How Instant Ramen Became an Overnight Success
Transcript
Some people associate instant noodles with broke college students, but instant ramen wasn’t created for a bunch of hungry 20 year olds.
The man who invented them was much more ambitious.
He set out to solve a hunger crisis in Japan.
After World War II, food shortages plagued Japanese cities, so the U.S. supplied wheat flour and encouraged the Japanese to make bread.
One man named Momofuku Ando didn’t understand why his people would make bread instead of noodles, something that was already part of their culture.
Ando decided to take matters into his own hands and create a new ramen made to last.
He spent a year trying to figure out how to preserve the noodles.
He needed a nonperishable, tasty, and easy recipe, but it was a challenge to maintain the robust flavors and unique texture that most people were accustomed to.
It wasn’t until his wife was making dinner one night and he threw some noodles in a bowl of hot tempura oil that he realized flash frying the noodles was the answer he had been looking for.
This method not only dehydrated them, it left small perforations that allowed the noodles to recook quickly.
And there you have it, instant ramen noodles became an instant success.
Ando’s products gained notoriety when he introduced the packaged ramen in the 1950s and later Cup Noodles in 1978.
His company began selling upwards of 40 billion units every year, and Momofuku Ando became a culinary icon in Japan.
So, the next time you heat up a cup of instant noodles, remember, you’re slurping down a little piece of history.
Vocabulary List
associate
(verb) to connect or link together
broke
(adjective) not having enough money; in financial difficulty
bunch
(noun) a group of things or people gathered together
invent
(verb) to create or design something new
set out
(verb) to start on a journey or an enterprise
shortage
(noun) a lack of something that is needed or wanted
plague
(verb) to cause great trouble or suffering
last
(verb) to continue for a period of time
figure out
(verb) to find the answer to a problem
preserve
(verb) to treat something so that it will not spoil
nonperishable
(adjective) not likely to spoil or decay; lasting for a long time
tasty
(adjective) having a pleasant taste
robust
(adjective) strong and healthy; able to withstand difficult conditions
accustomed
(adjective) used to something; familiar with something
flash fry
(verb) to cook food quickly in a very hot pan or oven
dehydrate
(verb) to remove water from something
perforation
(noun) a small hole or opening
recook
(verb) to cook something again
instant
(adjective) happening or done very quickly
notoriety
(noun) the state of being well known, especially for something bad
upwards
(adverb) in a direction that is higher than the present position
culinary
(adjective) relating to cooking or the kitchen
icon
(noun) a person or thing that is very popular or important
heat up
(verb) to make something hotter
slurp down
(verb) to drink something quickly and noisily
Grammar Point
countable noun vs. uncountable noun
Some people associate instant noodles with broke college students, but instant ramen wasn’t created for a bunch of hungry 20 year olds.
Noodle is a countable noun and is usually used in its plural form (noodles).
Ramen is an uncountable noun. It doesn’t have a plural form.
adjective clause
The man who invented them was much more ambitious.
The clause “who invented them” is an adjective clause.
An adjective modifies (explains or adds information) a noun.
The clause “who invented them” modifies the noun “the man.”
irregular plural noun
He set out to solve a hunger crisis in Japan.
Crisis is a countable noun.
– singular form: crisis
– plural form: crises
This is an example of an irregular plural noun.
Irregular plural nouns are nouns whose plural forms are not created by adding -s or -es at the end of their singular forms.
two crises
two crisises (wrong)
multiple parts of speech
After World War II, food shortages plagued Japanese cities, so the U.S. supplied wheat flour and encouraged the Japanese to make bread.
The word “plague” can function as a verb or a noun.
As a verb, “plague” means to cause pain or trouble to somebody/something over a period of time.
– base form: plague
– past simple: plagued
– past participle: plagued
– -s form: plagues
– -ing form: plaguing
As a noun, “plague” means a disease that spreads quickly and kills a lot of people.
– singular noun: plague
– plural noun: plagues
verb pattern
He spent a year trying to figure out how to preserve the noodles.
One of the meanings of the word “spend” is to use time doing a particular thing.
In this meaning, we use “spend” in these patterns:
spend time + with + somebody
I want to spend more time with my family.
spend time + in/at + something
His childhood was spent in Brazil.
spend time + doing something
She spends all her free time painting.
She spends all her free time paint. (wrong)
She spends all her free time paints. (wrong)
She spends all her free time to paint. (wrong)
Common Expressions
there you have it
And there you have it, instant ramen noodles became an instant success.
The phrase “there you have it” is an idiom that is used to say that something has just been shown, described, or stated in a very clear and definite way. It can be used in a variety of contexts, but it is most commonly used to summarize a point or to introduce a speaker’s interpretation of what has just transpired or been described.
For example, if you are explaining how to change a tire, you might say “there you have it” after you have finished the instructions. This would mean that you have just shown the person how to change a tire in a clear and concise way.
take matters into someone’s hands
Ando decided to take matters into his own hands and create a new ramen made to last.
The phrase “take matters into your own hands” means to take control of a situation and take action, especially when other people have failed to do so. It can be used in a variety of contexts, but it is most commonly used to describe situations where someone is taking matters into their own hands because they are feeling frustrated or helpless.
For example, if you are waiting for a repairman to come and fix your car, but they are late, you might say “I’m going to take matters into my own hands and try to fix it myself.” This would mean that you are going to take action and try to fix the car yourself, because you are feeling frustrated and helpless waiting for the repairman.