How Did Instant Noodles Become a Billion Dollar Industry?

Although we have just felt its influence in our country with the influence of the increasing love of Korean and Japanese culture, the story behind how noodles, known as noodles, affects the world’s eating habits. It goes back a long way.

If you are ready now To 1940s Japan We are going on a little journey.

Actually, our story is II. It begins with Japan experiencing famine after World War II.

Decades after the war worst harvest season Japan was facing a great famine.

So that the vegetables are black fell into the stock marketthousands of unlicensed open-air markets had sprung up.

Due to strict laws and scarcity of food, people have to wait for very long periods of time in the dark winter to eat a bowl of hot noodles. He was waiting in the queue.

Japan, which felt the effects of the war deeply, had become largely dependent on wheat supplied by America.

Local foods, such as ramen, a type of noodle soup, and gyoza, a type of dumplings, could be made from wheat flour, but wheat flour was supplied by America at the time. mostly for making bread was being used.

Who will be the protagonist of our story? Momofuku AndoHe thought that changing the way the country ate would result in losing traditions.

This reminds him that the wheat coming from America is more expensive. making noodles showed that it can be used.

“If you change your diet, you change your traditions and cultural heritage.” He took the first step into the instant noodle kingdom by saying.

Ando is the source of more accessible and easier-to-prepare instant ramen in Japan. A solution to the hunger problem He thought it might happen.

But even though he conveyed his idea to the necessary places, no one was interested and the task was left to the task. Even though he has no knowledge about food for a year worked on this idea.

There were many problems to solve in order to produce instant noodles and solve the country’s hunger problem, and for a whole year taste, storage conditions, etc. for occasions He made experiments.

And at the end of a year, he finally completed his invention that would turn into a billion-dollar industry.

How to preserve noodles deliciously and for a long time? Watching his wife cook discovered.

When deep fried Seeing that the noodles that absorb their moisture can be stored for a long time and do not lose their flavor when you boil them to gain moisture, Ando created those molded noodles in this way.

If in 1958 Chicken Ramen He produced his first noodles, which he called (chicken ramen).

When Ando’s instant noodles first came out, they were quite expensive compared to homemade noodles.

Although the ramen he offered for sale under the Nissin brand was expensive, it was quickly adopted by the public.

The price was five times that of homemade noodles, but the fact that it was delicious and easy to prepare made the product a success.

In fact, this product, which is ready in just a few minutes, has become known as “Magic Ramen”.

Japan’s economic recovery also provided the conditions for instant noodles to succeed.

In the process of economic recovery people started working long hours and there was a surplus of wheat flour. These were the perfect conditions for Ando’s noodles to succeed.

Because there were enough ingredients, but people didn’t have time to prepare food. he didn’t have time.

Chicken ramen in its first year 13 million packages sold and sales in Japan continued to increase over time.

In fact, as instant noodles grow in popularity, in different companies started producing instant noodles.

The great interest in instant noodles pushed Ando to work on innovations.

Ando was determined to make instant noodles even more instant and in 1971 “Cup Noodles” He produced noodles called (Noodles in a Cup) that are ready by just pouring water into the bowl.

It was such a huge success that sales of cup noodles It had surpassed the sales of packaged noodles.

Later in 1972, Ando’s noodles to be exported to America started. It was so loved there that it was among the products Japan exported most to America.

American consumer instant noodles adopted it very quickly. So much so that there were even news about the undeniable impact of instant noodles on American food culture.

If you think the story ends here, you are wrong.

Ando continued to work on new noodle ideas for years without losing his innovative spirit, launching hundreds of types of noodles and only Retiring at the age of 95 He handed over the business to his son.

So many types of noodles were produced under the Nissin brand that Ando was sold in Japan “Cup Noodles Museum” He even founded a museum called.

Here are the noodles produced to preserve a culture and find a solution to famine. turning into a billion dollar industry The story behind shaping the food culture of different countries…

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