When asking “who invented ramen,” we find that ramen’s story is not about a single person but rather a combination of history, cultures, and creative changes. Ramen, as most people eat it today, is a popular Japanese noodle soup, but its beginnings are tied closely to Chinese noodles. The ramen we recognize-with flavorful broth, chewy noodles, and various toppings-is the result of many years of mixing traditions and new ideas.
To understand ramen’s invention, we need to separate regular ramen from its famous instant variety. Regular ramen developed slowly in Japan, thanks to the influence of Chinese cooking, while instant ramen was an original invention by one key person. Both the classic dish and its instant cousin have their own stories and creators, and knowing the difference is necessary to answer who truly “invented” ramen.
What Is Ramen and Where Did It Come From?
Ramen is one of Japan’s most loved noodle dishes, known for its comforting and hearty style. Basic ramen has Chinese-style alkaline wheat noodles, called chūkamen, which are served in a savory broth. The broth can be flavored with things like soy sauce (shōyu) or miso, and it often uses meat or fish stock. What makes ramen special are the toppings: sliced pork (chāshū), seaweed (nori), bamboo shoots (menma), and green onions are some popular choices.
Ramen’s beginning links back to Chinese noodle dishes, so it is part of Japanese Chinese cooking. Most experts believe it showed up in Japan during the late 1800s or early 1900s, mainly brought in by Chinese immigrants in places such as Yokohama Chinatown. Originally, these noodles were often served simply, in a soup with salt and pork bones. The yellow color and firm bite of ramen noodles comes from kansui (a type of alkaline water added to wheat flour). This ingredient makes ramen noodles different from other Japanese noodles like soba or udon.
Was Ramen Invented in China or Japan?
The creation of ramen blends both Chinese and Japanese ideas. The core idea of wheat noodles in broth comes from China. The word “ramen” itself is based on the Chinese term lāmiàn (拉麵), which means “pulled noodles.” However, Japanese ramen did not come directly from the hand-pulled northern Chinese noodles, but rather from southern Chinese dishes like char siu tangmian (roast pork noodle soup) and rousi tangmian (sliced meat noodle soup). These were popular dishes in Guangdong and Jiangnan, the hometowns of most Chinese immigrants in Yokohama.
So, while ramen’s base came from China, the Japanese made it into something unique. A law passed in 1899 let Chinese immigrants own businesses in Japan, allowing their food to spread. By the early 1900s, Chinese eateries in Japan sold noodle soups. The first ramen shop, Rairaiken, opened in Tokyo in 1910. Run by Kan’ichi Ozaki with Cantonese cooks, this shop changed ramen’s taste to suit Japanese customers, making ramen a Japanese classic. While its idea started in China, the ramen we eat now is a Japanese creation.
How Ramen Changed Before Instant Noodles
Before instant noodles took over the world, ramen went through many changes in Japan. It started as a simple dish brought by immigrants, but over time it became a favorite food all across Japan, changing with the tastes of the people and the local food supplies. Ramen’s development was slow, shaped by history and the creativity of many cooks.
Ramen started as something mostly eaten by Chinese people in Japan, but eventually became a dish for everyone, setting the foundation for ramen to become popular across the globe.
How Did Ramen Enter Japanese Food?
Ramen’s move into Japanese food culture is a story of influence and change. There are records of Chinese-style noodles in Japan as far back as the Muromachi period (1300s-1500s), but the modern version showed up much later. One theory says that in the 1660s, Zhu Shunsui, a Chinese scholar advising Japanese lord Tokugawa Mitsukuni, introduced the first ramen-like dish (though it used lotus root starch and wheat, not today’s kansui noodles).
However, most historians agree that ramen really entered Japan in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when Chinese immigrants made noodle shops in places like Yokohama. The noodles were called names like Nankin soba, Shina soba, or Chūka soba (“Chinese noodles”). After Japan opened its borders to other countries in the mid-1800s, new foods arrived too.
| Period/Event | Ramen Development |
|---|---|
| Late 1800s-early 1900s | Chinese settlers sell noodle soups, basic toppings, and pork broth |
| Post World War II | Food shortages, cheap wheat flour from US, more ramen sold by street vendors |
| 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake | Displaced chefs spread ramen to other parts of Japan, leading to new regional styles |
Ramen became even more popular after World War II, when there were big food shortages. American wheat flour was cheap, and many people bought ramen from street vendors because official food supplies were limited. After the 1923 earthquake, ramen cooks moved across Japan, creating different local types like Hokkaido’s miso ramen or Kyushu’s tonkotsu ramen. By the early 1900s, ramen was a common meal when eating out.
