The History of Instant Ramen

Asian American History 101

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 26! Is there a more universal convenience food eaten across the world than instant ramen? We’re not sure, but instant ramen has to be pretty high up as the most popular convenience food, and it’s not just for college students and people looking for a cheap, fast meal. In this episode, we share the history of instant ramen, popularized through Momofuku Ando and his company, Nissin Foods.

Why did Ando want to create instant ramen? What were some of the innovations that led to instant ramen’s success? Who are some of the major companies selling instant ramen and cup ramen? We discuss these questions and more including how instant ramen has continued to innovate with changing habits and preferences across the globe. In our recurring segment, “What Are We Listening To” returns as we share a few more Asian Pacific musicians to support. We talk about Young the Giant’s Live Across America 2023 album, Raveena's new album Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain, and Charli XCX’s release of Brat.

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Segments

• 00:25 Current Events
• 07:02 The History of Instant Ramen
• 27:33 What Are We Listening To? Young the Giant, Raveena, and CharliXCX