The history of instant noodles 方便面的前世今生

方便面是世界上最成功的工業化食品之一。這種食品為什麼如此受人歡迎？它是如何被發明的？又是什麼讓它火遍全球，成為瞭既省時又省錢的首選方便食品？本期節目討論方便面的前世今生。

詞匯：food 食物

What do a student in China, an office worker in the UK and an astronaut in space all have in common? They all eat instant noodles. And they’re not alone – over 100 billion servings of instant noodles are consumed globally each year, making them one of the world’s most successful industrial foods. But how did this happen?

Put simply, they’re cheap to produce and cheap to buy, which was exactly what their creator intended. Momofuku Ando, a Japanese entrepreneur, spent a year perfecting the recipe just after the Second World War. He wanted to make something similar to traditional Japanese ramen noodles, while using the wheat flour given to Japan as food aid by the US government. His creation was instantly popular, playing a part in Japan’s post-war economic rise. Even in the year 2000 – according to a poll by the Fuji Research Institute – instant noodles were voted Japan’s most successful invention, ahead of high-speed trains, laptops and karaoke.

But Japanese people are not alone in their devotion to instant noodles. According to the World’s Instant Noodles Association, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and India – in that order – all consumed more instant noodles than Japan in 2021. Instant noodles’ popularity abroad is in part due to how easy they are to adapt to local tastes. In Thailand, for example, you can get green curry flavour, while in Mexico the noodles are garnished with lime and salsa. And it seems that consumers have grown to expect innovation. Nissin, the food company founded by Ando, launches over 300 products yearly, just in Japan, according to employee Kasura Suzuki.

Instant noodles have their critics, too. Their rise in popularity has come at an environmental cost – they’re made with palm oil, contributing to deforestation, and their packaging is plastic. And while they are a hot, tasty and filling meal, instant noodles don’t have much nutritional value, and include high levels of salt and fat. Nevertheless, instant noodles are undoubtedly lifesavers in emergency or extreme situations.

More than 60 years after their invention, instant noodles have become the default food for anyone short on money, time, or even a kitchen.

詞匯表

serving （供一人食用的）一份
consume （大量地）吃，吃掉
industrial foods 工業化食品，經大規模生產和加工制成的食品
creator 發明者
wheat flour 小麥粉
food aid 食品援助
creation 創造物
economic rise 經濟增長
invention 發明
devotion to 對…的熱愛、熱衷
adapt 改變以適應
taste (n) 口味
green curry flavour 青咖喱口味
garnish with 在（食物）上加（飾菜）
salsa 薩爾薩辣醬（洋蔥、番茄和辣椒制成的辣味調汁）
consumer 消費者
innovation 創新
launch 推出
come at a cost 有代價的
palm oil 棕櫚油
filling 容易填飽肚子的
nutritional value 營養價值
lifesaver 救星，能救急的事物
default 首選，默認的選擇

測驗與練習

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

1. How many servings of instant noodles are eaten around the world each year?

2. True or False? The creator of instant noodles wanted to make them cheap.

3. Which country ate the most instant noodles in 2021?

4. What are two criticisms made of instant noodles?

5. Are instant noodles useful in an emergency?

2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. The recipe makes enough for six _______.

tastes wheat flours food aids servings

2. She’s an excellent doctor. Her _______ her patients is clear for all to see.

food aid devotion to due to innovation

3. Remember to _______ the soup _______ herbs and chilli before eating.

nutritional value devotion to garnish with founded by

4. Always carry a battery pack with you. If your mobile phone dies, it can be a _______.

innovation critic lifesaver default

5. For many people in the UK, black tea is the _______ hot drink.

filling currency default trade

答案

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

1. How many servings of instant noodles are eaten around the world yearly?
Over 100 billion servings of instant noodles are consumed globally each year.

2. True or False? The creator of instant noodles wanted to make them cheap.
True. Momofuku Ando intended to make a product that was cheap to produce and cheap to buy.

3. Which country ate the most instant noodles in 2021?
According to the World’s Instant Noodles Association, China consumed the most instant noodles in 2021.

4. What are two criticisms made of instant noodles?
Instant noodles production has negative consequences for the environment, and instant noodles are not very nutritious.

5. Are instant noodles useful in an emergency?
Yes, they can be lifesavers.

2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. The recipe makes enough for six servings.

2. She’s an excellent doctor. Her devotion to her patients is clear for all to see.

3. Remember to garnish the soup with herbs and chilli before eating.

4. Always carry a battery pack with you. If your mobile phone dies, it can be a lifesaver.

5. For many people in the UK, black tea is the default hot drink.