page contents Poor Man's Kitchen Recipes: June 2017

The Instant Noodles Review

The Instand Noodles Review - Comparison between Japanese, Korean, Singaporean and Hong Kong noodles


EARLY DAYS


To understand about instant noodles we have to go back at least 40 years. Right at the epic invention by Mr. Ando. Instant noodles are sold in a precooked and dried noodle block, with flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil. The flavoring is usually in a separate packet, although in the case of cup noodles the flavoring is often loose in the cup. Some instant noodle products are seal packed; these can be reheated or eaten straight from the packet/container. Dried noodle blocks are cooked or soaked in boiling water before eating.
Instant Noodles Inventor Sir Momofuku Ando
Invented Instant Noodles - Sir Momofuku Ando

The main ingredients used in dried noodles are usually wheat flour, palm oil, and salt. The dried noodle block was originally created by flash frying cooked noodles, and this is still the main method used in Asian countries, but air-dried noodle blocks are favored in Western countries.

Instant noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando (born Go Pek-Hok) of Nissin Foods in Japan. They were launched in 1958 under the brand name Chikin Ramen. In 1971, Nissin introduced Cup Noodles, a dried noodle block in a polystyrene cup (It is referred to as Cup Ramen in Japan). Instant noodles are marketed worldwide under many brand names.

It was first marketed on 25 August 1958 by Ando's company, Nissin, under the brand name Chikin Ramen. Ando developed the production method of flash frying noodles after they had been made, creating the "instant" noodle. This dried the noodles and gave them a longer shelf life, even exceeding that of frozen noodles. Each noodle block was pre-seasoned and sold for 35 yen. Initially, due to its price and novelty, Chikin Ramen was considered a luxury item, as Japanese grocery stores typically sold fresh noodles for one-sixth their price.





Japanese Snacks


THE NOODLES



Indomie - Mi goreng from Indonesia


Indomie Mi Goreng is an instant noodles product line made under the Indomie brand by the Indofood company, the world's largest instant noodle manufacturer, located in Indonesia. Mi Goreng is Indonesian for "fried noodle". Indomie Mi Goreng is simply abbreviated as Indomie goreng by most Indonesians. Indomie Goreng is a type of instant noodle served without soup and is stirred well with soysauce, oil, and seasoning. This instant noodle derived its inspiration from traditional Indonesian dish called mi goreng, a variant of fried noodle common in Indonesia. Many street vendors sell it and traditional mi goreng is considered as common food by the people. I found these instant noodles while living as a young adult in Singapore and fell in love with them. Not only is the seasoning powder tasty, this instant noodle also comes with seasoned oil, hot sauce, sweet soy sauce, and fried onions. What American brand of instant noddle can compete with such amazing choices for a party in your mouth?!



Shrimp Tom Yam Instant Noodles




Instant Noodles ''Mama'' Shrimp Tom Yum Flavour. Here is a dish we eat regularly, Instant Noodles Shrimp Tom Yum Flavour. A spicy hot & sour noodle containing aromatic lemon grass & kaffir lime leaves, and galangal. This Tom Yum recipe has a nice spectrum of tastes and aromas with the red chili oil droplets on top of the soup. You can jazz up this instant noodle with lots of delicious ingredients. Recommend adding shrimps, Tofu and vegetables to this authentic Thai flavors tasting broth. These are really delicious and much better than plain ole top ramen. It comes with chili powder, the lime shrimp sauce and a bit of an oil, all in separate little packs so you can control how much you put in.



Samyang Bulldark Spicy Chicken Instant Noodles - Super Spicy and Made in South Korea



Samyang Bulldark Spicy Chicken Roasted Noodle! When the package came, the noodles were all in one piece, no broken or smashed pieces! The instructions are easy to follow, of course after watching all the challenge videos, most people probably won't need to rely on the instructions on the package. The noodle itself is pretty hot. At first, it doesn't seem too bad, but as you keep eating the heat rises. These ramen also had a hint of sweetness to me, which I really enjoyed. I can usually handle my spicy really well, I wouldn't rate the spiciness as intense as the internet makes it to be. Personally, I would give the spice rating a 8/10. Overall, I really enjoy the ramen and I even crave it sometimes! I love spice, and I make a point to put hot sauce on nearly everything I eat. My taste buds were primed for a spicy noodle of this magnitude, but it was still a pleasure to try something that really gets my mouth burning.



