"From Failure to Hit" Ramen Born from Fried Dishes and the Ice Cream Cone Created by Waffles

Among the foods we eat every day, there are some that were not intended from the start, but were born from unexpected failures or accidental moments. According to a YTN Science video, many of our "favorite foods," from the ramen we enjoy to ice cream cones, are actually the results of "accidents."

A preservation method discovered in a wife's fried dish, the birth of instant ramen

The most representative example is instant ramen. The roots of ramen lie in the traditional Chinese food 'Lanzhou Lamian'. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, as the cheap food eaten by Chinese laborers who moved to Japan was introduced to Japanese society, it developed into Japanese-style ramen. The origin is so clear that some ramen specialty shops in Japan still label it as 'Chuka Soba'.

The person who turned this food into an instant form is Momofuku Ando. In 1958, he was experiencing economic difficulties due to business failure. He spent nearly a year researching, contemplating a noodle dish that was inexpensive yet could be preserved for a long time. However, since it was difficult to use preservatives at the time, the biggest challenge was how to preserve the noodles for a long time. Momofuku Ando researched by trying various ways with the noodles, but he repeatedly failed as the noodles rotted or became mushy.

Then one day, Momofuku Ando, watching his wife prepare a fried dish for dinner, got a flash of inspiration. His thought was, "What if I try frying the noodles in oil?" Indeed, when he fried the noodles in oil, the preservation capability increased, and he confirmed that they returned to the form of noodles when hot water was poured in. This was the beginning of the world's first fried noodles, namely instant ramen, released in 1958.

Later, in 1971, based on his experience of pouring hot water into a prototype to satisfy his hunger during negotiations with a buyer from the United States, he created 'Cup Ramen'. At the time, the reaction in the Japanese market was cold. This was due to the skeptical view of why one would bother eating outside when there are pots and fire at home. However, in 1972, an incident where the Japanese terrorist group United Red Army held hostages in a mountain lodge became a decisive turning point. While NHK was broadcasting this situation live, a scene was aired showing police officers, who had nothing to eat in the mountains, eating the cup ramen that had been released a year earlier with great relish. This scene caught the attention of the entire Japanese nation, and cup ramen exploded in popularity, with NHK's viewership recording 90% at the time. This technology was later passed on to South Korea and became the foundation for the ramen industry in our country.

Frozen juice and an idea from a waffle shop

Among the types of ice cream, the 'hard (Popicle)' on a stick is also a product of chance. In 1905, an 11-year-old boy named Frank Epperson living in Northern California used to make and drink juice mixed with orange powder. One cold winter night, the boy fell asleep after leaving a cup of juice outside, and the next morning, he discovered the juice frozen solid.

The boy tasted this block of ice, which adults would have thrown away, and became fascinated by the taste, beginning to introduce it to his friends. This experience later became the motivation for the boy to start his own ice cream company. Regarding the company name 'Popicle', there coexist theories that it is a compound word for 'Popular Ice Cream' and an explanation that it carries the meaning of an 'Icicle that Pop (father) buys for his children'.

The background of the birth of the ice cream cone we commonly eat is also interesting. During the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904, ice cream was the most popular menu item. However, at that time, ice cream was sold by scooping it onto metal plates, but because so many people flocked to it, a problem arose where waiting times became long due to a lack of dishwashing staff to wash the plates.

At this time, the owner of a neighboring waffle shop came up with an idea. The suggestion was to roll up waffles, which were at risk of being thrown away because they weren't selling, into a cone shape and sell them with ice cream placed on top. This idea became an innovative way to eat without getting ice cream on one's hands, and it became the origin of the ice cream cone we know today.

Small tips for delicious ramen

In the video, along with the stories of foods born by chance, it also introduces ways to enjoy ramen more deliciously in daily life. Since ramen continues to swell during the cooking process, it is good to put the noodles in first before the water boils and turn off the heat when the water starts to boil. This is because the noodles maintain their most perfect state during that short time of taking out kimchi and pouring water.

Also, when boiling the noodles, if you lift the noodles with chopsticks to create friction with the air, the chewiness of the noodles is maintained. Finally, it was added that if you add a spoonful of vinegar when cooking ramen, you can experience a savory taste similar to eating at a snack bar.