History of instant noodles. Invention of instant noodles Who invented instant noodles 4 letters

In January 2007, the elderly Japanese man Momofuku Ando, whom very few knew by name during his lifetime, died. But he owns one of the world's main inventions of the 20th century, leaving behind both karaoke and the portable audio player in importance. Momofuku Ando invented doshirak or instant noodles.

Momofuku Ando was born in 1910 in Japanese-occupied Taiwan. His parents died when he was a child, and he was raised by his grandparents, who owned a clothing company.

At the age of 22, the guy started his own business and moved to Osaka. Things were going well, but after the end of World War II there was a recession and his company went bankrupt. Ando himself was imprisoned for tax evasion.

Paying off all his debts left Mr. Momofuku almost destitute. Vegetating in lines for food in a destroyed, hungry Japan, Ando suddenly came across an idea that later changed not only his life but also the fate of the whole world. He decided to spend the remaining funds on the invention of a new product that would not only bring profit, but would also be useful to his fellow citizens.

Creating instant noodles was by no means an easy task. After all, from the very beginning, Ando abandoned the idea of producing just dry noodles: the Chinese came up with a method of preparing noodles that could be stored for a very long time a thousand years ago. Ando's goal was much more ambitious. His noodles had to be not only cheap, but also tasty and quick to prepare. I had to tinker with this. For his experiments, Ando built a real kitchen laboratory in a shed behind his house in the town of Ikeda.

The equipment was very simple. Traditional egg noodle machine and large pot. At first it seemed that the problem posed by Ando was insoluble. The noodles either turned out completely tasteless or were so overcooked that they turned into porridge.

The breakthrough came when Ando came up with the idea of spraying noodles with broth from an ordinary garden watering can. He then stirred the noodles himself so that the top layer was soaked in the broth, fried them in palm oil to evaporate the water, and then dried them into briquettes. To cook the noodles, you just had to add boiling water. Ando came up with the idea of adding two bags to each noodle briquette: one, opaque, contained spices and broth extract, and the other, transparent, contained a small portion of palm oil. At first, the new dish was expensive and was considered a delicacy, but within a year prices fell and sales began to grow rapidly.

In 1958, the first products of Ando's Nissin Food Products company hit stores and became a real bestseller. And not only among the Japanese. Ando, who often repeated that “there will be peace in the whole world if people do not lack food,” did not intend to limit himself to the Japanese market. That is why, at first, his instant noodles were produced only in chicken flavor under the Chikin Ramen brand. There was a reason for that. “By using chicken broth in the preparation of our noodles, we were able to bypass religious taboos that exist in different countries. Hindus cannot eat beef, and Muslims cannot eat pork, but there is not a single culture, religion or country that prohibits eating chicken,” explained the Japanese .
Within 12 years, noodles from Nissin Food were known throughout Asia, as well as in Europe and America. However, Ando was not going to stop there.

In 1971, he came up with something that made his noodles perhaps the most popular product on the planet. A new product from Ando appeared on store shelves - Cup Noodle noodles, sold in a waterproof polystyrene foam bowl. You could add hot water directly into it. There was no longer any need to rearrange noodles or wash dishes after eating. Ando's noodles have become truly economical, which was appreciated by students, bachelors, and workers who wanted to save time on lunch. And soon after that, dried vegetables began to be added to the noodles, which, when boiled in boiling water, created the impression of a full-fledged soup. But this food innovator made the main, literally cosmic breakthrough in 2005. It was then that vacuum-packed instant noodles appeared, created specifically for astronauts. Ando attributed his longevity to the daily consumption of noodles of his own invention.

