Chicken Ramen
Also known as: チキンラーメン, Chikin Ramen
Chicken Ramen is Nissin's instant noodle line launched in Japan on 25 August 1958; its fried wheat noodles are ready after hot water is poured over them.
Chicken Ramen is Nissin's instant noodle line, launched in Japan on 25 August 1958. The company calls it the world's first instant noodles; founder Momofuku Ando nicknamed it "magic ramen".
Ando developed it alone in a backyard shed. He took the frying idea from his wife's tempura: hot oil drives moisture out of the noodles, so they keep for a long time, and the tiny cavities left behind let hot water soak in and soften them again.
According to the Japanese product listed on Open Food Facts, these are fried noodles made from wheat flour, vegetable fat, soy sauce, salt, chicken extract and egg powder, with kansui added. A pack weighs 85 g. Preparation is to pour hot water over the noodles; Nissin describes the result as ready in two minutes.
Facts
| Year founded | 25 August 1958, Japan |
|---|---|
| Country | Japan |
| Raw material | fried wheat noodles with kansui, chicken flavour (per the Japanese product) |
| House range | Chicken Ramen, 85 g pack |
How it connects to Noodles
Chicken Ramen → made from → Wheat noodles → kind of → 🍜 Noodles
Links
- Made from
- Wheat noodles
- Part of
- Nissin Foods
- Similar and different
- Cup Noodles, Ramen
Frequently asked questions
How do you say Chicken Ramen, and why was it called "magic ramen"?
Say it as written: Ando nicknamed the world's first instant noodles "magic ramen".
When was Chicken Ramen launched?
On the twenty-fifth of August nineteen fifty-eight in Japan.
Why are the noodles fried in oil?
Ando took the idea from his wife's tempura: hot oil drives out moisture and leaves tiny cavities that hot water soaks into.
What is "kansui" in the ingredient list?
An alkaline additive put into ramen along with flour, oil, soy sauce, salt, chicken extract and egg powder.
Is it true that Chicken Ramen is boiled like ordinary noodles?
No, hot water is simply poured over it; the maker says it is ready in two minutes.
What to read next
- Cup Noodles — Cup Noodles is Nissin's range of instant noodles in a cup, the first of its kind in the world: sales began on 18 September 1971 in Tokyo.
- Wheat noodles — Wheat noodles are made from wheat flour, water and salt: with the alkaline water kansui they turn yellow and springy, like ramen, and without it they stay white and soft, like udon and somen.
Similar
Demae Iccho · Nissin Yakisoba U.F.O. · Top Ramen · Cup Noodles · Maruchan Ramen · Maruchan Instant Lunch
Sources
- Nissin Foods: Founder Momofuku Ando (Chicken Ramen)
- Nissin Foods: History
- Open Food Facts: チキンラーメン (4902105001103)