1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: Ridiculous history is a production of I heart radio. Welcome 2 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: back to the show, ridiculous historians. Thank you, as always, 3 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: so much for tuning in. This is part two of 4 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:38,599 Speaker 1: a two part series, because we just love instant noodles 5 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: that much. No offense super producer, Max Williams. I'm gonna 6 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: say you and noodles are in in my top ten, 7 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 1: but I can't say where you each are because we 8 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: work together. Okay, uh, sure and sweet let's get right 9 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: into it. It's noodle time. It's fast forward. It's the 10 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: mid nineteen sixties. Japanese sales of Chicken Ramen and uh 11 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: a couple of spinoff products you made, I have started 12 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:14,639 Speaker 1: to decline because the market is saturated. There are so 13 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:19,319 Speaker 1: many dried noodles out, so many variations of ramen that 14 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 1: are regionally specific. It's kind of like podcasting, but more delicious. Yeah, 15 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,199 Speaker 1: podcasting could be delicious. Check out our sister podcast saver, 16 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: for one of the most delicious podcasts of them all. 17 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: You know, we've got to remember too, that much earlier 18 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: than this, when the decline of Ramen was starting to 19 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,639 Speaker 1: take place, on top ramen Um, we were already seeing 20 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:47,320 Speaker 1: sort of Americanized Chinese cuisine. You know, we thought we 21 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: did a whole episode on like the China, the Chop 22 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: Suey houses uh, in California, and then that moved, you know, 23 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: into New York and all of that stuff. And this 24 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: was like in the early nineteen hundreds. So we already 25 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: know there is a craving or at least like sort 26 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: of an inherent awareness and and, uh, understanding. And again, 27 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: a lot of this is very Americanized and sort of 28 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: served two Americans, you know, on their terms, uh, in 29 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: order for some of these, you know, immigrant families to 30 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:17,640 Speaker 1: survive and to establish, you know, businesses. But I think 31 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: and o must have known that to a degree. But 32 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 1: the side of the US was ready for his products. 33 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:27,519 Speaker 1: Mm Hmmm, yeah, he said, why not? I know the game. Again, 34 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: quite a brilliant, insightful guy. So he takes lessons from 35 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: things like Suki Yaki, which is beef and vegetables cooked 36 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: in a hot pot. U S audiences love this because 37 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: they feel like it seems new, interesting and exotic, but 38 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 1: it does so while still kind of conforming two what 39 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:55,799 Speaker 1: you would call the American Palette, right. Uh. So, like 40 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: you said, he travels to the US and sixties six 41 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:05,239 Speaker 1: to promote chicken ramen and he says, holy smokes, these 42 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 1: guys are bananas. Look at them. They're breaking up the 43 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: packs of my noodles in the pieces and they're put 44 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: them in cups and pouring, just pouring the boiling water 45 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,920 Speaker 1: over it. Why? Why aren't they do what? Why didn't 46 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 1: I think of this? Uh? And he he realizes that 47 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: this isn't a spin on his invention out of necessity, 48 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: because you need bowls and chopsticks to cook instant Raman 49 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: the way it's originally designed, and that's pretty much everywhere 50 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: in a Japanese home or in a work kitchen, but 51 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: not so much in western nations. There you would be, 52 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: especially in the sixties. You're much less likely to just 53 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: have bowls and chopsticks laying around so you can consume 54 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: your ramen after you cook it in the pot. So 55 00:03:55,800 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: now Um Momafuku is onto his next big breakthrough, which, 56 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: you know, was inspired by this kind of seat of 57 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: the pants American way of consuming, you know, this product 58 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: that was meant to be prepared a completely different way. 59 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: So he decided he was going to make the packaging 60 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: part of the the experience, you know, essentially and and 61 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: so in nineteen seventy one cup noodle was born. His company, 62 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 1: by the way, was called Nissan Instant Cook I don't 63 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: think we mentioned that. Yeah, yeah, founded on September onet nineteen. Uh, 64 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: kind of around the same time. He had been convicted 65 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,919 Speaker 1: of tax evasion, but we'll skip over that part. You know, 66 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: geniuses can't be expected to operate like the rest of us, 67 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: although they are by the government anyhow. So Cup noodles, 68 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: big deal. We all know about this. The packaging is 69 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: like much the same. Um, nineteen seventy one, it actually 70 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: initially used a paper package but Um, they decided to 71 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: use poly style Marene because it was, I guess, cheaper 72 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: and again, probably they didn't really know better at the time. Uh, now, 73 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: certainly that's become less uh palatable, for lack of a 74 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: better term. Um, there's tons of cup noodles out there 75 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: and I think most of them are paper because obviously 76 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: polystyrene is bad news for the environment because it just, 77 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: you know, doesn't want to biodegrade. Yeah, yeah, and that's 78 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:29,479 Speaker 1: the experience I have whenever I see Styrofoam or polystyrene. 