Starting with the production of chicken noodles in plastic bags, Ando turned into a real emperor of instant noodles. His company produces almost two dozen types of noodles with a wide variety of flavors and ingredients. Factories of the Ando empire are located all over the world - from the USA and Peru to Germany and Hungary - and supply their products to almost 70 countries. According to a company representative, more than 100 million people around the world consume noodles from Nissin every day.
Ando's invention has long become the property of all mankind. Of course, the world leader in instant noodle consumption is, as one might guess, China: the Chinese consume about 30 billion servings of this product per year. China is followed by Japan and Indonesia. Given such a scale, the creation of the International Association of Instant Noodle Manufacturers and the fact that an annual world summit dedicated to it (World Ramen Summit) is not at all surprising. According to this summit, in 2004, earthlings consumed 65.5 billion packages of instant noodles. And, as Ando intended, she continues to save people. The staple food for victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami and 2005 Hurricane Katrina in the United States was instant noodles. Thanks to Ando, noodles are now produced by hundreds of companies in different countries of the world. It has different flavors (in Poland, for example, there are borscht-flavored noodles), but in all other respects it is not much different from Ando’s invention, since manufacturers rather try to emphasize this similarity. When you open any company's noodles, you can be sure that you will find what Ando came up with: a brick of noodles and two bags. Transparent - with butter and silver - with broth and spices.

And in 2000, answering the question about the main Japanese invention of the 20th century, the Japanese clearly put in first place not ultra-modern computers or electronic devices, but a simple and nutritious dish familiar to almost every modern person.

Ando's noodles have their drawbacks. Nutritionists and doctors argue about how healthy this food is. Restaurateurs and fighters for good taste complain that, like other instant products, noodles kill a person’s ability to distinguish a gastronomic masterpiece from a cheap concoction. Nevertheless, few doubt that the main goal that Momofuku Ando set for himself has been achieved. "Instant noodles have given Mr. Ando his rightful place in the pantheon of human progress. Teach a man to fish and he can feed himself for a lifetime. Give him instant noodles and you don't have to teach him anything anymore," says New York journalist Lawrence Downs. One cannot think of a better epitaph for a bankrupt who decided to rid humanity of hunger.

Instant noodles are a major achievement in the culinary field. Many people cannot imagine life without this product, and now they have the chance to eat it constantly, in any place where there is hot water. Who invented instant noodles? Its creator was the Japanese Momofuku Ando, who left the world in 2007.

The creator of noodles was born in 1910 in Taiwan, which was occupied by Japan at that time. He received his upbringing from his grandparents, since his parents died. After reaching the age of 22, Ando left Taiwan and went to Osaka, where he began to develop his own business. For the latter to be successful, Momofuku graduated with honors from the Ritsumeikan University School of Economics, located in Kyoto. The creator also receives Japanese citizenship. Business flourished before our eyes, but the severe economic recession caused by the war could not help but affect it. Ando not only stopped working on his business, he also failed to pay taxes, for which he faced imprisonment.

A terrible famine reigned in the country after the war, so Japanese residents stood in huge queues to get a small amount of food. For this reason, the authorities did their best to force the Japanese to consume bread made from American wheat, which was abundant due to humanitarian aid from the States. Ando was struck by this fact, since he did not understand why a Japanese would eat an incomprehensible kind of bread if noodles are the most familiar and accessible to him? It is for this reason that he becomes the inventor of instant noodles, because many production facilities simply could not cope with the volumes, they did not have sufficient technical and raw material equipment.

Choosing another business

The year 1948 marked a major change for the Japanese, as he decided to re-open a business based on the production of salt. In his opinion, such a product should generate income. Perhaps this would be the case if the country’s economy was functioning normally, but not in this case. There was demand, but it was not enough. The company was again facing bankruptcy. It was difficult for Ando to accept this, because he was already quite accustomed to the flow of life as a businessman. For this reason, he needed to do something to climb out of the pit of poverty.

Momofuku is the one who invented instant noodles, but before doing so, he worked for a long time. He allocated his last pennies to this business, which, in theory, will bring him not only profit, but will also provide the people with a constant source of food even in the most difficult times.

Process of creation

The creation process was not easy, it took a lot of time and required a lot of moral and physical strength. Ando did not want to take as a basis an already invented dish - dry noodles. It was invented in China a thousand years ago. Its undoubted advantage is the duration of storage, but this was not enough for the Japanese. He thought more broadly, so he imagined the future product like this: it would be inexpensive, it could be prepared quickly, and the noodles would have an amazing, unusual taste. In the city of Ikeda, Ando is preparing for the birth of noodles, doing all sorts of culinary experiments. He wanted to become someone who would be remembered by the world; to those who invented instant noodles on their own.

Momofuku used simple equipment, which included a simple noodle maker and a medium-sized pot. At first, to be honest, the creator didn’t succeed. The results were either tasteless noodles or a pasta mush.

