is critical to the environment and wildlife that it be processed sustainably. Some packages use sesame oil, many others add chili oil.
- NPR reports that Palm is the industry’s oil of choice because it’s cheap, it can withstand high heat, and it has a longer shelf life than other oils. But in the U.S., we’re told to eat palm oil sparingly because it raises LDL cholesterol levels
Soy: Nearly all the products contain some level of soy products. From miso paste, to soy sauce, to tofu; soy products are all in the broth packets.
MSG: All of the packets, unless labeled otherwise, contain either added synthetic or naturally occurring MSG. This is added to up the umami flavor of the soup broth and can significantly improve the flavor of the soup. If sensitive, read the labels carefully.
So while not necessarily the best foods to eat, it is possible to make instant noodles + soup that have reduced-sodium, lower bad fat, higher-fiber, and make them better fortified. More on this in my next few posts. Meanwhile, here is what I tasted this week.
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√ Indonesian Naked Ramen Curry
Lemonilo’s Naked Ramen Chicken Curry Soup is a smooth, light curry soup with wheat noodles and a hint of heat and turmeric.
- The whole package serves 1.
- Per serving: 390c, 71k, 12p, 3f and 1520mg sodium.
- Total time was ~6 minutes.
- Contains a medium puck of baked wheat noodles, oil packet, curry packet, and red chili packet.
- Heat: Has a very slight kick, but I call it mild.
- $2.99 USD
Cooking: Boil 2C water and put the noodles in to cook between 3-4 minutes. Pour the three seasoning packets into the bowl. Pour 1C of the not water into the bowl and mix well. Then dump the noodles only into the bowl and mix well. The package shows a medium cooked egg, tofu, peas, I think slices of carrots, parley, and a lime slice in the soup. But I chose to eat it as it was, with no additions. This would be good with tofu or chicken, a squeeze of lime, some carrots and greens (spinach, chard, etc).
This $2.29 noodle dish boasts no artificial coloring or flavoring, and no preservatives or trans fat. But keep an eye out on its expiration date, it is shorter than other packages. It is also probably one we can put into the healthier column.
√ Korean Sesame Noodle Soup + Egg
Ottogi’s Sasame-flavored Ramen Soup with Egg is a good tasting basic wheat ramen soup. It has a nice broth color, good chewy noodles, a hint of sesame oil that could be smelled and tasted, and a nice egg added.
- The whole package serves 1.
- Per serving: 490c, 73k, 11p, 12f and 1790mg sodium.
- Total time was ~8 minutes.
- Contains a medium puck of baked wheat noodles, sesame oil packet, a little packet of dehydrated egg, and a broth powder pacekt..
- Heat: I found it mild-medium so added some chili to the dish.
- $2.59 USD
Cooking: Heat 2C water to a boil, and once boiling add the ramen puck, soup packet and the dried egg block. Cook for ~4 minutes, then add the sesame oil packet and stir well. The packet front shows egg, scallion, beef and pickled ginger. On the back they suggest also adding kimchi. What I did instead was to add some bok choy, young broccoli, and jalapeño chili.
This is a $2.59 noodle soup that contains palm oil, and beef stock. I thought this tasted good, but did add just a touch more of toasted sesame oil to up the flavor a bit.
√ Japanese Moyjo Ramen Noodle + Soup
This package had great tasting, firm and chewy ramen noodles and a light, good soy sauce broth.
- The whole package serves 1.
- Per serving: 430c, 62k, 10p, 2f and 2320mg sodium.
- Total time, including veggie prep, was ~4 minutes.
- Contains a medium puck of baked wheat noodles, broth packet, and spice packet.
- Heat: None
- $2.99 USD
Cooking: Boil 2C water, add noodles and cook for ~ minutes. Remove from heat and add the packets. Serve and eat.
Contains MSG, soy products, seafood products (bonito, mackerel, scallop, clams), and palm oil. Also has natural and artificial flavorings.
√ Korean Noodles + Jjajangmen
Korean Instant Noodles with Black Bean Sauce is a tasty wheat noodle dish that has a rich, creamy, black bean sauce. It has a large puck of noodles, with ~2T of dried veggies (peas, onions + things I could not identify), and a packet of the mild sauce. I found it good, although not as flavorful as the usual Korean black bean sauces I have tasted before.
- The whole package serves 1.
- Per serving: 610c, 91k, 13p, 6f and 1410mg sodium.
- Total time, including veggie prep, was ~8 minutes.
- Contains a large puck of baked wheat noodles, veggie packet, and sauce packet.