79 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: It's just it's weird. You're reading out of a cup 80 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:35,720 Speaker 1: of noodles and you look at the packaging and you 81 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: think this thing is gonna be here thousands and thousands 82 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: of years after and gone, you know, and the taste 83 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 1: of the broth will only be a memory. But yes, 84 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 1: they you're right, and that's the studental. We do see 85 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: this transition away from foam eventually. But in the heyday 86 00:05:55,600 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: of Styrofoam, polystyrene and other materials, uh this Cup noodle 87 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 1: becomes ubiquitous. And there's there's another funny story about this invention. 88 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: So you know, you got the little packet with the 89 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: freeze dried veggies and stuff. Right, little noodle have it 90 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 1: pre mixed, though it depends on which one you get. 91 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: I think the Official Cup neodle has a pre mix, 92 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:21,480 Speaker 1: so it looks like more of a full mill. But again, 93 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: I eat. I have a lot of noodles in this pantry. 94 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 1: It's it's fucking crazy. If you go to uh an 95 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: Asian market, you know, if you if you're lucky enough 96 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: to have a really good one in your town, I 97 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 1: mean the dried noodle section is a cave of wonders. 98 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,719 Speaker 1: There's so, so many. We have a couple here, one 99 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 1: called Um UH super h smart that's fantastic. And then 100 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:50,480 Speaker 1: also the Buford highway farmers market, one of my exactly. 101 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:52,279 Speaker 1: I've actually not been to that one, but pregot a 102 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: farmer's market is a an absolute embarrassment of riches when 103 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:56,720 Speaker 1: it comes to doodles. And one thing I will say, 104 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,080 Speaker 1: and we'll get to that here too, Japanese marketing is 105 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: so good. My kid even points out like, man, I 106 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 1: just want to buy this. I don't even know what 107 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: it is. I don't want to buy it because of 108 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 1: the little cartoon character on the packet. And they're just 109 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 1: so much better at making arresting image rich, you know, 110 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: character kind of driven products, and that's no exception with 111 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: the first design of the Cup noodle. Gotta Catch Him, uh. 112 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 1: I always catch all the noodles UF. Yeah, one thing, Um, 113 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 1: it really stood out to me in my travels in Japan. 114 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:36,680 Speaker 1: It was the the regional mascots that so many towns 115 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: have that are associated with specific festivals and stuff. They're 116 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: doing it right, uh. And also talking about that with 117 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 1: the guy who was not officially Yakuza. That was pretty 118 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: interesting too. I'll have to save that story for Babe. 119 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: A live show, Um, I don't remember. Talked about Max 120 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: we'll think, you know, Um, but maybe we save it. 121 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: I don't want to pull focus here from Momo Fucuando, 122 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: because he's doing such cool stuff. Uh. Funny thing about 123 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: the design of the Cup of noodle, the Cup noodle, 124 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: I should say, is that there's a cool moment in 125 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: his story. has another epiphany. He's on a Trans Pacific flight. 126 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: Now we don't know whether or not this flight landed 127 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: in Hawaii, you know, to refuel or something, and then 128 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: completed a second leg to Japan or whether it was 129 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:32,600 Speaker 1: a straight shot, but at some point he got some 130 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: macadamia nuts on the plane and he peeled back the 131 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 1: lid and he said, Oh yeah, I should just I 132 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:44,559 Speaker 1: should do that for the cup of noodles. And then, uh, 133 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 1: that's why, you know, whenever you you make them, you 134 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 1: put the water in and then you try to at 135 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:58,719 Speaker 1: least put the lid sort of loosely back on, you know. Uh. So, yeah, right, right, 136 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: the steam M okay. So let's talk about this logo. 137 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: There's a little bit of psychology