How and who invented instant noodles?

It is not known how, but the thought crept into the Japanese mind that if you spray the product with broth from an ordinary watering can, something might work out. And so it happened.

After spraying, the product was thoroughly mixed so that the upper layers were also saturated. The noodles were then fried in coconut oil, causing the excess water to disappear. Afterwards the product was dried, forming a small briquette. When people cooked, they only needed to add boiling water and the contents of two sachets. One of them contained palm oil, the other spices and broth.

To the question of who invented Doshirak instant noodles, there will now be a clear answer - Momofuku Ando.

Public perception

At first, the product had a relatively high cost. After a period, the price dropped significantly as there was no demand. As soon as this happened, sales began, and were very high. Every Japanese knew who and when invented instant noodles. Ando products have displaced many products from store shelves, becoming a real bestseller.

After a while, the goods were already being prepared for sale not only in Japan, but also abroad. For this reason, the noodles only tasted like chicken. Thus, it could be available in countries where certain foods are prohibited for religious reasons. No religion prohibits the consumption of chicken meat, so whoever invented the Rollton instant noodles knew the purpose for which he was doing this.

Europe and America

12 years later, not only in Japan people knew about Nissin Food from Ando, but also in Europe and the USA. The heights reached did not moderate the creator’s ardor; he only moved forward. Ando invented a new product from his company - noodles in special waterproof polystyrene foam bowls. This made it possible not to waste time looking for dishes; you could pour boiling water straight into the box, and simply throw it away after the meal. Many Europeans and Americans knew the name of the person who invented instant noodles, and they also highly appreciated the taste and convenience of the products produced by the creator.

Soon after this innovation, one could see noodles with a new bag inside, which contained dried vegetables. Now it was no longer just a snack, but a full meal in the form of a light soup.

2005 became the most profitable year for the company, and all because Ando came up with an ingenious solution for meals in space - vacuum packaging for noodles. The astronauts were delighted with this new product, so they bought large quantities of noodles of this kind.

Today, looking at the history of Ando's business development, everyone may be surprised, since this is an incredible story about a man who wants to achieve something and does it despite difficulties. In stores in any country, on any continent, you can see a huge variety of tastes and types of noodles from Ando.

By the way, Ando attributed his longevity to the miraculous properties of his noodles, saying that by eating them every day, a person can live a very long and happy life.

Consumption records

Who is the inventor of instant noodles? Now even a child knows about this, especially in China, where people consume the Momofuku product with great pleasure. It was China that achieved record sales, which amount to about 30 billion packages of noodles per year.

Next in this hierarchy is Japan, and then Indonesia. It is not surprising that there is now an International Noodle Manufacturers Association, which annually organizes closed global summits.

The summit appreciated the incredible genius of Ando, who envisioned that his products should save people during times of adversity, when there is simply no food. And so it happened. For example, during periods of the tsunami in Asia, as well as during Hurricane Katrina. People used to eat Momofuku noodles, which cost pennies, last a long time and have a mind-blowing taste. The warm broth helped calm the nervous system and recharge at least some mood for people in trouble.

Despite the fact that the products come from different companies, they have the same cooking principle. Therefore, when opening any instant noodles in different parts of the world, a person can be sure that the product is the result of Momofuku Ando’s hard work.

The Japanese really value the creator of noodles, so when asked what was the main invention in Japan in the 20th century, they answered without a doubt - instant noodles. And this is due not only to the taste, but also to the fact that the dish is economical and accessible to everyone in any situation.

Flaws

Like any product, noodles have their downsides. Doctors still cannot clearly answer the question of whether this is really a healthy food. Knowing who the inventor of instant noodles is, it is difficult to believe that the product can cause any harm.

Many aesthetes believe that such food kills the feeling in a person that helps to see the difference between a masterpiece and cheap, tasteless food. In any case, no one can say for sure. The best advice is to limit your consumption. Perhaps noodles from Ando will not cause any harm, and local producers are sometimes not so conscientious, so they may use a lot of chemical additives.

pros

Advantages of the dish:

The noodles are very easy to prepare, just add boiling water.
Rich and pleasant taste.
Variety of species.
Cheapness.

It is thanks to these factors that the product has gained worldwide fame.

