In the realm of culinary impact, nobody gets to stand as tall and proud as Momofuku Ando. Without his genius and perseverance, college dormitories, busy office break rooms, and countless broke people would starve. You see, Ando is the brilliant mind behind instant noodles, a staple food that’s saved many of our skins in times of hardship. But who was this man really? Let’s dive into some details about his life and legacy because the ramen man did some cool things back in the day.
Early life: From Taiwan to Japan
Momofuku Ando (born Go Pek-Hok) was born on March 5, 1910, in Bokushi-shi, Kagi-chō (what is now Puzi, Taiwan). At that time, Taiwan was under Japanese rule. Orphaned at an early age, he moved to Japan to live with his grandparents in Osaka. It’s said that these humble beginnings shaped his determination and resourcefulness.
In his youth, Ando dabbled in various businesses. He sold knitted goods, and later ran a successful textiles company. By all accounts, he was a successful entrepreneur long before he ever considered entering the world of food.
A vision born from necessity
It wasn’t until after World War II that instant noodles became an obsession in Ando’s mind. Ando’s factories and belongings were mostly destroyed by the firebombs of WW2. Post-war Japan faced severe food shortages and people were struggling to find affordable meals, often choosing between lining up for nearly an hour or skipping a meal. Traditional ramen shops were popular but not accessible for everyone due to limited time availability as Japanese workers were busy rebuilding.
Originally, he set out to sell salt and nutritional products but the market was too competitive so he would fold the company and take on a job as bank manager for a local credit union until it too folded.
The pivotal moment for Ando came when he remembered the post-war scenes he’d seen of people lining up for bowls of steaming ramen on cold nights. “Peace will come to the world, when the people have enough to eat.1” is what he would go on to say in an interview years later. Inspired by the idea of changing this sight and driven by a desire to create something both delicious and convenient he set out on a mission to make a bowl of noodles that could be served quickly with only boiling water.
And so Ando set out to create a method for storing and serving noodles that would be cheap, convenient and wouldn’t require refrigeration. He moved kitchen equipment in his backyard shed and would experiment daily. His original setup consisted of a wok, a noodle maker, cooking oil and a bag of flour.
The birth of Chickin Ramen
Creating instant noodles was no small feat. It took years of daily experimentation in that tiny shed before success arrived. Finally, on August 25th, 1958 (a date you’ll be celebrating now that you know), Ando introduced the world’s first packet of instant noodles: Chicken Ramen.
His breakthrough came through flash-frying cooked noodles, a technique he developed after observing his wife making tempura. The technique pushes the water particles out of the noodles while cooking them and leaves air gaps within the noodles after the oil is drained allowing them to be rehydrated quickly with boiling water while retaining flavor and texture. This is also what makes tempura so fluffy and crispy at the same time.
Once perfected, Ando’s noodle product would be known as Nissin Chikin Ramen, a chicken flavored instant noodle that required only boiling water produced and sold by his own company Nissin. One key difference in the original Chikin ramen though, is that the noodles were fried in chicken flavored oil so it didn’t need any additional flavor packets like the ones most of us are used to.
With its rich taste and ease of preparation (pour boiling water over it), Chicken Ramen became an almost immediate hit across Japan. Almost because it originally was more expensive than fresh noodles. It would be a while before the economies of scale would bring it down to being cheaper.
Expanding horizons: Cup Noodles
Not one to rest on his laurels even after such a monumental success, Momofuku continued looking for newer and better ways to serve his instant noodles. One day during travels abroad In America specifically around supermarkets, another issue struck him. American office workers were breaking up the noodle packets into cups and pouring boiling water into them rather than serving them in bowls. So why not just sell ramen that’s pre-packed in cups? Part of his idea was that selling noodles in a cup would allow busy people to eat on the go as opposed to selling the noodles in a bowl.
And so, in 1971, Nissin launched their CUP NOODLES line which created a whole new submarket. This extra-portable product allowed consumers everywhere to enjoy warm noodles in a container they could toss without worrying about cleanup.
Cup Noodle Museum, Yokohama – Instant noodles are big in Japan. At this interactive museum dedicated to the modern-day convenience, you get to have fun while learning about the creative-thinking process of Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant noodles, by seeing, touching,… pic.twitter.com/3VtHOUnrbS
— DMVelliaris PhD (Ed) (@dmvelliaris) June 24, 2024
The noodles were so popular that Nissin went so far as to create a space chicken ramen for the Japanese space agency (JAXA) that could be eaten in zero-gravity.
Today over hundred billion servings consumed globally every single year. A testament to how essential to our busy lives a simple, convenient and affordable meal is.
Beyond business : Philanthropy education
Outside of his noodle empire, Momofuku Ando was also a dedicated philanthropist whose efforts were mainly focused on promoting education and entrepreneurship. Ando established the Ando Foundation and the Momofuku Ando Center which together supports various cultural, educational, and athletic initiatives. The foundation has been particularly active in providing scholarships and financial assistance to students, fostering the next generation of innovators and leaders while the Center has been focused on teaching the youth about outdoor activities and helping them stay in touch with nature.
Additionally, Ando’s philanthropy extended to disaster relief. Recognizing the potential of his instant noodles to provide sustenance in emergency situations, he frequently donated large quantities of Nissin ramen to disaster-stricken areas. This commitment to humanitarian aid was evident in the aftermath of natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. You’ll often see photos and videos of people holding Nissin cup noodles when you watch news coverage of these disasters.
Closing thoughts
So often, we think of our lives as this binary journey going up in a straight line. But the truth is, life is a series of failures and catastrophes in which we get back from and get stronger through experiencing. Life will kick us down as many times as its kicked Mr. Ando down. But it only takes one solid success for everything to turn around, and sometimes the success is something rather mundane like a bowl of noodles.
So remember to cook up a cup of Nissin Cup Ramen or a bowl of Nissin Chikin Ramen on the 5th of March every year to commemorate the poor man’s savior. And use the energy to move your own life forward by a small step. A bowl of noodles isn’t much, but it’s everything when you’re down and broke.
FAQ
Why did Momofuku Ando invent instant noodles?
Mr. Ando believed that finding a way to serve warm noodles to people quickly was the key to helping everybody no matter how bad times got.
Who invented ramen first?
Ramen is a Japanese twist on Chinese lamian which is said to have been brought over by a Chinese monk. Though it started in Yokohama, nobody knows who exactly invented it. As for instant ramen, Momofuku Ando is the one who came up with the first iteration of it with Nissin Chikin Ramen.
Who is the CEO of Nissin ramen noodles?
The current CEO of Nissin ramen is Koki Ando, Momofuku Ando’s son.
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