The beloved Ramen noodles originated as Chinese soup that arrived in Japan. However, today, Ramen noodles are recognized as Korean. Really, they are a culmination of Asian culture noodles. Chinese tradesmen brought this soup during the 19th century through American occupation after the war. Instant ramen and Cup Noodles hit *instant* popularity in the mid-1900s to the 70s in Japan, and this Ramen-craze led to Ramen celebrities, Ramen museums, Ramen video games, basically Ramen-everything in Japan. These famous noodles impacted the consumerist culture with gourmet sixteen-dollar Ramen bowls served by Chef David Chang.
Professor George Solt, an assistant history professor at New York University, explained, “Ramen is one of the most minutely documented foods in Japan.” A grand combination of several factors promoted Ramen noodles from the dingy working-class average meal to an iconic, historic, and omnipresent dish served throughout the world. The rejuvenation of Japan’s workforce industry, along with the changed national identity during the economic downturn, led to the elevation in the Ramen noodle rank. When the United States occupied Japan during the Cold War, they imported wheat in order to contain Communism (since increased food shortages would lure more people towards the Communist Party). The Japanese then used the wheat to make Ramen noodles, contributing to its rising success and power in the industrialized world.
Solt then proceeded to present photographs of the Japanese Ramen Noodle Museum, opened in 1994 with a worth of $34 million. Solt showed the first packaged instant Chickin Ramen from the Nissin Foods Corporation packaged in 1958 (surprisingly still in good shape, indicating the Ramen noodles’ vitality and endurance *applause*). Ramen noodles continued to increase their popularity by being seen as a practical emergency food after a television show that depicted police officers eating Cup Ramen during a hostage-standoff. Ramen has come to mean so much more than a simple bowl of noodles; it has became an Asian cultural icon, contributing to the world’s culinary enjoyment.
by Sarah Wie