The modern rhythm of life dictates its own rules, including nutrition. And the constant lack of time contributed to the emergence of instant products on the Russian and Western markets. The most purchased and in demand among people were the products of the Rollton and Doshirak companies, which had proven themselves to be good. Consumers eat Doshirak and Rollton, regardless of their social level and gastronomic preferences. Instant foods help you save time on preparing everyday meals and help you avoid dry meals. Instant food products will come in handy not only during your lunch break at work, but also on a hike, a long trip, or at the dacha. However, many people use Rollton and Doshirak in everyday life.

Who invented instant ramen noodles?

The origins of the creation of instant noodles by mankind lie in medieval China. The fairly economically favorable situation in the country has created an impetus for the development of new tastes and aromas of food. This process did not bypass the traditional Chinese dish - noodles.

In different places during this period, new types of noodles were created, which in the future would become the main specialty of each province. Among all the types of noodles created then, the most unique was “E-fu Noodles”, from the city of Yangzhou, (Jiangsu Province), or it is also called “Yi Noodles” (Yi), named after the chef scientist Yui Bingshou ), who created it.

Yui experimented with the noodles and came up with the idea of first frying them in oil, then drying them so that he could store them longer and boil the noodles in water later, right before serving. To be precise, these noodles were not instant, but rather long-lasting, if not for one side effect of frying in oil, or rather, the ability to eat them raw, crunching like modern chips. In this regard, it was truly one of the first fast foods. But, we must pay tribute to Bingzhou, he was the first to start frying the product itself in oil, and it was this technology that formed the basis for the creation of instant noodles in the future. And, nevertheless, E-fu noodles were a product of accelerated preparation, because to prepare them right before serving, you did not need to knead and roll out the dough, pull the noodles themselves before boiling them, but simply throw them into boiling water and cook.

Yes, for a resident of the 21st century, this is no longer fast, but then it was a revolution. But it took another four centuries to create a truly quick-cooking product. And here the initiative for creation passes to Japan.

In 2000, a survey was conducted among Japanese residents to find out which Japanese invention of the twentieth century the Japanese themselves consider the greatest, which was fairly unanimously recognized as instant Ramen noodles. The creator of instant noodles was Momofuku Ando. Despite the fact that it’s hard to believe now, he struggled to develop his culinary invention for many years, and the task he set for himself was nothing less than solving the problem of world hunger.

In 1945, after Japan's surrender, Ando was in his hometown of Osaka. Looking at the consequences of the destruction, it was not easy to remain optimistic. The air attacks caused great damage to the city, destroying a huge number of buildings, including two office buildings and a factory that he himself had built. It was at that time, while walking around the city, he saw people lining up at makeshift Ramen stands and waiting patiently.

For many years after the end of the war, the Japanese continued to suffer from food shortages. Until 1957, Ando held a high-ranking position: after the war, he became president of a large bank. However, in 1957, the bank went bankrupt and Ando was not only left without a job, but also suffered from an oppressive feeling of guilt. His thoughts turned again to how to solve the problem of his starving fellow citizens. He believed that throughout the world, “peace will come when all people have enough food.”
That's when he remembered the people who stood in line after the war for a bowl of ramen noodles. He began working on transforming a familiar and beloved noodle dish into a miracle product that met his originally invented criteria. The goal was to achieve a dish that was: Delicious, Never spoiled, Ready in no more than a couple of minutes, and Cheap.

For a year he tried to come up with a suitable way to dry the noodles, but nothing worked. The resulting cooked noodles had neither the right texture nor taste. It is said that, almost by accident, he dropped some noodles into the hot oil that his wife had prepared for the upcoming dinner. The result was excellent: with this method, the noodles not only dried out, but also became slightly porous. This gave the desired effect when subsequently soaked with hot water.

Momofuku Ando was 48 at the time. His career took an unexpected turn: he became the inventor and producer of a dish that later became a symbol of inspiration for Japan. Finally, he could feel some kind of redemption for the responsibility that tormented him before the ruined investors. Japanese industry was developing rapidly, and noodles came in handy to feed the poor class of workers.

At first, it was true that the Japanese public tended to view the amazing new noodles as a luxury product. First of all, it appeared in ordinary cafes selling ramen and sold it at a price that even exceeded the cost of the original “long” noodles.