- Heat: None
- $2.99 USD
Cooking: Heated 2.25C of water, once boiling, added the noodles puck and the dehydrated veggies. Cooked for ~4min, while pouring the sauce packet into my bowl. Once noodles were ready to drain, I put 5T of the water into my serving bowl and drained the rest. Added the noodles to the bowl and mixed well.
The cover shows peas, mushrooms, cabbage (I think), and what looks like beef and tofu. I chose to add shelled edamame and shiitake mushrooms to the dish. Noodlelight writes that there is some dehydrated meat in this dish, but I could not tell. There is so much sauce with this package that it is important to add more ingredients to the dish, otherwise it becomes a mouthful of sauce.
I did not see any ingredients in this $2.99 package that had TBHQ, nor palm oil. This makes this a very high caloric, high salt, but relatively tasty dish.
Vietnamese Rice Noodle Shrimp Soup
Hu Tieu’s Vietnamese Phnom Penh style instant rice noodles has a slight shrimpy + chili taste. The noodles were good, the broth tasty and while I did not need to add anything, I was hungry. So I added some chopped bok choy, 1/4 diced jalapeño chili, and freshly ground lemon pepper. This added a lingering heat that was comfortable. The package showed ground meat, scallions, a medium boiled egg, something that looks like a slice of beef and shrimp.
- The whole package serves 1.
- Per serving: 290c, 49k, 4p, <1f and 1400mg sodium.
- Total time was ~5 minutes.
- Contains a packaged fold of rice noodles, oil packet, shrimp broth packet, and ~2t dried celery + cabbage veggie packet.
- Heat: None to mild.
- $0.99 USD
Cooking: Since rice noodles are not meant to be boiled, I placed the noodles and packets into my bowl. Meanwhile I was boiling 2C water. Poured the boiling water into the bowl, mixed it up and covered the bowl to steam for ~3 minutes. Then mixed everything well.
Interestingly, Acecook produces this product, which is a Japanese company in Vietnam. Additionally, this $0.99 soup states it has TBHQ, soy, and dairy proteins as well as shrimp powder. This tasted okay, but the TBHQ is of concern and I personally will not eat this again.
Indonesian Chicken Curry Noodle Soup
Indonesia IndoMie’s Chicken Curry Instant Noodle Soup, has a light Chicken broth with moderate heat and a light curry flavor with wheat noodles. I thought the soup was a level up from colored-chili broth. So a cheap and good-enough broth, that could be upgraded just by using actual chicken broth and not plain water.
- The whole package serves 1.
- Per serving: 370c, 51k, 8p, 2f and 1030mg sodium.
- Total time was ~5 minutes.
- Contains a medium puck of baked wheat noodles, oil packet, curry broth packet, and red chili packet.
- Heat: Has a very slight kick, and it does linger after the soup is finished, but I call it mild.
- $0.99 USD
Cooking: I boiled 2C water, added the noodles to cook ~3 minutes. Meanwhile I opened and dumped the oil packet, and both powder packets into my bowl. Once the noodles were ready, I poured the water and noodles into the bowl and mixed well. I chose not to add anything, and ate this as breakfast.
While this is one of the few packages that clearly states it Halal, it also contains TBHQ. I did not find this soup very flavorful, and am concerned about the TBHQ additive.
My Story
I can honestly say that I am learning a lot about the phenomenon of instant noodles + soup. For instance, I did not realize its importance to everyday folks all over the world, did not know anything about TBHQ (more on this in a future post) and other additives, and did not understand the large variety of choices.
My plan is to explore this world-wide phenomenon of instant noodles + soups with each post. But will make this a special series, with a post every Monday (hopefully, as there are a lot of pacakages to get through). Since I have ~80 packages, if I review 5 packages a post, this is going to take a few months to finish. Hopefully I will not run out of enthusiasm before they are done.
If you have any favorite instant noodles + soup you want me to add, send me your photo and review, and I will add them to this growing list.
—Patty
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Articles in this series.
Global Noodles + Soup 1 Intro on the series + reviews
Global Noodles + Soup 2 History + packages commonalities + reviews
Packaged Instant Noodles 3 Info on noodles + Koyo reviews
Instant Noodles + Soups Healthy 4 Info on health + reviews
Instant Noodles + Soups Feed the World 5 Emergency food + Lotus reviews
Focusing on Instant Phở 6 Discussing this soup + reviews
Making Phở at Home December 13, 2019
Noodles + Soup Etiquette 7 How to eat noodle soup + reviews
Instant Noodle + Soup Makers 8 Info on the manufacturers + reviews
Vita Ramen Noodles + Soup 9 Review on Vita Ramen packages
