History UsefulNotes / RamenAsDehydratedNoodles

* UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}: Lucky Me, Nissin, Payless (no, not that [[https://www.payless.com/ footwear company]], though both brands do exist side by side in the Philippines without any apparent confusion; also a joint venture between local company Universal Robina Corporation and Japan's Nissin), and Quick Chow

-->-- '''Creator/DennisHaysbert''', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24n2Ao_R-co An advertisement]] for Allstate car insurance (c. 2011)

* In ''Literature/{{Uglies}}'', they have tons of types of dehydrated meals, many involving noodles, which are all written in CamelCase, and so would all be WikiWord-ed here.

* In ''Series/OnceUponATime'', when Mr Gold is banished from Storybrooke and moves in with Ursula the Sea Witch, he's shown making ramen noodles in the microwave as an illustration of how much he's fallen. Ursula explains to him how it works, to which he irritatedly points out that he's been in the real world almost as long as she has.
* On ''Series/OrangeIsTheNewBlack'', the inmates use ramen seasoning packets to season the disgusting food that is introduced after [[spoiler: the corporate takeover of the prison.]]

* In ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'', Cup Ramen is specifically stated to be Jack Atlas' TrademarkFavoriteFood. Justified, in the sense that he (along with Yusei and Crow) grew up as an poor orphan in Satellite, and they were so deprived that even eating cheap Cup Ramen is a considerable luxury for them.

* In ''Manga/DrStone'', Senku reinvents fresh ramen (made from foxtail millet[[note]][[ArtisticLicenseBiology which doesn't have gluten, so would not be usable to make noodle dough]][[/note]]) to impress the villagers and get them to provide manpower for his science experiments. They instantly love it, though to pre-Stone Worlders like Senku and Gen it tastes like a poor imitation of real ramen.

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* UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}: Lucky Me, Nissin, Payless (no, [[NamesTheSame not that]] [[https://www.payless.com/ footwear company]], though both brands do exist side by side in the Philippines without any apparent confusion; also a joint venture between local company Universal Robina Corporation and Japan's Nissin), and Quick Chow

* UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}}: Lucky Me, Payless (no, [[NamesTheSame not that]] [[https://www.payless.com/ footwear company]], though both brands do exist side by side in the Philippines without any apparent confusion), and Quick Chow

* ''Franchise/{{LupinIII}}'' characters are regularly seen eating cup ramen. Zenigata is often short on time and money while pursuing the gang, it's one of the few options to satisfy Goemon's strong preference for Japanese food while abroad, and the gang's finances are barely a step above PerpetualPoverty despite the members' skills.

* UsefulNotes/{{France}}: [[https://fr-en.openfoodfacts.org/category/instant-noodles/brand/mamee Mamee.]] [[note]]ironically, a Malaysian brand that found it's niche in the country, when it's always the third leg behind Cintan and Maggi persistently in surveys in it's home country of Malaysia.[[/note]]

* UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates and UsefulNotes/LatinAmerica: [[http://www.maruchan.com Maruchan's]] Instant Lunch, [[http://www.nissinfoods.com Nissin's]] Cup Noodles, and Top Ramen[[note]]Sapporo Ichiban, mentioned below, is actually a ''higher end'' noodle dish in the US, costing about a dollar per packet compared to the pocket change of Maruchan or Nissin.[[/note]]

* In the "Stone Wars" arc of ''Manga/DrStone'', Senku reinvents dehydrated cup noodles as convenient field rations for the Kingdom of Science, using natural cold and vacuum chambers to freeze-dry them. This saves them from having to hunt or carry heavy food packs, allowing them to travel much faster.

