Cup Noodles

Cup Noodles

Two flavors available under the Cup Noodle (Japanese) brand.
Produced by Nissin
Introduced 1971

Cup Noodles (カップヌードル, Kappu Nūdoru) is a brand of instant ramen noodle snack manufactured by Nissin, packaged in a foam food container, hard plastic or paper cup. Other brand names are used in specific countries, such as the singular Cup Noodle in Japan, and the product has inspired numerous competitors, such as Maruchan's Instant Lunch.

History

Instant noodles were invented in 1958 by Momofuku Ando, the Taiwanese-born founder of the Japanese food company Nissin. He used Chicken Ramen as the first instant ramen noodles.

1970s

In 1970, Nissin formed the subsidiary Nissin Foods (USA) Co. Inc, to sell instant noodles in the United States. Nissin recognized that the bowls traditionally used to package instant noodles in Asia were not common in the U.S, so they used the paper cup designed by Ron R. Matteson. In 1971, they introduced instant ramen packaged in a foam cup. In 1978, Nissin Foods offers new varieties of Top Ramen and Cup O' Noodles. The product was known as Cup O' Noodles in the United States until 1993.

1990s

In 1998, Cup Noodles Hot Sauce Varieties introduced (Beef, Chicken, Pork and Shrimp).[1]

Today

Today, instant noodles in Japan are often sold in foam bowls, sometimes with plastic utensils. Foam bowls are inexpensive, disposable, light, and easy to hold, since they insulate heat well.

German Cup Nudeln (Spicy flavor), old packaging

Different flavors are available in other parts of the world, such as tom yum in Thailand, curry in Japan, crab in Hong Kong, and Churrascaria in Brazil.[2]

In 2016 the US version was changed, reducing sodium and removing MSG and artificial flavors.[3]

From 1996 to 2006, a 60-foot (18 m) Nissin Cup Noodle sign was installed in Times Square, New York City. It was located prominently near the top of the One Times Square building, the location of the Times Square Ball drop on New Year's Eve. The sign was the most recent example in a tradition of steaming signs in Times Square, which started with an A&P 8 O'Clock Coffee cup in 1933.[4][5]

Cup noodles are often seen in the 2012 video game Binary Domain, which is set in a futuristic version of Tokyo. It is commonly seen in billboards and advertisements throughout the city, and is even seen being eaten by some characters.

Cup Noodles were prominently featured as product placement in the 2016 video game Final Fantasy XV. This partnership also resulted in a crossover TV ad in Japan.[6]

Cup Noodles have also been noted in the upcoming video game Star Citizen as a fictional product placement under the manufacture of a corporation known as "Big Benny's".

The popularity of Cup Noodles has also resulted in the creation of a Cup Noodle Museum. The museum features displays on cup noodles and their founder, Momofuku Ando. The museum is located in Yokohama, Japan.

Flavours

See also

References

  1. ↑ Nissin | History
  2. ↑ Japanese Cup Noodle official website has the section "The Cupnoodle in the world" under the "Library", which lists Cup Noodles flavors all over the world.
  3. ↑ Li, Shan. "Cup Noodles changes its recipe for the first time ever, hopping on the healthier food trend". latimes.com. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  4. ↑ New York Architecture Images- Midtown- times square short history 1
  5. ↑ Collins, Glenn. "THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING: How do you get your message across among the Times Square throng? Try turning up the steam.". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
  6. ↑ "Is This the Silliest Product Placement in a Video Game Ever?". IGN. Dec 7, 2016. Retrieved Dec 7, 2016.
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