But this, of course, did not correspond to Ando's plan. He came up with cheap food, not fancy snacks for the rich. Soon people realized that noodles were indeed very cheap and easy to prepare, and their sales in supermarkets began to grow rapidly. Gradually, other manufacturers appeared on the market, and Ando himself continued to march around the planet, hoping to get closer to creating “world peace.”

Ando's Nishin company began promoting the invention on the American market. At that time in America, Ramen noodles were not known outside of immigrant communities, and even more so, Americans did not know how to use the chopsticks with which noodles are traditionally eaten. It was decided that they could easily eat the noodles with a fork, and it was released to the market under the name “Udles of Noodles.”
Sales of noodles in the US were not particularly strong. The noodles at that time were different from the ones we were used to. It was not enough to simply add water; it was necessary to boil it for 2-3 minutes. In addition, the name translated into Russian resembles something like “Lots of Delicious Noodles,” only in rhyme. As a result, noodles were not particularly popular among the main target audience - men.

During a business trip to America in 1966, Ando noticed that the managers of the supermarket that sold his noodles used washed disposable foam coffee cups as dishes. They used them simply because no other utensils were available, but Ando thought it was a great idea to improve his product. Subsequent development took a full 5 years.

And so, in 1971, this new, improved version of noodles was released to the American market, called "Cap Noodles" - "Cup Noodles". It was just enough to pour boiling water over this noodle and in just a few minutes it was ready for use. This time the success was immediate. Noodles in a cup provided people with a completely unique opportunity to get a hot meal in just a few minutes, without having access to a kitchen and without knowing how to cook. All this with just a glass of hot water.

Subsequently, Ando also developed special noodles for astronauts that could be eaten in zero gravity, which did not spill due to the thick broth and did not need hot water due to the miniature noodles.

Momofuku Ando died in 2007 and such a large number of people came to his farewell ceremony that it had to be held at a football stadium. Momofuku and his noodles became a symbol of rebirth after the war and the Japanese consider him their national hero. He lived to be 96 years old, and continued to visit his factories to talk with workers until the day before his death, despite the fact that at this point he had already been officially retired for two years. Ando developed an entire philosophy due to his experience as the inventor of noodles. Its basis was the opinion that: “people mistakenly think that they can achieve everything if they remove all the obstacles in their way.” In fact, obstacles and difficulties are what motivate us to find solutions to problems.

Currently, noodles are very popular all over the world as a food for students who are always short on money and who also don’t really know how to cook. Worldwide sales of instant noodles amount to more than 94 billion units per year.

In the city of Yakohama in Japan there is a museum dedicated to Ando's invention, which was built in 1994. On its territory, a full-size model of a Tokyo street from 1958, the year of the invention of noodles, was created.

And in New York in 2004, a Ramen noodle restaurant called Momofuku Noodle Bar was opened, which became one of the most fashionable establishments of the year. The queue for table reservations there stretched for months in advance.

China, including Hong Kong, ate 44 billion of the 101.4 billion servings of instant noodles sold worldwide last year, according to a study by the Japan-based World Instant Noodle Association. EPA photographer Shepard Zhou decided to document this fact with a photo report from a factory in Wuhan.

The technology for producing instant noodles consists of several stages: kneading dough from flour of special varieties of wheat, making thin pasta, steam heat treatment, drying, frying, and the last stage - packaging.

Integrated lines for the production of instant noodles allow you to fully automate the process of preparing noodles from the dough kneading stage to packaging the finished product.

The process begins with the supply of flour and salt water to special equipment (vertical mixer), thus kneading the dough. Next comes rolling out and cutting the dough. Special equipment allows you to roll out, cut and form noodles into a “wave”. Already after 10 minutes, the formed noodles are fed into the steam tunnel for cooking.

The next stage is the process of cooking and molding. In the steam tunnel, the noodles undergo heat treatment at a temperature of 95-1000`C. Then it is cut and shaped to the specified dimensions. The parameters are controlled by infrared rays.

Frying and drying are also carried out using special equipment. It consists of main body, heat exchanger, oil circulation pump, filters and oil tank. Frying in palm oil at a temperature of 140-1500`C allows you to quickly evaporate excess moisture.

