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Instant noodles: from packet to perfect bowl

Dampende kom instant noedels met zacht ei, lente-ui, kimchi, nori en chili-olie, naast een blok droge noedels en kommetjes toppings.

In Asia, instant noodles are not a last resort, but comfort food. In Korea, you eat a bowl of ramyeon late at night at the kitchen table or standing at a convenience store; in Indonesia, a plate of Indomie is a staple at the local warung; and in Japan, there is always a cup ready after a long day at work. It is the food of student rooms, night shifts and rainy evenings, and almost everyone has their own ritual: an egg in it, a spoonful of kimchi on the side, or an extra scoop of sambal. In our toko in Amsterdam, the shelves are packed with packages from all over Asia. Here you will find the difference between a cup and a package, which brands are available in each country, and how to turn a quick bowl into something you will really want to sit down for with just a few toppings.

What exactly are instant noodles?

Instant noodles are noodles that are pre-cooked and then dried at the factory, often by briefly frying them, so you can have them ready at home in a few minutes. There are two types: noodles in soup, such as Korean ramyeon and Thai tom yum, and dry noodles that you drain and mix with sauce, such as mi goreng and Buldak. You can find them all in the instant noodles collection; read more about fresh and dried noodles in Asian Noodles 101.

What is the difference between cup noodles and a package of instant noodles?

The main difference between cup noodles and a package of instant noodles is how they are prepared: you pour boiling water over a cup and let it sit, while you cook a package in a pan for a few minutes. The rest follows. Below you will find the same brand, first the package and then the cup.

Preparation: pour over or cook

With a cup, you open the lid halfway, add the sachets, pour in boiling water up to the line, and wait a few minutes. You cook a package in a saucepan, usually for three to five minutes. For dry variants, you drain the water before adding the sauce, also with the cup. Follow the times on the packaging, as they differ by brand.

Noodles and texture

Because cup noodles are only cooked by hot water, they are usually thinner and airier: they soften quickly, but with less bite. Package noodles are often thicker and get that springy texture that ramyeon is known for in the boiling pan.

Quantity and packaging

A package often contains much more than the cup of the same brand: 120 grams compared to 68 grams for Shin Ramyun. A cup also has more packaging per portion, with a cup and lid. If you eat them often, there is, for example, a box of Indomie Special Chicken with 40 packages.

When do you choose what?

A cup is for places without a stove, such as the office or the train. A package is for home, when you crack an egg in it and finish the bowl with kimchi or chili oil.

Instant noodles by country: which brands should you choose?

Instant noodles taste different by country because each country puts its own soup or sauce in the packet. These are the brands we really have on the shelf: the Korean, Japanese and Indonesian packages from Nongshim, Samyang, Nissin and Indomie that you also see lying in the supermarket.

Korea: ramyeon

Nongshim Shin Ramyun Black is firm, curly ramyeon in a spicy soup, with an extra packet for a fuller broth. Nongshim also makes the thick Neoguri and Chapagetti with black bean sauce, and the Buldak line from Samyang is dry and quite hot. More in Korean Noodles.

Japan: ramen, udon and yakisoba

Nissin Black Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen is Japanese instant ramen in tonkotsu style: creamy pork broth and black garlic oil. Read more about real ramen, udon and soba in Japanese Noodles.

Indonesië: Indomie en mi goreng

Indomie Mi Goreng is droge gebakken mie: koken, afgieten en mengen met de zakjes kecap manis, chilisaus, kruidenolie en kruiden, met gebakken uitjes erover. Meer in Indonesische noedels.

Thailand en Vietnam: tom yum en pho

MAMA Shrimp Tom Yum is tom yum uit een pakje: zuur, pittig en geurig van citroengras. Van MAMA zijn er ook een romige variant en gewokte pad kee mao. Uit Vietnam komt Cung Dinh Instant Pho Bo, platte rijstnoedels in runderbouillon; met verse koriander, taugé en limoen kom je al dicht bij een echte pho bo. Meer in Thaise noedels en Vietnamese noedels.