evolved here, because because 138 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: they want to promote cup noodle as a premium thing, right, 139 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: that's right, and and it was. I mean it had 140 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: that pullback lid that you describe, which was kind of 141 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: a bespoke feature, mentioning, you know, the branding and the 142 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,679 Speaker 1: marketing for all these kinds of things. They went nuts. 143 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: He hired this master marketer named Otaka Takeishi, who had 144 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: designed the logo for the Osaka Nineteen Seventy World Fair. 145 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: He wanted to design the Cup to appear really like 146 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:47,119 Speaker 1: trendy and and cutting edge and to also appeal specifically 147 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 1: to an American audience. So he had the text in 148 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:54,079 Speaker 1: this really cool verse sixties kind of inspired, almost psychedelic 149 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 1: Font Um, and then the Japanese text was a good 150 00:09:56,800 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: bit smaller, and then it had these insignias that were 151 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:02,079 Speaker 1: these kind of gold bands that were meant to evoke 152 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,920 Speaker 1: images that the Japanese folks at least would understand, relating 153 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: to finery, you know, fine dining, expensive dinner plates and such. 154 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: The Cup included just about the same amount of material, 155 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:20,559 Speaker 1: you know, of actual noodles and and uh and spice 156 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 1: as the packets, but was four times more expensive. Therefore, 157 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:28,960 Speaker 1: you know, if you want to make something seem luxurious, 158 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 1: just charge more money for it. Um, but you know, yeah, 159 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 1: but again, it was you were paying for the convenience 160 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 1: you were paying for the innovation. It was almost like 161 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: there was a bit of a gimmick to it. Oh yeah, yeah, 162 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:45,679 Speaker 1: again dipping dots. I'm still mystified by that. But I'm 163 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 1: a sucker for him, you know. I'm a sucker for 164 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: packaging and novelty and and stuff that seems cool and special, 165 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 1: and this is a common human characteristic. Ando knows this. 166 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:02,319 Speaker 1: That's why, to get back to the hasting events, what 167 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 1: he decides to do with Cup noodle is teach people 168 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 1: how to eat it, and he wants to target people 169 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: in the coolest part of town. So perhaps most famously, 170 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 1: November one nine, he's in the Tokyo gains shopping district 171 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: and he tries to find the young, hip up and 172 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 1: comers strolling a street called pedestrian paradise and you know, 173 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 1: let me sell this to you, because you're cool. Here's 174 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: the cool noodle and here's how to eat it. In 175 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:42,200 Speaker 1: four hours they sell more than twenty thousand units of 176 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: Cup noodle. And then he also pitches this through his 177 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: company Nisson. Also pitches it to people who are on 178 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: the move. Right it's so convenient. It's like what they 179 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: would call a walking Taco right, you got the Little 180 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 1: Cup and you can you can just walk, you can 181 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: even maybe slurp it a little noisily like soup, and 182 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: you don't have to sit down right like you would 183 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: at a restaurant. And then they get a weird pr boost, 184 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: the kind of the kind of event one cannot predict. 185 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: There is a hostage crisis that occurs called the Asama 186 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 1: Sanso incident, and during this incident the media shows police 187 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:31,679 Speaker 1: officers who are eating cup noodle to stay warm. This 188 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:35,080 Speaker 1: is not paid product placement. They're just saying, you know, 189 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 1: look at the authorities who happened to like cup noodle. 190 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 1: Sales explode. You can't buy that kind of publicity. That's right. 191 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:50,559 Speaker 1: This is also kind of coinciding with advancements in retail experiences, 192 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:54,160 Speaker 1: because in Japan you had convenience stores kind of starting 193 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 1: to open in nineteen sixty nine Um, which became a 194 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 1: really portant place to be able to buy crup noodles. 195 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: In fact, it also went on to be one of 196 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: the very first products sold in vending machines in Japan 197 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: around nineteen seventy one, and we know that. You know, 198 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:15,280 Speaker 1: Japan is a country it gets kind of borderline obsessed 199 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 1: with vending machines. You can get just about anything that 200 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: you could think of in vending machines and this was 201 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 1: one of the very first products. Because I've always kind 202 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:26,440 Speaker 1: of thought of postwar Japan as having this fascination with 203 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 1: kind of Futurism, Um, in terms of technology, in terms 204 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:31,640 Speaker 1: of being able to kind of rebuild themselves from the 205 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 1: ground up as sort of a society of the future, Um, 206 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 1: which is interesting because it obviously also has so many 207 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:40,319 Speaker 1: echoes of the past, you know, such an old civilization 208 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: and culture, but yet so many things, especially in like 209 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:46,200 Speaker 1: the you know, cultural kind of Mecca like Tokyo, are 210 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: just mega, Mega, you know, kind of futurized. Yeah, agreed. 