Momofuku Ando and Instant Ramen
For regular ramen, many people helped create what we know today. But when it comes to instant ramen, the story centers on one man: Momofuku Ando. Born in Taiwan in 1910, Ando spent his life trying to solve food problems. He created instant noodles and later Cup Noodles, changing fast meals everywhere. Ando is known as the inventor of instant ramen for this reason.
Ando believed that easy, filling food could help bring peace by making sure everyone got enough to eat. He started the company Nissin Foods, and worked for years to bring his idea to life, showing creativity and hard work.
Where Did The Idea for Instant Ramen Come From?
After World War II, Ando noticed that people in Japan waited in long lines for a hot bowl of ramen because of food shortages. He thought that if everyone had a quick, healthy, and cheap option, there would be less hunger. Even though the government asked people to eat bread made from US flour, Ando wondered why noodles-a familiar food-were not promoted. He learned that old noodle companies were too small to help many people, so Ando set out to create his own mass-produced noodles. His goal was to provide a quick and tasty meal that would be available to everyone, especially when food was hard to find.
The Birth of Chicken Ramen in 1958
Ando worked in a small shed behind his house in Osaka, starting in 1957. He often slept little and kept testing new ways to make noodles dry out and keep their flavor. He learned from watching his wife cook tempura that frying could remove water. He tried flash-frying noodles, and found it worked well-just add boiling water, and noodles are ready in two minutes!
On August 25, 1958-and at age 48-Ando released the first package of instant noodles, called Chikin Ramen. It became a favorite in Japan right away, even though it cost more than regular noodles at first. As time went by, prices fell and everyone could buy it. Chikin Ramen is still sold today. Ando later invented Cup Noodles in 1971, making it even easier to eat ramen all over the world.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1958 | First Chicken Ramen (instant ramen) launches |
| 1971 | Cup Noodles introduced |
Common Questions About Ramen and Its Inventors
The story of ramen includes both older traditions and new inventions, leading many people to ask questions about who made it what it is today-especially when talking about Momofuku Ando. Understanding what he truly invented helps us see ramen’s full story, from bowls made by chefs to the instant packs on grocery shelves.
Did Momofuku Ando Invent Every Ramen Type?
No, Momofuku Ando did not make every ramen variety. He invented instant ramen and Cup Noodles, which were new ways to eat ramen quickly and cheaply. But ramen itself-a noodle soup from Japan with Chinese roots-had already been around and came in many local styles before Ando’s time. Types like Hokkaido’s miso ramen, Kyushu’s creamy tonkotsu ramen, and Hakodate’s shio (salt) ramen all developed separately in Japan.
Ando’s main achievement was creating a ready-to-make, long-lasting ramen for anyone to cook in minutes, making it an everyday food all over the world. But his work did not replace traditional ramen, which is still made fresh and served in noodle shops with many different tastes and toppings.
How Is Traditional Ramen Different from Instant Ramen?
There are many differences between traditional and instant ramen, such as the way they’re made, prepared, and enjoyed. Here’s a comparison:
| Traditional Ramen | Instant Ramen |
|---|---|
|
Made fresh in ramen shops (rāmen’ya) Uses wheat flour, salt, water, and kansui Noodles might be made by hand or by machine in different shapes Broth is cooked from chicken, pork, or fish for hours, giving deep flavors Toppings are fresh, including pork slices, eggs, bamboo shoots, and more Served hot and eaten soon after being made |
Noodles are cooked and then dried (usually by frying) to last longer Sold together with a powder or paste soup base Prepared by just adding hot water Toppings are usually not included, but people can add their own Meant to be quick, easy, and affordable Uses more preservatives and processed ingredients |
Instant ramen gives a fast, cheap meal by just adding water, but it doesn’t have the taste or fresh feel of a handmade bowl from a shop. Both kinds of ramen are popular, in different ways, and together, they make ramen one of the world’s favorite comfort foods.