China, Hongkong en Taiwan

Spicy Liuzhou Luosi Rice Noodles is luosifen uit Liuzhou: rijstnoedels in pittige bouillon met zuur ingelegde bamboe, bekend om zijn uitgesproken geur. Daarnaast zijn er Sichuan-noedels met tintelende peper, glasnoedels van zoete aardappel uit Chongqing en de gebakken eiernoedels uit Hongkong die yi mein heten. Meer in Chinese noedels en Taiwanese noedels.

Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines

Prima Taste Laksa La Mian comes from Singapore: firm noodles with a laksa paste of coconut and spices. From Malaysia comes Ibumie mi goreng and from the Philippines pancit canton by Lucky Me!, with calamansi. More in Filipino noodles.

How spicy are instant noodles? From mild to quite spicy

Instant noodles range from not spicy at all to downright hot, and words like spicy, hot or pedas on the package say a lot. We haven't measured it, so consider this a rough order from mild to quite spicy, based on what the makers put on the packaging.

Too hot? A slice of cheese, a spoonful of Kewpie or a poached egg through the soup makes it milder.

What toppings do you put on instant noodles?

The best toppings for instant noodles are an egg, something sour like kimchi, something crunchy like fried shallots, something spicy like chili crisp and something green. That's the difference between a quick bowl and a bowl that makes you happy. Two or three toppings that suit your noodles are enough.

Egg: soft, fried or through the soup

An egg almost always fits. With ramyeon you break it into the pan in the last minute and let it poach soft, or you beat it loose and stir it through. For mi goreng a fried egg with a crispy edge belongs. For Japanese ramen you boil it for six to seven minutes and immediately put it in cold water, so the yolk remains runny. Let that peeled egg sit in the fridge overnight in Kikkoman Soy Sauce with Marukin Mirin Fu and a splash of water, then you have a real ramen egg, ajitsuke tamago, brown on the outside and deep in flavor.

Seaweed and furikake

Yaki nori you stand upright against the edge of your bowl, like in a ramen shop, and only just before eating, because in the soup it quickly becomes soft. Korean gim like Sempio Seasoned Seaweed Snack you crumble over ramyeon, and a pinch of dried wakame swells in the soup in a minute. Furikake you sprinkle over at the end, so it stays crispy; why it fits everywhere, you read in What is furikake?. More in Japanese seaweed.

Kimchi and pickled

Jongga Mat Kimchi next to a bowl of spicy ramyeon is very common in Korea: the sour freshness cuts through the fatty soup. Lay it next to it cold, or fry it briefly in some oil so it becomes softer and sweeter. Pickled vegetables work just as well with Chinese and Japanese noodles.

Meat and fish

Ma Ling Premium Luncheon Meat belongs with the Hong Kong caan daan min: fry thick slices crispy in a dry pan and lay on the noodles, with a fried egg next to it. Also in Korea luncheon meat goes into the pan with ramyeon, in budae jjigae. Kamaboko and narutomaki, the fish cakes with the pink spiral, we don't have; you find those sometimes at a Japanese supermarket.

Dumplings and rice cakes

Ajinomoto Duck Gyoza you let cook frozen for the last four to five minutes in the soup. Korean mandu we don't have now, so gyoza is the replacement. Or make rabokki, the ramyeon variant of tteokbokki: throw a handful of Obap Tteokbokki Rice Cake in the pan at the same time as the noodles, then they become soft and chewy and soak up the spicy soup.

Crispy: shallots, garlic and sesame

Kokki Djawa Fried Onions go with Indomie like peanut sauce goes with satay: add a generous handful on top just before eating, because they lose their crunch in the soup. Asian Boy Fried Garlic is delicious with tonkotsu, pho and tom yum, while toasted sesame seeds, or kimchi-flavored sesame seeds with ramyeon, add a nutty finish.

Heat and oil: chili crisp, rayu, shichimi and sesame oil

Lao Gan Ma Crispy Chilli Oil is chili crisp: crunchy chili, onion and garlic in oil. A spoonful on a simple bowl adds instant heat, crunch and depth. Find out what each jar does in Every Lao Gan Ma explained. Rayu, a thin sesame-based chili oil, with a pinch of shichimi goes well with Japanese ramen. Stir gochugaru or a spoonful of gochujang into the soup with ramyeon.

Sesame oil is a finishing oil, not a cooking oil: add a few drops to the bowl just before eating to preserve its roasted aroma. Choose Kadoya Pure Sesame Oil for shoyu ramen, Ottogi Sesame Oil for ramyeon or Lee Kum Kee Pure Sesame Oil for Chinese noodle soup.

