Inventor of Cup o' Noodles Dead at 96
Talk about great men in Asian history.  Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant noodles and cup noodles and founder and chairman of Nissin Food Products died Friday of heart failure in Ikeda, Japan.  Ando conceived of instant ramen noodles on his own and after months of trial and error, on August 25, 1958, he unveiled the original chikin ramen, or chicken-flavored ramen noodles, in Japan.  The first instant noodles were sold as blocks wrapped in plastic, a type of packaging that still can be found all over Asia today.  In 1971, Ando released the style of instant noodles that became the hallmark of the Nissin brand-- Cup Noodles or Cup o' Noodles.  The Cup Noodles feature the same dried fast-fried noodles as in the block form, though the cup provides the eater with a spice packet and a proper container in which to steam the noodles.  And pardon the cliché, but the rest is history.  Ando figured out a way to minimize his costs, and soon cup noodles became a cheap, quick, and insanely popular meal all over the world.  Nissin soon began adding varieties like beef, shrimp and curry and soon, Cup o' Noodles could be found in any neighborhood grocery store.  In 2006, Nissin sold 25 billion servings of Cup 'o Noodles worldwide.

While ramen noodles are thought of as a typical Japanese dish (wheat flour noodles and various toppings in soup), the story of Momofuku Ando is one that is distinctly Chinese.  Ando was born Go Bek Hok to Taiwanese parents in Taiwan in 1910.  As Taiwan was then part of Japan, Ando went to study in Osaka and was granted Japanese citizenship in the 1940s.  And ramen, the Japanese dish for which Ando became famous, also has its roots in China.  The Japanese word "ramen" is the Japanese pronunciation for "la mien," the Mandarin name for hand-pulled noodles.  The Chinese had been eating ramen (not the instant kind) for centuries and the dish did not become visible in Japan until the turn of the 20th century.  Though it wasn't until Momofuku Ando came along and made these noodles instant, that ramen noodles became a staple dish of Japan.

In 2000, the Fuji Research Institute Corporation conducted a survey to find out which 20th century Japanese products had the greatest influence on the world.  In all three voting categories-- creature, culture and technology-- instant ramen was found to be Japan's greatest contribution to the 20th century.  Before his death, Ando was asked what was his secret to living such a long life.  He replied that the key to his longevity was a bowl of chikin ramen every day for lunch.

•NYT: Mr. Noodle

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