Instant Ramen Day in Japan Date in the current year: August 25, 2024

Instant ramen, also known as instant noodles, consists of a dried block of precooked noodles, typically sold with flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil. It is designed to be cooked or soaked in boiling water before eating. The word “ramen” originally means a Japanese dish that consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a broth with various toppings; it was originally used to describe instant noodle flavors sold by some Japanese manufacturers and has become synonymous with all instant noodles in the United States.

Ramen was introduced by Japan in the late 19th or early 20th century by Chinese immigrants, but it didn’t become popular until after World War II. During the post-war years, Japan suffered significant food shortages, and the United States flooded the market with cheap wheat flour to deal with them. Due to this, wheat noodles became more common, and the popularity of ramen began to spike.

Instant noodles for ramen were invented by Taiwanese-Japanese entrepreneur Momofuku Ando, who developed the method of flash frying cooked noodles to preserve them and give them a longer shelf life that even exceeds that of frozen noodles. Ando’s company, Nissin Foods, released its chicken-flavored instant noodles under the brand name Nissin Chikin Ramen, on August 25, 1958.

Initially, instant noodles were considered a luxury item due to their novelty and relatively high price (around six times that of traditional soba and udon noodles). Despite this, they quickly became popular, first in Japan and then across East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

The original Chickin Ramen was pre-seasoned, but over time manufacturers started to sell unseasoned instant noodles with flavoring powder in a separate packet. In 1971, Nissin introduced Cup Noodles in waterproof containers designed to hold boiling water. The introduction of instant noodles that can be eaten straight from the container helped to boost the popularity of instant noodles in the United States.

Today, instant noodles are a popular food in many parts of the world. In 2000, they were voted the best invention of the 20th century in a poll conducted in Japan. Modern instant noodles can be divided into two main types: fried noodles, made using Ando’s original flash frying method, and non-fried noodles that are air-dried and dehydrated with hot air.

According to the World Instant Noodle Association, over 120 billion servings of instant noodles were eaten around the world in 2023. The top three countries with the highest consumption of instant noodles were Vietnam, South Korea, and Thailand.

The anniversary of the launch of Nissin Chikin Ramen is celebrated in Japan, as well as by instant noodle lovers around the world, as Instant Ramen Day. Join the celebration by eating some instant ramen for lunch, ranking your favorite instant ramen flavors, and spreading the word about the holiday on social media with the hashtag #InstantRamenDay.