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| Instant Ramen Museum, Ikeda |
Ramen noodles are hugely important in Japan, and the Osaka suburb of Ikeda is the birthplace of the global phenomenon that is instant ramen. It is hard to believe that a pot of instant soup with dehydrated noodles, meat and vegetables could be so popular, but there it is, a stalwart of student dinners, camping meals, post pub munchies and, in the case of Air Asia, even an option for in flight meals.
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| Instant Ramen Museum, Ikeda |
In the UK, the instant noodle most readily available is KP's Pot Noodle, but this is the home of the original, Cup Noodle.
Wherever you go in Japan, you will see Cup Noodle; there are whole aisles of them in supermarkets, and every garage shop and convenience store has an excellent supply.
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| Instant Ramen Museum, Ikeda |
And it all started on 25 August 1958 when, after various failed attempts, Momofuko Ando successfully created the first instant chicken ramen in a small shed in his back garden. It wasn't in a 'cup' yet, that came later, but still, a new concept of eating was born.
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| Instant Ramen Museum, Ikeda |
We went to visit the Instant Ramen Museum in Ikeda. We didn't book to do the make-your-own-noodles bit because weren't initially sure that we would go, after all, who really cares about instant noodles, but as it turned out, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.
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| Instant Ramen Museum, Ikeda |
The information on how the technique of dehydrating noodles was perfected is well presented and interesting, as is the development of the product to the version we know today, in its own cup. And it's free.
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| Instant Ramen Museum, Ikeda |
Of course, as were there anyway, we had to take the opportunity to put together our own personalised cup noodle. You buy your empty cup from a vending machine, then sit down at long tables to decorate it. Once your work of art on the cup is complete, however good or bad it may be, you take it to be filled.
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| Instant Ramen Museum, Ikeda |
You can select from a range of soup flavours, and choose four ingredients. Your cup is filled, sealed and shrink-wrapped in front of you, and there you have it. They even give you an inflatable bag to carry it home in.
That was dinner sorted for that evening.
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| Tabitha's Cup Noodle |
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| Nic's Cup Noodle |
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| Nic's Cup Noodle |
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| Tabitha's Cup Noodle |
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| Nic's Cup Noodle |
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| Tabitha's Cup Noodle |
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| Our finished Cup Noodle pots |
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