211 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: Just to give you a sense, the convenience stores in 212 00:13:55,120 --> 00:14:02,160 Speaker 1: Japan these days are streets ahead of the US and honestly, 213 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: streets out of Europe. You know what I might have 214 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: to say it. They might be the world's best convenience stores. Honestly, 215 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:12,200 Speaker 1: no Ding on Bucky's, but if there is a bucky's 216 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: convenience store in Japan, it may be the best convenience 217 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 1: store in the world. You can get your mail done, 218 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: you can get insurance, a lot of the stores have 219 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 1: little stamps for each store. If you like to collect stamps, 220 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: you buy all kinds of food. It's amazing and there 221 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: and they never close. Uh. So Cup noodle makes sense 222 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: for this. And Yeah, also the UH the toilets are 223 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: from the future, as is the vending machine culture. The 224 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: Cup Noodle Museum, which we mentioned briefly, is still around 225 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 1: and you can see the history of this ingenious invention. 226 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 1: You can also make your own personalized cup noodle, which, 227 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: I know this is Lamy, guys, but that's part of 228 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 1: the recent I want to visit because all the popular, 229 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: all the popular members of the Global Cultural Pantheon in 230 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 1: Japan have their own cup noodle by this point. You know, Yoda, 231 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 1: San Brio, Hello Kitty, all of them, of course. Course. Yeah. 232 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 1: So I feel like a ridiculous history. Cup Noodle is 233 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: is the next move for us. Oh Man, wouldn't that 234 00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 1: be fun? That's a great idea, but I mean, you know, 235 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 1: so you've got those established characters that have all these like, 236 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 1: you know, intellectual property kind of partnerships with like different brands, 237 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 1: but then you also have these brands that kind of 238 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: create their own characters, sort of like you know, I 239 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,040 Speaker 1: guess the closest equivalent we might have is like sereal 240 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: mascots that that aren't even, like, nearly as prominent as 241 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: they used to be, but you know they're like the 242 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: lucky charms, lepricaan or whatever, the pills, very doughboy. Sure, 243 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: like the toucan Sam and all of that stuff, but 244 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 1: we don't lean into that stuff nearly as much as 245 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 1: as as Japanese marketers do. So I think Um and 246 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 1: that's one reason why it's so fun to walk through those, 247 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: Uh those Raman Isles at the at the the Asian markets, 248 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: just to see all of the different packaging and branding. 249 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: And chances are there are very little differences between the 250 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 1: flavor of some of them. They're all gonna be pretty generic. 251 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 1: And then, of course they're you know, they're ones that 252 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: you would be your go to, you find to be 253 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: your favorites, but it's sort of like shopping for craft 254 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 1: beer or wine. Sometimes you pick the one that has 255 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 1: the coolest label. Yeah, and there are, you know, there 256 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: are people who are gonna say no, Dot, I am 257 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: only a top ramen person or I am only a 258 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 1: chap getty person. I try them all personally. I I'm 259 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: a sucker for kids. You know, I like feeling like 260 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: I've I've bought a process, the whole thing like. I 261 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: like the ones that are almost like barrels. They're the 262 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: really big cup of noodle things that come with a 263 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 1: resyllable plastic lid. They've got oil in addition to a 264 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 1: soup base and dried veggies or whatever, and then some 265 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: of them also have this really cool little fold out spork. 