They’re one of the most ubiquitous foods out there. They’re present in many a student dorm room and in the pantries of people around the globe in need of quick meals with little prep. You may even have some tucked into the corner of one of your pharmacy’s rooms, for those days where there’s barely time for a lunch break. Instant ramen noodles are one of the most culturally influential foods of the modern era, and they were created on this day in 1958. They also exemplify entrepreneurial thinking; months of dogged experimentation culminating in a sudden “a-ha!” moment.
Momofuku Ando had noticed the growth of ramen noodles over the prior three decades, as they went from a Chinese import to a culinary staple in Japan. Food shortages after World War II meant a lot of meals were sold on the black market, and ramen stands were among the most popular spots to grab a meal. Ando saw the opportunity: Meet the demand with a product that could be sold in stores and made easily and quickly at home.
He spent a year trying to figure out a working formula for easily hydrated, tasty noodles. Watching his wife cook one day, he saw that oil sucked the moisture out of flour. Dry noodles kept for a long time, and frying them was the best way to pre-cook them while keeping them shelf-stable. Eventually, he had his product on store shelves. It was a luxury item initially, but with time became cheap to produce and marketable to the masses. Finally, he launched Cup Noodles in 1971. It didn’t take long for them to end up in grocery aisles the world ‘round.
