Cup noodle is a registered trademark of

Nissin Foods Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd. is a Japanese food company that specializes in the production and sale of convenience food and instant noodles. History Founding and early years The company was established in Japan on September 1, 1948, by ...

and is known as precooked

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 flash frying cooked noodles, and this is ...

with flavoring powder and/or seasoning sauce sold in a

polystyrene Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic polymer made from monomers of the aromatic hydrocarbon styrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and brittle. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. It is a ...

polyethylene Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging ( plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including bo ...

, or

paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distributed ...

cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, ...

. The flavoring can be in a separate packet or loose in the cup. Hot water is the only ingredient that is needed separately. Cooking takes 3–5 minutes. Now, many kinds of precooked instant noodle have been consumed around the world, as a popular staple.

History

In 1971, Japanese food company

introduced

Nissin Cup Noodles Cup noodle is a registered trademark of Nissin Foods and is known as precooked instant noodle with flavoring powder and/or seasoning sauce sold in a polystyrene, polyethylene, or paper cup. The flavoring can be in a separate packet or loose in t ...

, a cup noodle to which boiling water is added to cook the noodles. A further innovation added dried vegetables to the cup, creating a complete instant soup dish. Both Cup Noodle and Cup Noodles are registered trademarks of Nissin Foods.

Precooked instant noodles sold in a cup by country

South Korea

''Keop-ramyeon'' is famous in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. Popular instant noodles include

Nongshim Nongshim Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean food and beverage company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Nongshim was founded in 1965 under the name Lotte (conglomerate), Lotte Food Industrial Company. The name was changed to Nongshim in 1978. The ...

's Bowl Noodle Soup,

Shin Cup Noodle Soup Shin Ramyun is a brand of instant noodle (including cup ramyeon) that has been produced by the South Korean food company Nongshim since 1 October 1986. It is now exported to over 100 countries, and is the best-selling instant noodle brand in S ...

and Samyang's

Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen Hot n Flavor Ramen or ''buldak-bokkeum-myeon'' ( ko, 불닭볶음면, '' fire chicken stir-fried noodles'') is a South Korean brand of instant noodle, produced by Samyang Foods since April 2012. The large cup ''ramyeon'' debuted in June 2012, and ...

. South Korea has the largest quantity of consumption of instant noodle or precooked instant noodle's country per year. Based on market research, males consume more precooked instant noodle than females in South Korea. It is the second largest food type after steamed rice that contributes to the overall energy intake of individuals in South Korea. Furthermore, the younger generation (20 to 49 years old) are more likely to consume them and the demographic of consuming bowl-type noodles are the middle class or high class.

Mexico

Precooked instant noodle was introduced in 1990 by

Maruchan is a brand of instant ramen noodles, cup noodles, and Yakisoba produced by Toyo Suisan of Tokyo, Japan. The ''Maruchan'' brand is used for noodle products in Japan, and as the operating name for Toyo Suisan's division in the United States, M ...

. Due to its popularity, instant noodles are often referred to simply as "Maruchan". Today, many local brands such as "La Moderna" and "Herdez" have developed their own instant noodles, along Nissin, which is also a newcomer.

Philippines

Brands available in the Philippines include Lucky Me, Payless, Nissin (unrelated to Japan's

), QuickChow,

Maggi Maggi ( or ) is an international brand of seasonings, instant soups, and noodles that originated in Switzerland in the late 19th century. The Maggi company was acquired by Nestlé in 1947. History Early history Julius Maggi (1846–1912) ...

and Ho-Mi. They are sold in packets, sealed paper cups, or sealed

foam food container A foam food container is a form of disposable food packaging for various foods and beverages, such as processed instant noodles, raw meat from supermarkets, ice cream from ice cream parlors, cooked food from delicatessens or food stalls, or beve ...

Sweden

Precooked instant noodles are usually sold for 10 SEK per package.

United Kingdom

Pot Noodle after water etc added (King size Chicken & Mushroom)(crop)

A common form of instant noodles in Britain is

Pot Noodle Pot Noodle is a brand of instant noodle snack foods, available in a selection of flavours and varieties. This dehydrated food consists of noodles, assorted dried vegetables and flavouring powder. It is prepared by adding boiling water, which r ...

, a cup noodle first marketed by

Golden Wonder Golden Wonder is a British company that manufactures snack foods, most notably crisps. These include Ringos, Golden Wonder and Transform-A-Snack. Since 2006, it has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Northern Irish company Tayto, after bei ...

in 1977, and acquired by

Unilever Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy drink, t ...

in 1995. These use artificial flavorings and are generally suitable for

vegetarians Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianism ma ...

(there is no chicken in "Chicken and mushroom flavour" Pot Noodles, for example) and are sold by virtually every major supermarket chain, general groceries shops, and convenience stores. Boiling water is added to the noodles to cook them.

United States

In 1972,

introduced "Nissin

Cup Noodles Cup noodle is a registered trademark of Nissin Foods and is known as precooked instant noodle with flavoring powder and/or seasoning sauce sold in a polystyrene, polyethylene, or paper cup. The flavoring can be in a separate packet or loose in t ...

" in a foam food cup, which led to an upsurge in popularity. Soon after, many other competing companies were offering similar instant noodle products.

References

9. Noodles Chinese noodles Japanese inventions Instant foods and drinks Japanese noodles {{Food-stub