266 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 1: Have you guys seen these things? They're they're on like 267 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 1: a hinge. If you haven't, I've got I've got some 268 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 1: and I need to push these. I'm pushing the noodles. Guys. 269 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:09,679 Speaker 1: I need more room in my Pantry, so I'm going 270 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: to bring you some of these. You don't have to Tryumph, 271 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:15,400 Speaker 1: but it's fun to have him. It's fun to have him. 272 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 1: Just in case that sounds awesome, Ben you'll tell you 273 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 1: what my favorite is. Uh Still. Um is a company 274 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: called Nong Shim. Uh makes a line of ramen noodles 275 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 1: you can get in a cup or in a packet 276 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:34,119 Speaker 1: called Shin Black Uh, and it's pretty spicy. Um really 277 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 1: has that bone broadly. There's like a powder that comes 278 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 1: with it's like white and it really does add that 279 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,760 Speaker 1: kind of creamy ou mommy kind of vibe. I wanted 280 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 1: to ask you, though, but I just know this. This 281 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:45,920 Speaker 1: the name of this product, or I guess the company 282 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,920 Speaker 1: is called Nong Shim and the Ramen is called Shin. 283 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: And if I remember correctly, I don't know that we 284 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:54,640 Speaker 1: even went into this, but in the earliest days when 285 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:59,439 Speaker 1: Raman was associated with China, and I believe the word 286 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:02,920 Speaker 1: was she na Um, but it was. It was sort 287 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:06,639 Speaker 1: of phased out because it's considered offensive. Um. It was 288 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,480 Speaker 1: considered like a pejorative Um. Again, it was described in 289 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,439 Speaker 1: the mental flaws article as an archaic Japanese word for 290 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,600 Speaker 1: China and then it was paired with Soba. So I 291 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 1: wonder if this is do you think this Shin in, 292 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:21,199 Speaker 1: the Raman that I like is in some way a 293 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: call back to that? Or is it is it something 294 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 1: completely different? Yeah, Nang Shim is South Korean. So it 295 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:33,119 Speaker 1: was founded in sixty five. It was created by a 296 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:39,160 Speaker 1: guy named Shin Chun Ho, who whose brother founded. His brother, 297 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:43,639 Speaker 1: Shin Kilco, founded the Latte Corporation, and Latte is like 298 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 1: that's interesting, Choe Corporation. So I wonder if this is 299 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: like his his signature recipe or something like that, because 300 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:53,399 Speaker 1: it's the Shin Black, you know, line of Raman. You 301 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:55,399 Speaker 1: get the one that comes in the plastic bowl too. 302 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:57,240 Speaker 1: If you tried that one. I have had that one 303 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 1: before and it's funny too. In in Korea, obviously ramen 304 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: is it's also huge problem, but it's spelled a little different. 305 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 1: It spelled with a why. It's spelled like Ram Yon 306 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 1: r a m y you in Um. And then there's, 307 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:12,439 Speaker 1: you know, lots of different Korean spins on it as well. Uh, 308 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: there's so many. Come with me and you'll be in 309 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:22,440 Speaker 1: a world of something that rhymes with noodles. Uh. So, 310 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:24,880 Speaker 1: I gotta Tell You, I'm not gonna lie. I hope 311 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 1: I have something in the cabinet. I know you're sitting 312 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 1: on a wealth that I'm very jealous, but I'm really 313 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,120 Speaker 1: craving some ramen now after this, in this episode. Yeah, 314 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:36,119 Speaker 1: and I gotta again. I'm pushing. I'm pushing the RAMEN. 315 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:38,879 Speaker 1: I gotta Make Room for my other other survival foods. 316 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:41,200 Speaker 1: I have so much. I'm gonna you know what, I'm 317 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 1: gonna send you guys a picture after we record, and 318 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: I think this might end up being a two party, 319 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 1: because we're both very excited about ramen. And this story 320 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: is not done. You might be hearing this and say, Hey, 321 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:56,200 Speaker 1: I thought it was Cup oh noodles. Why are you got? 322 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: Why do you guys keep saying cup noodles? Well, that's 323 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:06,719 Speaker 1: because the name Cup oh noodles was phased out. Originally 324 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:10,160 Speaker 1: it was just meant as a pitch to American audiences, 325 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 1: you know, in Canada and the US and uh later Mexico, 326 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:21,280 Speaker 1: his the US three. It's renamed cup noodles in nineteen 327 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 1: three and just you know what, one thing that bugs 328 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:29,600 Speaker 1: me about cup noodles in the US, just like kick cats, 329 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:34,120 Speaker 1: there are fewer flavors. Japanese culture runs the Kit cat game. 330 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:37,919 Speaker 1: It is. If you go to you know that some 331 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:39,919 Speaker 1: of these markets that we're talking about you can you 332 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 1: can sample a lot of them, but they're really expensive. 333 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:45,679 Speaker 1: They're quite expensive because of this shipping, you know. Uh, 334 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:48,920 Speaker 1: and this is why are our good friends a savor 335 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:53,640 Speaker 1: are Japanese kit cat rich. Every time I hang out 336 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:58,240 Speaker 1: with our Pals Lauren and Annie, they're trying to push 337 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: kick cats on me of all ends of weird flavors. 