is an American brand of

instant ramen Instant noodles, or instant ramen, is a type of food consisting of noodles sold in a precooked and dried block with flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil. The dried noodle block was originally created by flash-frying cooked noodles, which is st ...

noodle Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures and made into a variety of shapes. The most common noo ...

s introduced in 1970 by

Nissin Foods is a Japanese food company. Founded in 1948 by Momofuku Ando in Izumiōtsu, Osaka, it owns Nissin Food Products, Nissin Chilled Foods, Nissin Frozen Foods, and Myojo Foods. It is known for development of the world's first marketed brand of i ...

History

Instant noodle Instant noodles, or instant ramen, is a type of food consisting of noodles sold in a precooked and dried block with flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil. The dried noodle block was originally created by Deep frying, flash-frying cooked noodles, ...

s were invented in 1958 by

Momofuku Ando , born Go Pek-Hok (), was a Taiwanese-born Japanese inventor and businessman who founded Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd. He is known as the inventor of Nissin Chikin Ramen (instant noodles) and the creator of the brands Top Ramen and Cup Noodl ...

, the Taiwanese-born founder of the

Japanese food Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and other ...

company Nissin. He used Chicken Ramen as the first brand of instant ramen noodles. By the late 1960s, Ando desired to enter the US markets, but discovered that most people in the United States did not have ramen-sized bowls or chopsticks. During a business trip to the US, he observed a grocery store manager prepare ramen by placing the block of noodles in a paper cup and pouring boiling water over them, inspiring him to develop the

Cup Noodles A cup noodle is an instant ramen product in a disposable cup, first developed in 1971 and manufactured by the Japanese food company Nissin Foods. The product was first introduced in the United States as "Cup O' Noodles" in 1972, before being ren ...

brand. In 1970, Nissin formed a US subsidiary, and opened their first factory in the US in 1973 in

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster ( ) is a city in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 58,039 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, eighth-most populous ci ...

. Top Ramen became a major corporate force in the international noodle market which was dominated by

Maggi Maggi (, ) is an international brand of seasonings, instant soups, and noodles that originated in Switzerland in the late 19th century. In 1947, the Maggi brand was acquired by the Switzerland, Swiss giant Nestlé. History Early history ...

Reputation

Despite ramen being stereotyped as a "poverty food" which makes up the bulk of a typical US college student's diet, Top Ramen was considered an expensive luxury item when it was initially released. In 1958, it sold for , which was comparable to the cost of eating Chinese noodles at a restaurant and several times more than the price of udon noodles at the grocery store. At first many stores were skeptical of Top Ramen's potential to succeed and hesitant to stock it, but by end of the year the product was ubiquitous and stores had difficulty keeping pace with the demand. Food reviewers' opinions of Top Ramen vary widely, from The Ramen Rater rating the noodles alone 3.25/5 stars and 5/5 stars with some turkey and an egg added, to Douglas Kim, the owner and chef of Jeju Noodle Bar, describing it as tasting "commercial" and "very instant" and rating it 1/5 stars. Andy Kryza of ''

Thrillist ''Thrillist'' is an online media website covering travel. ''Thrillist'' was founded in 2004 by Ben Lerer and Adam Rich. In October 2016, Thrillist merged with internet brands ''The Dodo'', NowThis News, and Seeker to form the digital media ...

'' ranked Top Ramen as the fourth best instant noodle brand, particularly appreciating its "overpowering beefy/salty suckerpunch," although he said that eating it while sober "doesn't seem right." Consumer Reviews criticized Top Ramen's "bland broth and too-soft, almost mushy, noodles," but rated Cup Noodles more favorably, noting that "the food bits are so well done that we can overlook the subpar noodles."

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Top Ramen Instant noodle brands Nissin Foods brands Products introduced in 1970 Ramen

History

Reputation

See also

References

External links