Does Miojo or Cup Noodles make you gain weight? Is it bad for you? Does it cause cancer? Is Cup Noodles healthy or full of calories? In this article, we will talk a little about this traditional Japanese instant noodle, some curiosities, and its dangers.
Cup noodles and instant noodles are one of Japan’s greatest inventions that has spread all over the world. In Japan, there are thousands of different flavors, and they are much more filled compared to those sold in Brazil.
It is consumed by a large part of the Japanese population due to its low price and short preparation time. It is mainly consumed by busy people or Neets.
Some people mistakenly think that instant ramen is healthy just because it is made in Japan and is full of vegetables. Like most industrialized products, Cup noodles and Japanese instant noodles also have their dangers.
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History of Cup Noodles and Instant Noodles
Instant noodles were invented in 1958 by Momofuku Ando (1910–2007), a Taiwanese-Japanese businessman and founder of Nissin. Ando developed some pre-cooked and dehydrated noodles with chicken flavors.
On September 18, 1970, Ando opened a subsidiary company to sell his instant noodles in the United States, as people in that country were not accustomed to the traditional packaging of this food.
Ando created a large reusable polystyrene cup that only needed hot water and waiting. The acceptance of the product led Ando to create a subsidiary company called Cup Noodles to sell instant noodles abroad.
Dangers of Cup Noodles
Why are Cup Noodles dangerous? All due to their manufacturing process. The goal of factories is to create a dried noodle that lasts a long time and cooks in a few minutes.
To meet these requirements, it is fried in oil, and its dehydrated soup contains much more fat and sodium, as well as monosodium glutamate (MSG) and various other preservatives and chemical components.
The real danger lies in the high sodium content, containing more than 1060mg and 13g of fat. A Cup Noodle has about 380 calories, with 126 being just fat and the rest white flour. The seasoning and soup of the instant noodles are the main culprits.
I think everyone should know the danger of sodium, which causes pressure problems and ulcers. The Monosodium Glutamate used to mask and enhance the flavor of the ingredients can cause headaches, nausea, and burning sensations in some people.
After 20 years, this can even help develop cancer. We don’t even need to talk about the fat. In other words, eating Cup Noodles once in a while won’t kill you, only if you eat excessively. Who will keep eating non-stop for 20 years?
You don’t need to be afraid of eating a Cup Noodles, it’s probably much healthier than eating a hamburger or a pizza every week, as many have been doing today. The dangers of instant ramen are the same as any medication in its package insert.
Alternatives to Cup Noodles
Just as we can’t stop drinking soda, eating snacks, or meat, CUP Noodles don’t need to be 100% avoided; just have balance. Among all the Cup Noodles, one of the healthiest is the chicken with vegetables, which has only 290 calories.
You can also resort to other types of instant noodles without seasoning and ingredients. You can season and fill it naturally with products you buy. You can buy, for example, a miso or soy sauce to season it.
Also, look for instant products that take longer to prepare; the longer they take, the healthier they should be. Also, buy other pastas that are not fried in oil.
If you live in Japan, it is much better to go to an original ramen, soba, or udon restaurant instead of eating instant and industrialized products.
The Cup Noodles Museum
Of course, we won’t only talk about bad things here; everything nowadays is harmful, and there’s no problem eating once in a while. If you’re visiting Japan in Tokyo, we recommend going to the neighboring city of Yokohama to visit the Cup Noodles Museum.
The Cup Noodles Museum is located in Yokohama at Minato Mirai and is quite popular among children and families. The museum tells the entire history of Nissin and its creations. Momofuku Ando, the founder of Nissin, drastically changed the Japanese diet.
Instant noodles are now a worldwide sensation. It was considered the most important Japanese invention of the 20th century. The museum showcases all inventions from 1958 to today.