Creamy: Kewpie and a slice of cheese

Kewpie Japanese Mayonnaise, a Japanese mayonnaise with a rich, rounded flavor, softens the heat when drizzled over Buldak, yakisoba or mi goreng. Or choose Flying Goose Sriracha Mayo if you want to keep the heat. For Korean ramyeon, place a slice of supermarket processed cheese on the soup at the end: the broth turns creamy in less than a minute.

Vegetables: scallions, bok choy, bean sprouts and corn

Baby corn goes into the soup in the last minute, along with bok choy or spinach from the greengrocer, which will wilt but stay green. Sprinkle raw scallions over the bowl, and add raw bean sprouts to pho or tom yum. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms for half an hour; the soaking liquid adds depth to the soup. And firm tofu cut into cubes makes it a meat-free bowl.

Toppings voor je instant noedels

How to upgrade instant noodles in 5 minutes

Upgrade instant noodles by pairing one packet with two or three toppings that suit the flavor. Three combinations that always work:

Korean ramyeon with egg, kimchi and cheese

Cook Shin Ramyun and crack an egg into the pan in the last minute. Turn off the heat, add a slice of processed cheese, a generous spoonful of kimchi on the side and sprinkle scallions on top.

Indomie mi goreng with fried egg and bawang goreng

Prepare Indomie Mi Goreng according to the packet and top it with a fried egg with crispy edges. Add a generous handful of fried onions, a spoonful of Lao Gan Ma and a few slices of cucumber on the side.

Japanese shoyu ramen with nori, bamboo shoots and sesame

Prepare Miyakoichi Soy Sauce Ramen with the included soup and top it with a halved ramen egg. Briefly fry bamboo strips with soy sauce and mirin, prop a sheet of nori against the side, and finish with scallions, sesame seeds and a few drops of sesame oil.

Recipes with instant noodles

Instant noodles take center stage in caan daan min; the other recipes are the authentic versions of flavors you know from a packet.

Which instant noodles should you try first?

Start with packets from different countries to taste how different they are: Korean ramyeon, Indonesian mi goreng, Thai tom yum and Japanese tonkotsu.

Not sure? Pick up Shin Ramyun Black, Indomie Mi Goreng, a jar of Lao Gan Ma Crispy Chilli Oil and a bag of fried onions. Then you’ll have a spicy soup, dry noodles and two toppings that go with almost anything; you can get the egg from the fridge.

Instant noedels om mee te beginnen

All instant noodles in one place

Ramyeon, mi goreng, tom yum and more, in cups and packets from across Asia.

Shop instant noodles

Frequently asked questions

Are cup noodles the same as instant noodles?

Yes, cup noodles are instant noodles in a cup. You pour boiling water over them instead of cooking them, and the noodles are usually thinner.

How long should instant noodles cook?

Usually three to five minutes; check the package. Cook them for a minute less if you’re adding toppings to cook along with them.

What is the difference between ramen and ramyeon?

Ramen is the Japanese noodle dish, fresh or instant. Ramyeon is the Korean word and there almost always means instant noodles.

What toppings go well with instant ramen?

A soft-boiled egg, nori, spring onion, sesame seeds and a few drops of sesame oil or rayu. Kimchi, a slice of cheese and gochugaru go well with Korean ramyeon.

How do you make a soft egg for ramen?

Boil the egg for six to seven minutes and place it in cold water immediately. A night in soy sauce with mirin turns it into a ramen egg.

Which instant noodles are not spicy?

Indomie Mi Goreng, Nongshim Neoguri Mild, Ottogi Jin Ramen Mild and most Japanese tonkotsu and miso varieties. Look out for words like spicy, hot or pedas.

A packet of instant noodles never has to be boring, because with an egg from the fridge, a spoonful of that chili crisp jar that's already open and a handful of fried onions you can make a bowl in a few minutes that you'll really want to sit down for. If you're hesitating over the noodle shelf at the toko in Amsterdam, feel free to ask us what we put in our bowl. If you want to learn more about fresh and dried noodles, read Asian Noodles 101, or go to Japanese Noodles for ramen, udon and soba.