Nongshim, meaning farmer’s heart in Korean, represents our care and dedication for the food we bring to your table.




Nongshim, meaning farmer’s heart in Korean, represents our care and dedication for the food we bring to your table. We carefully select the highest quality ingredients with the same mind of the growers in the field to create exceptional products with delicious flavors. With the mission of providing better food and services, we continue our efforts to create a variety of noodles and snacks. From our Chefs Best Taste Award winner Bowl Noodle products to everyone’s favorite snack Shrimp Crackers, we strive to satisfy the cravings for tasty food. I have been eating these noodles since I was a young child. Whether you eat them straight up with nothing added, or you add meat, seafood or vegetables....they are awesome. Highly recommended!



Indomie Instant Noodles - Mi Goreng super yummi and popular made in Indonesia



These are sweet and spicy. While i don't feel they are as good as the original flavor, they are still pretty good and worth trying.The flavor can be a little bland so you may want to add some kecap manis or some siracha. Otherwise, these a pretty good. I cannot say enough good things about this. After years of Top Ramen and Maruchan, I decided to give this a try. I was thrilled. It has the standard salty seasoning packet, but it also comes with separate soy sauce, chili sauce, oil, and fried onions that you can combine in different ways for a unique flavor experience each time. The seasoning is a little on the sweet side, so you'll almost certainly want to use the chili sauce to cut it. The noodles are very dense and give this a real sense of substance. Good either by itself or mixed with vegetables, tofu, or meat.



Myojo Chukazanmai with soy sauce flavour instant ramen noodles



I am not a ramen expert by any means, but this brand is quite tasty. I dress mine up with veggies (bok choy or spinach), sliced hot dogs (I know it sounds weird, but the fatty content and salt add to the flavor), mushrooms, and an egg. The price is steep compared to maybe what might be available at a Chinatown, so in the end it doesn't end up being quite the cost cutting convenient meal you might think instant ramen should be. Again, this is my favorite ramen, and well worth the ~$2/each price tag, especially if you add some protein to make it a full meal. I can only hope Amazon restocks soon, as I've had a craving for these lately only to find them out of stock.



Fire hot Yeul Ramen instant noodles with lots of chili by Ottogi noodle maker made in south korea


Fire hot! really hot! If you like spicy noodles these are very nice. Chili is listed before sugar which is quite rare in my experience. Ottogi still makes their noodles in South Korea, so you know you're getting the real thing without a modified taste profile or reduced heat. At its current fluctuating price of $22-24 its a really good deal. If you like Nong Shim, spend a few extra bucks and try these ! But watch out, before you try make sure that you have at least one glass of water ! haha



Maruchan Shrimp Flavore Ramen Noodle Soup made in Japan

This Ramen Noodle Soup by Maruchan is what you can expect visiting a Ramen shop. The taste can keep up with the major Ramen brands. The good point is that this has ZERO trans fat which can be sometime rare to get. Maruchan offers a wide variety of delicious Ramen flavors. Maruchan also offers less sodium Ramen and tasty ethnic food flavor products as well. I personally love this Maruchan shrimp flavored ramen.







Nissin Chicken Ramen is the ultimate Ramen experience. Epic in taste and flavour is excellent! This is a one-of-a-kind, Ramen Noodle (the first one marketed, I believe,... 55 yrs ago). This is the second time I've ordered these Nissin Chicken Ramen Noodles. They came in a timely manner and were packed securely. I simply love this flavour.. it's one of my all time favorite. This classical instant noodle ramen brings up memories, I wish I had a time machine! 



Crush a bowl of Ramen with Nissin instant noodles. Add some Bok Choy and green onions.

Made my first bowl and it was very good. I only used half the packet of sauce, and the soup broth was just right, good flavor. I added green onions, bok choy, barbecue pork and an egg - a full meal. Next time I'll add some homemade shrimp dumplings (like shrimp won tons). Really liked the texture of the noodles. Saved the remainder of the sauce packet in a glass jar, couldn't see throwing it out; will use it later with some soba noodles. After eating this ramen I don't think I can go back to eating the ramen you normally find in the supermarket. Will certainly buy more! Will try other flavors in the future.



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