Further, in the cooling tunnel, the finished noodles are cooled by air flow to normal temperature and fed to the packaging.
The packaging process is controlled by infrared rays. The noodles are automatically packed. The equipment allows you to produce and package noodles of different sizes and weights.

If “Doshirak” is positioned as a tasty product that is consumed at home as the main dish and is simply liked by people, then “Rollton” wins the trust of consumers with an ever-increasing variety of tastes, low cost and versatility of packaging. New products also appeared under the Doshirak brand: drinks, mashed potatoes. Listening to the opinions of consumers, KoYa noodles have appeared in more convenient packaging. Not only the methods of “promotion” of products are different, but also their very qualities. The taste of Russian instant products is as close as possible to the taste of traditional Russian dishes. The same cannot be said about the products of the KoYa company, which is ready to please gourmets and lovers of spicy food. However, this does not make these products more or less popular compared to each other. In addition to Rollton noodles, they also produce instant purees and other products, but if we talk about Doshirak and Rollton noodles, the composition of the products is similar. The ingredients and packaging are identical in both cases: dried noodles, oil and seasoning. In many ways, the flavor depends on the preservatives and flavorings that are added to the product to make it even more appetizing. Fast food is just as satisfying as regular vegetable and meat foods, making it an increasingly popular choice. Alas, this cannot be said about the usefulness of this. They contain much less substances that are beneficial to health and the body. The lion's share of the energy value of Doshirak or Rollton noodles is carbohydrates. By the way, despite the fact that beautiful natural products are indicated on the label, meat in Doshirak and "Rollton" no. The buyer can enjoy soy "meat" from a Korean manufacturer, alas, not everyone will like it.

"Rollton" is preferable for our compatriots in that it has excellent quality at a low cost. The absence of frills in the wrapper and composition is sympathetic to those who do not want to overpay for packaging. Consumers who love convenient containers buy Doshirak. "Rollton" in a similar packaging also exists. It is widely believed that the less intense taste of Russian noodles indicates that there is a minimum of "chemistry" in it. As always, the Russian buyer chooses the products of a domestic manufacturer. As a result, the Korean company is building factories for the production of Doshirak noodles in Russia. What will come of this, time will tell.

The battle of two powerful brands “Doshirak” and “Rollton” for the domestic market will continue, but in the meantime, marketing specialists are monitoring the prerequisites for the redistribution of demand for products within the segment from cheap instant products to more expensive and high-quality ones, as well as “healthy food”. However, a lot of research has already been carried out on the dangers of artificial additives, and this is the main criterion for those who oppose fast food products. Semi-finished products are firmly entering the instant food market and have all the potential for rapid growth and high demand. Such actions will lead to continuous improvement in the quality and types of products.

Almost all cultures have at least one cherished noodle dish, but only the Chinese can rightfully consider themselves competitors to the Italians in relation to the product so revered by them.

The debate over who first came up with the idea of mixing flour with water to make noodles continues to persist. Thus, the slaves claim that the idea of using dried dough products as a means of storing flour during their frequent conquest operations belongs to their people. And they are far from the only ones.

But regardless of the origin of the pasta, it is certain that the Chinese were eating noodles - albeit made from millet, unlike modern noodles - as early as 2000 BC. This is confirmed by a well-preserved bowl of millet noodles 4000 years old, found in Chinese Pompeii (Lajia archaeological site, Minhe Autonomous County, Haidong County, Qinghai Province) on the banks of the Yellow River.

The first written account of noodles dates back to the Eastern Han Dynasty, between 25–220. During the reign of the Song Dynasty (960–1279), shops specializing in the sale of noodles were already extremely popular in cities and remained open almost around the clock.

Like Italian pasta, Asian noodles can have different shapes, or rather widths, be thick and wide or very thin, like a toothpick. As for the length, noodles in China are usually served uncut, since in this case they symbolize a long and prosperous life.

Noodles are the main character on festive tables, be it a wedding ceremony, New Year's celebrations or birthdays. Noodles are eaten hot and cold, they are usually fried and deep-fried, boiled, added to soups, noodle casseroles, delicious holiday salads and many other dishes are prepared. Fresh noodles are always placed along the edge of graves so that ancestors in the other world can taste their favorite food.