Instant noodles were invented by Andō Momofuku, a UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}}ese man born to a merchant family that had done well during the Japanese occupation of the country. Andō had moved to Japan in 1933 and set himself up in business in Osaka; after the conclusion of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, he found himself in control of a fairly extensive commercial empire. Among his many commercial ventures was his business as a salt merchant, giving him knowledge of the food industry inside out. Once in 1947, at the height of the postwar poverty in Japan, he saw a long line to the ramen shop in Osaka, and thought that it'd be nice if the people wouldn't need to wait outside for hours to eat. He then went to experiment in his storage-shed-turned-a-lab in his backyard, and after 11 years of experiments finally found a solution: fry the freshly boiled ramen in palm oil until crisp to remove moisture, then pour concentrated chicken stock over, dry it off and sell. So in 1958 his first product, Nissin Chicken Ramen, was out. Later, he or one of his employees invented a styrofoam cup, and so Nissin Cup Ramen was born. Ando died in 2007, at the ripe old age of 96 (eating his invention everyday, mind you), but Nissin Food, his company, remains the largest player on the market up to this day.

Instant noodles were invented by a guy named Momofuku Ando, a naturalized Taiwanese immigrant who, among his many commercial ventures, was once a successful salt merchant and knew the food industry inside out. Once in 1947, at the height of the postwar poverty in Japan, he saw a long line to the ramen shop in Osaka, and thought that it'd be nice if the people wouldn't need to wait outside for hours to eat. He then went to experiment in his storage-shed-turned-a-lab in his backyard, and after 11 years of experiments finally found a solution: fry the freshly boiled ramen in palm oil until crisp to remove moisture, then pour concentrated chicken stock over, dry it off and sell. So in 1958 his first product, Nissin Chicken Ramen, was out. Later, he or one of his employees invented a styrofoam cup, and so Nissin Cup Ramen was born. Ando died in 2007, at the ripe old age of 96 (eating his invention everyday, mind you), but Nissin Food, his company, remains the largest player on the market up to this day.

* UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Nigeria}} and UsefulNotes/TheMiddleEast (minus Israel): Indomie, favored for being fairly good and halal. In UsefulNotes/{{Jordan}} and the rest of the Levant, [[BrandNameTakeover Indomie just refers to any instant ramen]].

-->-- '''Creator/DennisHaysbert''', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24n2Ao_R-co An advertisement]] for Allstate car insurance

* UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Noodles Mr. Noodles]], [[http://eng.nongshim.com/eng/pro/prod_deft_lst.jsp Nong Shim]], and [[http://www.taipansauces.com/products/sapporo_ichiban_overview.asp Sapporo Ichiban]].

** Some Australians (in particular recent uni students) prefer Indonesian brand Indomie's [[http://www.indomie.com/products-goreng.html Mie Goreng]],[[note]]literally "fried noodles", Indonesian take on the Chinese chow mein and Japanese yakisoba[[/note]]. Indomie also has a sizable following in Malaysia due to the number of Javanese immigrants and that because it's Halal, resonates with the Muslim population.

* In ''Manga/DrStone'', Senku reinvents fresh ramen (made from foxtail millet[[note]][[ArtisticLicenseZoology which doesn't have gluten, so would not be usable to make noodle dough]][[/note]]) to impress the villagers and get them to provide manpower for his science experiments. They instantly love it, though to pre-Stone Worlders like Senku and Gen it tastes like a poor imitation of real ramen.

What all dehydrated noodles have in common, however, no matter what country they're from, is that they're [[PovertyFood symbolic of poverty]] -- or, at least, not exactly stable life. Which is somewhat ironic, given that initially instant ramen was seen as an upscale product, and cost significantly more than the real stuff: the original asking price of the Nissin Chikin Ramen was 36 yen per portion, while the common ramen stall in Osaka would sell you the large bowl of the fresh stuff for something like 15 yen in 1958. Things changed since, though,[[note]]The King Size portion of the Nissin Cup Ramen costs ~180 yen nowadays, while the fresh stuff floats around 380-450 yen per bowl.[[/note]] and now whether it's the [[StarvingStudent starving university student]], people living alone flooded in debt, or folks who have fallen on hard times, whenever you see someone in fiction pouring boiling water into a brick of rock-hard noodles, you can tell they're hungry for money as well as food. Quite TruthInTelevision, as instant noodles are quite cheap and can be prepared quickly. The somewhat more nutritionally conscious might put in some veggies and an egg, although most brands nowadays, especially Nissin, also packs dehydrated eggs, veggies, and meat along with the noodles and the seasoning.

