Whew, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything. What better day to begin again than Instant Ramen Day?
Sixty-two years ago, on August 25, 1958, Momofuku Ando and his company Nissin Foods released Chicken Ramen (AKA Chiken Ramen), the first instant noodle product. While it wasn’t an overnight success, instant ramen is now sold all over the world. According to the World Instant Noodles Association, global demand for instant noodles in 2019 was 106,420 MILLION servings (that’s 106,420,000)!! Judging by how bare the shelves have been during the pandemic, I bet demand for instant noodles in 2020 has only increased.
My family definitely does its share of eating instant noodles. In the photo above are the different kinds that we currently have in our pantry. They’re from Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan, and have very different tastes, textures, and spice levels (ranging from mild to sear-your-taste-buds-off). What kind of instant noodles do you have in your pantry?
News about MAGIC RAMEN: THE STORY OF MOMOFUKU ANDO
I’m so pleased to share that MAGIC RAMEN is being published in Korean by Charlie Book! Google Translate says the Korean title is RAMEN KING, ANDO which I love!
Other Book News:
My next picture book, WATERCRESS, will be published on March 30, 2021 by Holiday House/Neal Porter Books. It is gorgeously illustrated by Jason Chin, a Caldecott Honoree. Check out the cover! It’s also available for pre-order through your local indies and online retailers. If you order from IndieBound and email proof of purchase and your mailing address to me at AndreaWangBooks@gmail.com, I’ll send you a sticker of the cover!
Momofuku Ando believed that eating instant ramen every day kept him going to the ripe old age of 96. While I don’t know if doctors would agree with him, I hope that you are healthy and that your ramen bowl is never empty!
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WATERCRESS has peaked my curiosity.