Create Your Own Noodles
The museum allows visitors to create their own cup of noodles, choosing the seasoning, ingredients, etc. Imagine how wonderful it must be to invent your own flavor and fill it with ingredients! The best part is that you make it to take home; you don’t have to consume it on the spot. The video below shows a great adventure in the museum:
The entrance fee is 500 yen for adults, and children do not pay; you can use the ticket for re-entry throughout the day. To create your own Cup Noodles, you pay 300 yen. The museum also has a restaurant on the upper floor where you can taste different noodles from various countries.
Differences Between Ramen and Miojo
Miojo is an industrial instant noodle that promises to bring the flavor of ramen to your home. Despite attempts, Miojo will never come close to an artisanal and original ramen.
The ramen takes hours and hours to prepare, while Miojo is made in just 5 minutes. Just the sauce of a ramen can take up to 20 hours to be ready. Not even Cup Noodles comes close to a ramen.
The ramen has a completely different texture, aroma, and flavor, a completely unique sauce, and not that seasoning packet that comes with instant noodles. It takes a lot to make a ramen.
If you want to make a natural ramen, we recommend checking out the course Lamen Gourmet by clicking here. This course teaches step by step how to create the perfect ramen. You will learn more than 5 types of ramen.
Types of Korean Ramen
Do you know about Cup Noodles or Korean ramens? They are far superior to the national ones with a unique flavor and great cost/benefit. This type of noodle is very easy to prepare and delicious.
The national ramens do not have the same texture and flavor as Korean Ramens, which is why Korean Ramens are becoming increasingly popular in Brazil.
The most famous Korean brand in the world is Nong Shim, which has very spicy ramens that are quite popular, such as: Shin Ramyun, Shin Cup, Kimchi Ramyun, Yuguejang, and others. Some ramens from the Paldo brand have a special packaging that allows you to prepare your ramen in minutes in your microwave.
One of the most well-known is Shin Ramyeon, where the word shin means spicy, but it is not as spicy as it seems. Other spicy flavors include jin ramen, Paldo Rabokki, Nongshim Jinjja Jinjja… Other interesting flavors are jalapeno with chicken.
Apart from the super spicy ones, there are non-spicy flavors, such as Oolongmen with chicken, beef, and seafood flavors. Another popular flavor is Chajanmen, which is not spicy and is made with black beans and has a sweeter taste; it is very popular in South Korea.
In addition, there are traditional cup-shaped ramens, very practical for preparation, as you already have the correct container to prepare your ramen; chicken and shrimp ramens are great options with almost no spice. Other interesting and popular flavors include udon, neoguri, cham pong, shrimp, and others. There are even vegetarian options.
Flavors of Cup Noodles in Japan
To conclude the article, we will leave a complete list of Cup Noodles flavors below:
- Pumpkin
- Shrimp oil
- China Furong crab
- Beef stew;
- Chili with Tomato
- Chowder
- Chicken barbecue
- Spicy pork ribs
- Grilled ribs in black soy sauce;
- Brazilian Cup Noodle (in celebration of the cup, seafood flavor)
- China Cup Noodle (oyster flavor with soy sauce)
- Miso Cup Noodle
- Italian Cup Noodle
- Cup Noodle X (secret flavor)
- Italian Curry
- Ebichiri (a shrimp sauce);
- Bolognese style
- Singapore laksa style (coconut milk + soup);
- Spicy curry chicken
- Soft creamy chicken
- Seafood
- Hayashi
- Hot Chili Pepper
- Rice noodles;
- Shellfish
- Mie goreng (Indonesian dish)
- Soy sauce
- Japanese cod roe;
- Red chili pepper
- Italian Pizza
- Roast pork and soy sauce
- Cheese with garlic
- Risotto
- Chizukare flavor (Cheese with Curry)
- Curry flavor;
- Hong Kong flavor;
- Brazilian chicken flavor
- Ratatouille flavor
- Salt flavor (various types)
- Vegetable flavor
- Wasabi and Mayonnaise flavor;
- Yakisoba flavor
- Shark fin soup;
- Turtle soup
- Tofu
- Tomato somen
- Tonkatsu
- Tonkotsu
- Bacon with soy sauce
- Vongole (shellfish)
- Yum Goong
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