* ''Film/{{Tampopo}}'' is considered the classic Japanese ramen movie.

* UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom: [[http://www.unilever.co.uk/brands-in-action/detail/Pot-Noodle/297345/ Unilever's Pot Noodles]]

* In a not in the least bit subtle example of ProductPlacement, VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV prominently features Nissin Cup Noodles as both a food item that can be eaten at camp and as the subject of an entire sidequest where Gladiolus convinces the party to find a special ingredient of the player's choice to make the perfect cup. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kKfjaT1ZQM It has to be seen to be believed.]]
** If that wasn't bizarre enough, one of the game's DLC items is a giant Cup Noodles ''hat'' for Noctis. A free add-on released on August 31, 2017, it originally appeared exclusively in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFAgZBzgbG8 a Japanese TV spot]] aired around the time of the game's release.

* Implied in a few NPC thoughts in ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' -- they don't specify, but 100-yen ramen is ''probably'' not a fresh bowl from Ramen Don's. Incidentally, that very shop does offer insta-noodles in exchange for a 100-yen ''pin'' (cash not accepted for this product); unlike Ken Doi's other fare, this one is no good for StatGrinding as it only boosts your sync rate.

* UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}, UsefulNotes/NewZealand, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}} and UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica: [[http://www.maggi.in/default.aspx Maggi's Two-Minute Noodles]] (actually from UsefulNotes/{{India}}). These usually comes in bags and you're expected to use your own bowl. Clones like [[https://www.yeos.com.my/product/cintan-noodles-basic-range/ Cintan]] and [[https://www.mamee.com/brand.html Mamee]] are also prevalent in Malaysia. In fact, Maggi has had BrandNameTakeover in Malaysia and Singapore, and any mentions of Maggi automatically means instant noodles. On the flip side, cup noodles from the likes of Nissin are considered more upmarket products and are more expensive despite the smaller servings.

* UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}, UsefulNotes/NewZealand, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}} and UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica: [[http://www.maggi.in/default.aspx Maggi's Two-Minute Noodles]] (actually from UsefulNotes/{{India}}). These usually comes in bags and you're expected to use your own bowl. Clones like [[https://www.yeos.com.my/product/cintan-noodles-basic-range/ Cintan]] and [[https://www.mamee.com/brand.html Mamee]] are also prevalent in Malaysia. On the flip side, cup noodles from the likes of Nissin are considered more upmarket products and are more expensive despite the smaller servings.

* UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}, UsefulNotes/NewZealand, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}} and UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica: [[http://www.maggi.in/default.aspx Maggi's Two-Minute Noodles]] (actually from UsefulNotes/{{India}}). These usually comes in bags and you're expected to use your own bowl. Clones like Cintan and Mamee are also prevalent in Malaysia. On the flip side, cup noodles from the likes of Nissin are considered more upmarket products and are more expensive despite the smaller servings.

* UsefulNotes/{{France}}: [[https://fr-en.openfoodfacts.org/category/instant-noodles/brand/mamee Mamee.]]

* UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}, UsefulNotes/NewZealand, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}} and UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica: [[http://www.maggi.in/default.aspx Maggi's Two-Minute Noodles]] (actually from UsefulNotes/{{India}}). Clones like Cintan and Mamee are also prevalent in Malaysia.

* UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}, UsefulNotes/NewZealand, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}} and UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica: [[http://www.maggi.in/default.aspx Maggi's Two-Minute Noodles]] (actually from UsefulNotes/{{India}}). Clones like Cintan and Mamee are also prevalent in Malaysia, an indication of how bad the economy of the country is.

* UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}, UsefulNotes/NewZealand, UsefulNotes/{{Malaysia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}} and UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica: [[http://www.maggi.in/default.aspx Maggi's Two-Minute Noodles]] (actually from UsefulNotes/{{India}}). Clones like Cintan and Mamee are also prevalent in Malaysia.