Global instant noodle sales top 100 billion units a year

due to strong presence of Japanese businesses in the region, are they selling well in Europe and US as well?

Ever checked out the ingredients? It might be convenient but it's not very healthy.

We have Nissin and Kikkoman products.beside made in Irvine Calif Maruchan Ramen in USA. Nobody cares where they were made. People just buy convinient and tasty food in USA.

Not very healthy? Maybe its the way you cook it. I always add some miso, veggies and meat.

It has too much palm oil, MSG, salt, and other crappy igrediants. The manufacturer should try to reduce bad palm oil content.

Dried chemicals in a styrofoam cup. Yum! I'd rather eat a McDonald's hamburger. At least it's got lettuce and raw onion, albeit in small amounts. Best not to eat either.

From the website of the World Instant Noodles Association.

WINA was established in March 1997 as IRMA (International Ramen Manufacturers Association) with the purpose of improving the industry and enhancing people's diet around the world by improving the quality of instant noodles as well as increasing consumption. Following the adoption of CODEX International Standards for Instant Noodles, the IRMA changed its name to "WINA (World Instant Noodles Association)," in February 2007, to comply with the category name "Instant Noodles" certified as the authentic name under CODEX. In order to ensure “food safety,” we are actively conducting research and sharing the related data and information. (italics are mine).

Hmmmm.

So the world is so broke they only afford instant noodles. Great news.

CORRECTION - Instant noodles were invented in Japan by a Taiwanese immigrant named Mr Wu who took the name of ''Momofuku Ando'' when he got his citizenship papers 15 years after landing in Japan, --15 years he had to wait--, and this Taiwanese man was founder of Nissin Foods, in 1958. Correct spelling is ''lamen'' with an L, not an R, and same with pronounciation, spoken even in Japan as LAMEN. not RAMEN. google it.

Millions of hungry, busy people around the world make use of his invention every day, instant lamen, yet few know his name. This briefly changed Jan. 6 , 2007, when Wu Bai-fu , inventor of the instant noodle died in Japan aged 96. Even fewer people knew that, until he received Japanese nationality in 1948, Ando was originally called Wu Bai-fu and hailed from Taiwan's Chiayi County.

Wu's early life in Taiwan was revealed in a Jan. 7 article in the Chinese-language Liberty Times. Born in 1910 during Japanese colonial rule, Wu opened clothing stores in Taipei and Osaka while studying at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, using money bequeathed by his grandfather who ran a clothing store in southern Taiwan.

His food business began in 1948 when, he established Chukososha Co. Ltd., forerunner of Nissin Foods. This led to creation, in 1958, of the world's first instant noodle, "chicken lamen," following a year of experimenting with methods to dry noodles. Ando said he was inspired by Japanese fried tempura. Using a similar technique, Ando managed to prolong the shelf life of noodles. He decided on chicken soup, thinking it was a universally popular flavor. It immediately became a big hit in Japan and, in 1963, Nissin became listed on the Japanese stock market.

China, including Hong Kong, accounted for 44.0 billion servings,

Why separate the two? What's the point?

spoken even in Japan as LAMEN. not RAMEN. google it.

There is no "la" in Japanese. To the untrained ear you may hear "la" but it's "ra".

People just buy convinient and tasty food in USA.

Wow, I never thought I would hear anyone put these two words together in the same sentence to describe a cup of instant freeze dried noodles!

sfjp330Apr. 27, 2013 - 08:40AM JST It has too much palm oil, MSG, salt, and other crappy igrediants. The manufacturer should try to reduce bad palm oil content..............................................................................................................................................................................

Palm oil is a healthy oil containing a lot of vitamin E and has no trans fats.

due to strong presence of Japanese businesses in the region, are they selling well in Europe and US as well?

No because Japanese business men are not a significant part of the population.

There is no "la" in Japanese. To the untrained ear you may hear "la" but it's "ra"

Actually there's no "ra" in Japanese either, if you're being pedantic. There's a "ra" in Romaji, but how Taro Suzuki pronounces the ラ in Ramen and a native English speaker might pronounce the 'ra' in 'rascal' are quite different, even, I suspect, to the less trained ear.

Stay on topic please.

danny bloom: CORRECTION - Instant noodles were invented in Japan by a Taiwanese immigrant named Mr Wu who took the name of ''Momofuku Ando'' when he got his citizenship papers 15 years after landing in Japan, --15 years he had to wait--,

a correction to your correction:

Because he was from Taiwan - a colony of Japan at the time - citizenship was not an issue. He was free to move between Taiwan and Japan, and as you've already noted he owned businesses in both places while attending school in Japan. After the war, it took a couple of years to sort out the legalities of the residents of former colonies, and they didn't start the citizenship process until late 1947. So in reality he had to wait a few months for his paperwork to clear.

If I did the math right, that's about 200 tons of sodium, figuring about 2 grams per cup.

Back on topic please.

Actually there's no "ra" in Japanese either, if you're being pedantic.

ラーメン is pretty popular around my house as a snack or quick meal once in a while.

らーりーるーれーろー Ra-Ri-Ru-Re-Ro-

Just like any packaged food sold in USA, Ramens have printed .information on the back of packages. Difference of made in USA and made in Japan: Made in Japan has English explanations and Japanese explanations side by side. Nutrition Facts, etc. Whether made in USA or not. Ramen is ramen. Ingredients, Direction. Direction explains how to cook. In Las Vegas, megaCasino hotels have Japanese restaurants. Also, outside cities of Las Vegas. They never use LA sounds to Japanese words. Arigato, Sayonara, etc. People live ramen here. Big Cup Ramen, etc.

Older retired people in my area in USA use ramen while watching Japanese Manga TV programs like Pokemon, Ninja Turtle, etc. Then young people while using their laptop computers to read online newspapers use Ramens. Maybe cleaner than KFC chickens or pizzas?

Older retired people in my area in USA use ramen while watching Japanese Manga TV programs like Pokemon, Ninja Turtle, etc.

Toshiko, what do these elderly people "use" the ramen for? Sounds kinky.

Instead of ordering Pizza or Chinese food to receive home delivery, they buy ramens in Walmart. Von and other super markets. Cheaper. Nevada's unemployment rates are always higher than other 49 states in USA. Cosco sells with quantity discount. People are not rich like Japanese people, here in Nevada. 10 cents or less price of ramen works ffine here. Beside that, they can watch their favorite TV programs without disruption. Many people have only social security retirement income. They can't afford restaurants. When I visit Las Vegas Casino Hotels, Japanese tourists (too many) were spending (to be sucked?) in casinos. So, I figured Japanese people are not poor like many Las Vegas residents. I believe unemployment rate of Nevada is more than 12 %.

People are not rich like Japanese people

Are you Japanese? Really now, Japanese people are not "rich" , real bad stereotype there that needs to be stopped right quick.

Many people have only social security retirement income. They can't afford restaurants.

Same here, sometimes even worse, cup ramen might be their only food for a day!

When I visit Las Vegas Casino Hotels, Japanese tourists (too many) were spending (to be sucked?) in casinos. So, I figured Japanese people are not poor like many Las Vegas residents

Key word, TOURISTS, if you judge a country by it's tourists you really need to check the reality out before assuming something different. Too much TV influences your thinking I believe.

I wrote 'I figured'.