Instant ramen noodles are a popular quick and easy meal enjoyed all over the world. In the U.S, an average of 4 billion servings are consumed nationwide each year. (Insider.com) How did these noodles from the other side of the world become so popular? There is actually a deep history behind ramen noodles, and the closer we get to modern day from where they started, the more popular these noodles became. A simple, convenient, and tasty meal all in a cup or pouch makes ramen noodles famous in markets everywhere.

The origin of ramen is not exactly known, but historians do know it was from somewhere in China. A theory suggests that the recipe for these wheat noodles are as old as the 17th century, when a Chinese scholar introduced the recipe to the Japanese, the dish then became widely popular in Japan.(firstwefeast.com) Ramen was originally served at ramen stands, and these ramen stands started to pop up all over Japan during the late 19th-early 20th century. Of course, ramen at this time was not instant ramen like today, but it was still just as popular, though only in Japan at the time.

It was right after WWII when ramen became a staple in Japan, as food shortages set in, the U.S provided cheap wheat flour to aid in recovery efforts. Wheat flour was the basic ingredient for noodles, and so Japanese people began to make more ramen noodles than anything else.(wordpress.com) Ramen noodles soon became a Japanese national dish, and ramen stands and shops exist all over Japan today.

The invention of instant ramen changed the entire ramen industry. In 1958, the founder of instant ramen, a Japanese man named Momofuku Ando, created his first chicken instant ramen in his shed behind his house.(cupnoodlesmuseum.jp) This “magic ramen” was sold by Momofuku and started his career off with a jump start. He eventually founded the company CUP NOODLES  which popularized his invention outside of Japan, where it spread all over the world. Momofuku became the President and CEO of Nissin Food Products, the company which owns brands such as Top Ramen, which is seen in grocery stores everywhere. 

Momofuku’s brand CUP NOODLES became a popular meal all over the world. It started as a more expensive meal, but soon became the quick and easy to go meal we know today. It spread everywhere, and many countries around the world even have localized flavors such as Masala in India, or Mushroom flavor in Germany. (Smithsonianmag.com) This instant meal became a huge hit and it all started from one man. 

As you can see, there is some seriously long history behind something as simple as a cup of instant ramen. Ramen has had a long history, from China, to Japan, to all around the world and to your home. Sadly, the man who popularized the food today, Momofuku Ando, has passed away. He passed in 2007, but his legacy lives on today through his invention of instant ramen. So next time you think about how quick and easy making a cup of ramen is, do not forget the long and difficult journey ramen made to be accepted worldwide, and how those noodles got to you in the first place.