338 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: Some are just like some are just like clearly the 339 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 1: result of synaesthesia or translation. Like well, have you ever 340 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 1: had an ocean dream Kit Kat? Because I have had. 341 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 1: I don't know what it tastes like. It's got a 342 00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:21,399 Speaker 1: little salt to it. I like the I think I 343 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 1: had a Wasabi one when ye yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 344 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 1: those are good. And then and they don't then also, 345 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,200 Speaker 1: like I mean the Japanese. They don't mess around when 346 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:32,320 Speaker 1: it comes to flavor. You know, there's no like, oh, 347 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:34,720 Speaker 1: we're gonna, we're gonna dumb this down. You know, there's 348 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 1: no we're gonna soften this for like a less, you know, 349 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:41,199 Speaker 1: Daring Palette. I mean if you you can rest assured 350 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:43,840 Speaker 1: that if something says spicy, it's probably gonna Knock you 351 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:48,880 Speaker 1: on your butt. Yeah, agreed. And now you can see 352 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 1: that cup noodle, still made by Nisan, is global, is ubiquitous. 353 00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:02,400 Speaker 1: It's made in eighty countries and territories and, just like McDonald's, 354 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 1: you'll see local variant flavors. You're in India, you can 355 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 1: eat missala flavored cup noodle. You're in Germany mushroom flavor. 356 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:14,400 Speaker 1: Those are just two examples. Let us know your favorite. 357 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 1: Oh Gosh, this is gonna be like doing that live 358 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 1: show in philly where at the end I asked what 359 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 1: the best cheese steak place was. That was the dumbest 360 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:28,159 Speaker 1: thing to ask people in Philadelphia. We're I anticipate we're 361 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 1: gonna hear a lot of stories about the ramen and noodles. 362 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: So it turns out our Guy Ando, you, you could 363 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:45,320 Speaker 1: comfortably say that is his company, has revolutionized food, whether 364 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:47,680 Speaker 1: you call it snack food or just convenience food. He's 365 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:53,360 Speaker 1: revolutionized it around the world. But he doesn't stop at 366 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:59,639 Speaker 1: the at the borders of Earth. Oh boy. Okay, is 367 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 1: this about like sending noodles into space? Ben, it is, 368 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: it is. UH, he he made space noodles. Okay, oh well, yeah, 369 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:19,959 Speaker 1: I mean we love freeze dried things in space. Yeah, because, uh, 370 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:23,439 Speaker 1: like the astronaut ice cream is again about like shelf 371 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:27,920 Speaker 1: stability and uh yeah, I just I can't imagine how 372 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:30,119 Speaker 1: you would boil water. It would have to be some 373 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,119 Speaker 1: sort of very self contained thing. or You'd have like 374 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 1: weird globs of of boiling water shooting at you all 375 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:41,000 Speaker 1: ball in zero g's, right, yeah, that's why. So this 376 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 1: is he called it space ram or space Roblem, short 377 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 1: for Romen. This was made especially for a Japanese astronaut, 378 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 1: Soichi NOGUCCI. UH, in the discovery flight in two thousand five. 379 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 1: It's edible as zero gravity. And the differences, remember we 380 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 1: said the broth is a big deal, right, the same 381 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 1: is true in space. The broth is a pairly thick 382 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 1: enough to not sort of drift away like a liquid 383 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 1: wood in zero gravity, and because it has smaller noodles, 384 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:12,840 Speaker 1: you can cook it without boiling water, averting a space disaster. 385 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:18,040 Speaker 1: That that you you also predicted right, channeling Momofuku Ando here, 386 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 1: and this guy dedicates his life to this. As a 387 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 1: matter of fact, the day before he passes away he 388 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:31,960 Speaker 1: is in the Nissan factory in Osaka because he gives 389 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 1: an annual speech every New Year's even after he retired 390 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:39,119 Speaker 1: in two thousand five. He didn't fall from the rail 391 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:41,920 Speaker 1: into the boiling that and turn himself into a cup 392 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:45,879 Speaker 1: of noodle. Did he been? No, no, he established that, 393 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,040 Speaker 1: but I had to bring it back up. No, no, 394 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 1: he did. He didn't go. He see comics with it. UH, 395 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:56,640 Speaker 1: he had. He didn't. Really interesting and it's a book 396 00:24:56,680 --> 00:25:00,840 Speaker 1: I want to read. So every year there's a true story, folks. 397 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:05,720 Speaker 1: Every year he would go to uh this factory and 398 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 1: he would, as they put it in in Gizmoto, he 399 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 1: would articulate his thoughts on Ramen and eventually ramen became 400 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 1: the basis for this deep inspiring philosophy about the nature 401 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:25,879 Speaker 1: of life. And at his funeral someone made a book 402 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: of his collected speeches and all the people at the 403 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:32,880 Speaker 1: funeral got one. And when we say all, we're talking 404 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 1: about quite a few people. Six thousand, five hundred people 405 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: are at Ando's funeral and he has a quote like, 406 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:47,399 Speaker 1: just to give us a sense of how philosophical this became. 