# Instant Noodle Inventor dies **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 6, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974 "2007-01-06T21:31:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/1 "2007-01-06T21:31:45Z")
> **[BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Inventor of instant noodles dies](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6237013.stm)** > > Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant noodles, dies in Japan, age 96, of a heart attack. College students are encouraged to observe 3 minutes of silence. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2007, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/2 "2007-01-06T21:37:45Z")
Eh. They’ll cremate him, then just add boiling water, and he’ll be good as new. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/3 "2007-01-06T21:46:18Z")
Bless him. What a super chap. He pretty much saved my life when I had no money. Morning, noon and night I had Nissin noodles (“Now with new retort pouch” - wtf is a retort pouch?) for two months. I salute you Mr Momofuko Ando - which one is his family name? ---
**Author:** ![indecisive1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/41988e/32.png) [@indecisive1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/indecisive1)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/4 "2007-01-06T21:59:58Z")
Thank you Mr. Ando ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/5 "2007-01-06T23:10:26Z")
Indeed, thank you, sir. Your invention kept me going through some dark periods in my life. Brilliant stuff, and well done, Mr. Ando. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/6 "2007-01-07T00:09:56Z")
Now there was a man who knew what the world needed and gave it to them in quantity and at a price everybody could afford. I’ve eaten my share of instant ramen noodles – I still do sometimes – but they’ve been a life saver when money was super-tight. Cheers, Mr. Ando. I’ll have a cup in your honor next week. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/7 "2007-01-07T00:19:22Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] …wtf is a retort pouch… [/QUOTE] It sounds like a bad translation of boil-in-the-bag, but that doesn’t quite fit with the product in question. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/8 "2007-01-07T00:29:22Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] It sounds like a bad translation of boil-in-the-bag, but that doesn’t quite fit with the product in question. [/QUOTE] It’s strange - there are lots of references to it on Google, most Asian, but including [this US military strategy site](http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/20030630.asp) (warning, lots of horrible ads) about NASA providing food in “retort pouches”. But no definition anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Molly\_Polly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea5d25/32.png) [@Molly\_Polly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molly_Polly)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/9 "2007-01-07T00:32:17Z")
I buy those things two dozen at a time. Couldn’t face work without them. We have a boiling water faucet at work and I can take it back to my desk any time without being obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/10 "2007-01-07T00:36:27Z")
The retort pouch _is_ a “boil in the bag”, as **Mangetout** said. [Here’s an example.](http://noodleson.com/review/2005/09/22/tvp-curry-chicken/) > [@](#): > > This entry was relatively expensive as it contain a special retort pouch with wet ingredients. In the foil pouch, there are several chucks of textured vegetable protein (maybe wheat protein but it is not specified), potato, carrot and onion in a coconut curry sauce. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/11 "2007-01-07T01:07:42Z")
I love Top Ramen noodles. Ate 'em when I was younger, still eat 'em today. I’ve got a couple dozen in cupboard right now. Never liked Cup Noodles though. Never did, still don’t. I’m not sure why, but they’re icky. Rest in peace, Mr. Ando. Thanks for all the Ramen! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/12 "2007-01-07T01:15:37Z")
[QUOTE=Molly & Polly] I buy those things two dozen at a time. Couldn’t face work without them. We have a boiling water faucet at work and I can take it back to my desk any time without being obvious. [/QUOTE] Where do you _work?_ 😕 And, BTW–Mr. Ando was, indeed, a _very_ shrewd man. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/13 "2007-01-07T01:27:46Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Bless him. What a super chap. He pretty much saved my life when I had no money. Morning, noon and night I had Nissin noodles (“Now with new retort pouch” - wtf is a retort pouch?) for two months. I salute you Mr Momofuko Ando - which one is his family name? [/QUOTE] According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a “retort pouch” is “a flexible package in which prepared food is hermetically sealed for long-term unrefrigerated storage.” I never knew his name, but he would have been considered a god over here if he’d just been better known. The most popular brand in Thailand is arguably Mama instant noodle. And the news media have what they call the “Mama Index,” which tracks how well or badly the economy is doing. Whenever there’s a spike in sales of Mama instant noodles, you know something bad is happening. During the economic crash of 1997, sales went through the roof! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/14 "2007-01-07T01:41:19Z")
**Siam Sam** , Mama sounds like a hedge gambit! ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/15 "2007-01-07T07:55:02Z")
_bows humbly_ If you add a couple boullion cubes, some mixed veggies (brocolli carrots and cauliflower) some hot dogs cut up, and every kind of cheese in your fridge, you have a fabulous meal. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/16 "2007-01-07T08:10:39Z")
first thing I learned how to cook, aged 11. Godspeed (2 minutes), Mr Ando. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/17 "2007-01-07T08:50:38Z")
Don’t these cup 'o noodles thingies have about 800 grams of salt per soup spoon full? I believe I read they were in the top ten unhealthiest things to eat. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/18 "2007-01-07T08:51:34Z")
The man clearly was one smart Momofuku. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/19 "2007-01-07T09:34:37Z")
[QUOTE=DMark] Don’t these cup 'o noodles thingies have about 800 grams of salt per soup spoon full? I believe I read they were in the top ten unhealthiest things to eat. [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > A package of Maruchan Instant Lunch ramen noodles with vegetables contains 1,400 (mg) - ['Forgotten Killer' Salt Kills 150,000 a Year, Says CSPI Report](http://www.cspinet.org/new/200502242.html) > [@from linked page](#): > > Mr Ando remained active until just days before his death, giving a New Year’s speech to Nissin employees and having a lunch of Chicken Ramen with company executives. > [@from linked page](#): > > The inventor of instant noodles, Momofuku Ando, has died in Japan, aged 96, of a heart attack. Need we say more? 😃 (that said, 96 years is a long life) ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974/20 "2007-01-07T09:40:12Z")
And will they bury him in a styrofoam coffin? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instant-noodle-inventor-dies/386974.md?page=2)