Chinese noodles are divided into three types. The most common noodles are made from wheat flour; they are made with or without eggs. The homeland of wheat noodles is northern China, where wheat has always been the main grain. Depending on the ingredients, it can be yellow or white, thin like spaghetti or thick like fettuccine, hard or flexible.

The noodles, made from rice flour, water and salt, also come in thick and thin and very thin, resembling coconut flakes, which is typical of rice vermicelli. There are also paper-thin rice flour cakes, round and triangular in shape.

And finally, cellophane noodles, mung, transparent as glass, made from bean flour.

Due to the many dialects of the Chinese language, noodles are called by different names in China. In official Chinese, noodles made from wheat flour are called "mian", while the term "fen" refers to rice noodles or noodles made from other types of flour.

In China, noodle making, "hand stretching", is a kind of art. The dough is stretched between the hands, circled in the air, and folded several times.

Noodles are an excellent source of protein, they contain few calories, but at the same time they are high in complex carbohydrates.

Noodles were invented a long time ago, and it is now impossible to accurately determine the time and place. It is only known that noodles were known back in the 4th millennium BC. Images of people making noodles were found in Egyptian tombs. And in the sarcophagi, the remains of noodles laid out for the long journey to the Kingdom of the Dead were discovered. Bas-reliefs dating back to the 4th century were found in the Etruscan necropolis Banditaccia. BC. They depict kitchen utensils intended for preparing noodles.

In its modern form, noodles came to us from the east. The first Chinese emperor to taste noodles was Wang Mang, who reigned for only 14 years during the early Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). The new product significantly improved the diet of the Chinese poor, which had previously been limited to simple combinations of boiled wheat, rice and soybeans. Noodles hold a special place in Chinese culinary tradition as they symbolize strength and longevity. Noodles can always be seen on the New Year's or wedding table. It is also served to guests when celebrating birthdays.

It is believed that noodles spread to Europe thanks to Marco Polo, who brought them from his next trip to China in 1292.
However, mentions of noodles can be found long before the thirteenth century. The Arabs who lived in Sicily dried strips of dough in the sun.
Noodles became popular during the Great Geographical Discoveries, when there was a need for a product that would last a long time, was not too heavy, and did not lose its beneficial properties and nutritional value.

In the 16th century, associations of noodle and pasta manufacturers formed in Italy with their own rules and regulations. Moreover, in different cities the manufacturers were called differently - “maestri fidelari” in Liguria, “lasagnari” in Florence, “vermicellari” in Naples, “artigiani della pasta” in Palermo. And the dough was prepared in different ways. In Naples, the dough was kneaded with feet, then pressed with a homemade press, manned by five workers. They sat down, stood up, sat down again - and so on until the dough became homogeneous. Then the dough was processed using devices that resembled grates from a meat grinder. The type of lattice depended on the type of products obtained: “fidelini”, “vermicelli”, “trenette”, “lasagnette”, “farfalle”, “penne”, “shells”, “fusilli” - first they were cut manually, then automatically, using a machine blade.

Until the 16th century, noodles were most often served as a luxurious dessert because special wheat (durum) was used to prepare them, and therefore noodles were an expensive dish and only consumed as daily food by the wealthy classes. By the way, it was thanks to noodles that the fork with several prongs was invented - around 1700, the chamberlain of King Ferdinand II, Gennaro Spadaccini, invented it for the convenience of eating spaghetti.
In the 17th century, the situation began to change; machines for making noodles appeared, which led to a decrease in the cost of these dough products.

Noodles were brought to Russia by Fernando, who arrived in St. Petersburg to recruit Peter I. The first pasta factory in Russia opened at the end of the 18th century, and in 1913 there were already 39 pasta enterprises in Russia, producing about 30 thousand tons of products per year.

Noodles were given new life by Momofuku Ando, who invented instant noodles. According to the official version, Ando came up with this dish when, shortly after the end of World War II, on a cold evening he saw a long line of people who had to wait in line for hours for a bowl of hot noodles. Since 1958, his company was the first in the world to produce instant noodles. In 1971, Ando improved his invention and began selling Cup Noodle - instant noodles in a disposable, lightweight and waterproof container, into which you just pour boiling water, stir a little and wait a couple of minutes. In a public opinion poll in Japan conducted in 2000, Momofuku Ando's invention of instant noodles was named the main Japanese invention of the 20th century.