September 2025

There have been a lot of ridiculous claims made about instant noodles. The ones I see most often is that they are coated with wax or plastic which keeps them seperate when boiled in a pot.    I’m sure most people with common sense know that boiling wax only results in one thing: melted wax! Come on guys!   Another one is that MSG when boiled turns into a lethal cancer causing monstrosity! Really?!   Instant Noodles are not really scary!. They are primarily wheat flour and water, made into dough, rolled thin, sliced into noodles, fed through a line where they’re steamed, then fried in oil. The frying pulls out any water in them and leaves tiny holes which, when re-introduced to boiling water, cause them to spring back to life as instant noodle.   Another funny one is a video of instant noodles in someone’s stomach. I hate to break it to everyone who’s bought into this, but I can’t think of any other foodstuff that has been chewed and swallowed going to look pretty!   The long and short of it is that Instant Noodles are just fine to eat and aren’t going to kill you as long as it is consumed in moderation.                

You may have as a kid crunched up a pack of instant noodles and sprinkled the seasoning on them. I remember doing that. Well, this is most definitely not an American invention by any means.   In South Korea, Ottogi makes a couple of varieties – Ppushu Ppushu and Pow Crunch that are made for doing this exact thing.   In India and Nepal, ‘brown’ noodles (noodles that are pre-seasoned) are often enjoyed this way – not only with a powder seasoning, but sometimes the oil mixed in as well, and added nuts, raisins or vegetables.   In Taiwan, Ve Wong makes Little Prince, which are tiny bags of crushed noodles with seasonings –  seaweed and bacon flavors being two of them. Some Instant Noodles can be eaten raw but should follow caution and use your judgement!