Our favorite instant ramen noodle brands
If you want to get to know people, ask them about their favorite instant ramen noodles. Not just the brand, but also how they make them. I asked my colleagues just that, and to bring their best to the Tribune test kitchen. Forget about personality tests, just boil some water.
Once upon a time I had a childhood fantasy of exploring every instant ramen in the noodle-verse. Add hot water, and the flavors of faraway lands materialized magically within a bowl. But as the noodle world expanded exponentially, from the one and only Nissin brand "Chikin" ramen invented by the late, legendary Momofuku Ando in 1958, to now, thousands, the dream became daunting.
Besides, as any hungry college kid can tell you, one noodle packet contains infinite permutations. Add a squeeze of lemon or crack in an egg, and suddenly you've transformed