407 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:51,879 Speaker 1: One of his quotes was the fundamental misunderstanding of humanity 408 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:56,000 Speaker 1: is believing we can achieve all our desires without limitation. 409 00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 1: Cup Noodle. He didn't say cup noodle at the end. 410 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:03,240 Speaker 1: That was just me adding that I feel. I feel 411 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: like that would actually be a bad advertisement for cup noodle. 412 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:08,399 Speaker 1: Oh No, doubt. Um, and I'll tell you. Back to 413 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: David Chang, UM, celebrity chef, podcaster, TV presenter, Pretty Ubiquitous Guy. Um, 414 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:19,600 Speaker 1: he apparently actually did not name his line after Momo 415 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 1: Fuku himself. Momo means peach in Japanese and Fuku means lucky. 416 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:29,160 Speaker 1: Uh definitely a connection there because he also has his hat. 417 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:32,120 Speaker 1: Used to have a delivery only restaurant called Ando Um. 418 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:36,199 Speaker 1: So He's obviously very much aware of of the guy 419 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,119 Speaker 1: and what Chang has done, of course, is, you know, 420 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 1: elevated that that fifty Cent Cup of noodle to something 421 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,919 Speaker 1: that he can reasonably charge. Respectably charged fourteen dollars for 422 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 1: he uses in this interview and NPR. He says we 423 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:52,919 Speaker 1: use Berkshire Pork from Iowa, local Greens, Seasonal Greens that change, 424 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:58,000 Speaker 1: bamboo shoots and Nori. But he also acknowledges that the 425 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 1: you know, regular old cup noodles or the you know, 426 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:06,400 Speaker 1: the innovation that Hodo himself came up with, still nothing 427 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,959 Speaker 1: quite like it. There's something too that uh, you know, 428 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:15,720 Speaker 1: two thousand milligrams of sodium. Uh Maybe, uh, I don't know, 429 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 1: adds a little open to it. Who knows? It's good stuff, though, 430 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:22,040 Speaker 1: whether you have the bespoke kind or the more Um, 431 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 1: you know, fast food version. And if you are lucky 432 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:27,360 Speaker 1: enough to live by a food stall where you get 433 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:33,120 Speaker 1: fresh Ramen, then obviously Momofuku Ando is not not upset 434 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:36,639 Speaker 1: with you, he's not cross with you. I'm bringing back cross. 435 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,200 Speaker 1: I'm saying people are being crossed. Let's see if it works. 436 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: Uh He in fact hoo himself says, Hey, you know, 437 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:48,040 Speaker 1: it's not exactly fresh ramen taste wise maybe it's not 438 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:53,360 Speaker 1: as good. It's its own unique thing. But I also 439 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:57,439 Speaker 1: want to feed people. I want to sustain human life 440 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:01,200 Speaker 1: through the most difficult of times, like I encountered in 441 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 1: the aftermath of World War Two. so by that metric 442 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 1: he's profoundly successful. As of two thousand and eight, global 443 00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:16,000 Speaker 1: consumption of instant ramen was ninety four billion packages per year, 444 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:20,159 Speaker 1: which is an average of fourteen bulls per person. And 445 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:22,440 Speaker 1: I think that's part of what Momo Fuco Ando was 446 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:30,400 Speaker 1: talking about when he said things like mankind is noodle kind. Here, here, 447 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:32,920 Speaker 1: and just to add, you know, one last thing. I mean, 448 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 1: obviously Momofuku himself passed away, Um, not terribly, terribly long ago. 449 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:40,040 Speaker 1: He was ninety six years old. He passed away in, 450 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 1: I believe, two thousand seven, from when that NPR piece 451 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:46,840 Speaker 1: that I was quoting David Chang from came out. That 452 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:49,760 Speaker 1: was actually a remembrance of him. Um, when when he passed, 453 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 1: and then in two thousand and seven, Um. But you know, 454 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: we know one of the important legacies that he brought 455 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:59,480 Speaker 1: to the world of Ramen was that flair for advertising 456 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 1: and for aativity and kind of innovation. and Um, if 457 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 1: anyone has a little bit of time to kill going 458 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:09,560 Speaker 1: down some Internet rabbit hole, there's a fantastic tradition in 459 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 1: Japan of hiring American celebrities to kind of Shill for 460 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 1: their products. Um, there's a really great website called Japander 461 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,800 Speaker 1: dot com that organizes a lot of these like in 462 00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 1: alphabetical order, and you can find ones from Arnold Schwarzenegger 463 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:27,560 Speaker 1: kind of pitching this like energy drink, to Nicholas cage 464 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 1: shilling from his Pachinko brand. And actually, James Brown was 465 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 1: hired to sing a song about Miso Flavored Cup noodles 466 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 1: to the tune of one of his most popular songs, 467 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 1: get on up Um, in a an ad that aired 468 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:46,720 Speaker 1: in nineteen nine two. It's true, and you can see 469 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 1: those advertisements in Japan today. I do want to know 470 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 1: it is currently kind of difficult to visit Japan unless 471 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 1: you are a spouse of a national, your Japanese national 472 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:03,480 Speaker 1: and yourself, or you go with its work group. But 473 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:07,520 Speaker 1: do go when you get a chance to experience and 474 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 1: tell tell us, at least tell me if you get 475 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:14,240 Speaker 1: the Cup Noodle Museum. I'm so excited to visit there 476 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:19,040 Speaker 1: one day. We have some other stuff we didn't get to, 477 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 1: which is the things like the secret to springy noodles. 478 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:26,120 Speaker 1: There's some very compelling science behind it. But, as you 479 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:30,760 Speaker 1: can hear, the leaf blower guy found out we were recording. 480 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:34,640 Speaker 1: So that's our que, that's our time. We hope you, 481 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:40,000 Speaker 1: leafblower man. I know, I know, it's like just if 482 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:41,920 Speaker 1: you want to be on the show, just send us 483 00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:46,640 Speaker 1: an email. We love guest leaflower man, but uh, with 484 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 1: that in mind, and no shade, no shade to the 485 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 1: leaf blower man. Uh. We hope you enjoyed this two 486 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 1: part series on the history of instant noodles. Check out 487 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 1: stuff of genius as well. Let us know your faith 488 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: favors of varieties of noodles. I don't know if this 489 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:07,080 Speaker 1: says too much about our backgrounds here, but I'm pretty 490 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:10,400 Speaker 1: sure that all three of us have our own spin 491 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:13,560 Speaker 1: on like what you do, like how you spice up 492 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:16,360 Speaker 1: your Robin. I like the little sesame oil in there, 493 00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:19,800 Speaker 1: just a touch. You know, it's amazing. Uh. So we 494 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:23,680 Speaker 1: want to hear your your recipe ideas. We also want 495 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:27,440 Speaker 1: to give a big, big thanks to Mr Max Williams. 496 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:31,480 Speaker 1: Max Max, I almost didn't think you're gonna come back 497 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: from vacation. Man, was it? Was it tough to return? 498 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:37,560 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean I was drinking before the 499 00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:40,040 Speaker 1: recording that. I think I'm on mountain time now. I 500 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:43,920 Speaker 1: have progressed from Pacific to mountain. Yeah, I mean, I 501 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:46,800 Speaker 1: didn't want to come back, but you know, I just 502 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:50,680 Speaker 1: couldn't stand being away from me all any longer. Sweet, 503 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:55,160 Speaker 1: we missed you too, buddy. Yeah, and UH. We also 504 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: want to thank our guest producer, try Harrison of ridiculous neoze, 505 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 1: who jumped in. Uh, and thanks, of course, to Alex Williams, 506 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:09,719 Speaker 1: who composed this track. Thanks to MOMOFOCO and O for sure. Gosh, 507 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:13,120 Speaker 1: we've got some new noodles. After this, I'm going up 508 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:16,880 Speaker 1: to the to the kitchen and just ransacking the pantry. 509 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:20,080 Speaker 1: There must be at least one UH errant pack of 510 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:22,480 Speaker 1: of of noodles in there. Yeah, Nol same here. I'M 511 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,080 Speaker 1: gonna go over to Ben's house and start ranch sacking 512 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:27,880 Speaker 1: his pantry and I'm gonna I'm gonna send you that 513 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 1: picture guys, that's where I'm going. I'm gonna send you. 514 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:32,640 Speaker 1: It's egregious how many noodles I have. I don't want 515 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:36,520 Speaker 1: to overhype it, but it's a lot. It's a lot, 516 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 1: uh and no, thank you in advance for taking some 517 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:43,360 Speaker 1: of these, some of these noodles, off my hands. It's funny, 518 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 1: I just realized all three of us, and perhaps Youtube 519 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:48,720 Speaker 1: listening at home. All three of us just sort of 520 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:52,680 Speaker 1: consider instant noodles a staple product at a kitchen. Right, 521 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:56,240 Speaker 1: we're all just assuming there's some. They're right. I mean, 522 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:59,120 Speaker 1: like I said, if there's not, I'm gonna be very upset. 523 00:32:59,160 --> 00:33:00,719 Speaker 1: But I have no doubt that least one has kind 524 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:02,640 Speaker 1: of fallen in the cracks and I am going to 525 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:06,280 Speaker 1: find it. Mind you. But Ben Please bring me all 526 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 1: of your of your of your noodles that need a home. 527 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 1: Consider me your noodle repository. I will send you nudes. 528 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:23,280 Speaker 1: There we go. We'll see you next time. Folks, for 529 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:25,480 Speaker 1: more podcasts for my heart radio, visit the I heart 530 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 1: radio APP apple podcast or wherever you listen to your 531 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:29,200 Speaker 1: favorite shows.