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Ramen vs. Instant Noodles: What's the Real Difference?

History of Simple Things

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Ever wondered if instant noodles and ramen are actually the same thing? 🍜

They might look alike, but their stories couldn’t be more different. From the steamy ramen shops of Japan to the humble instant noodle packets that saved countless late-night cravings, both have fascinating histories — and one surprising connection.

In this episode of History of Simple Things, we’re diving deep into how ramen evolved from a traditional Japanese-Chinese fusion dish into a global comfort food — and how Momofuku Ando’s brilliant invention turned “instant noodles” into one of the world’s most iconic convenience meals.

So grab your favorite bowl, maybe a pair of chopsticks, and join us as we explore the delicious history behind Ramen vs. Instant Noodles!

⏱ Timestamps:
00:03 – Intro: The late-night comfort of instant noodles
00:53 – The origins of ramen: From China to Japan
01:31 – Ramen after WWII: How Japan made it its own
01:53 – Regional ramen styles across Japan
02:33 – Enter instant noodles: Momofuku Ando’s invention
03:17 – How instant ramen revolutionized the world
03:46 – Fresh ramen vs. instant noodles: What’s the real difference?
04:46 – Broth: The heart of ramen
05:25 – Instant noodles and the power of convenience
06:41 – Why people still confuse ramen and instant noodles
07:35 – Final thoughts: What both truly share

Video edited by: Sophia Mae A.

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20 Comments

@historyofsimplethings Creator 11 months ago Pinned

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Video edited by: Sophia Mae A.

@chiengdc 11 months ago

The Japanese word "ramen" originates from the Chinese word "la mian" meaning pulled noodles.

@luxuanminhhus6063 11 months ago

have watched this video for a minute, I felt hungry and decided to have a bowl of instant noodles

@jadenephrite 11 months ago

The Ramen Spork was invented by Masami Takahashi in 2007. The Ramen Spork has long tines to twirl the noodles and a shallow bowl of a spoon to ladle the broth.

@chitlynn5181 11 months ago

i now realize i’ve never actually had ramen. just the instant versions. i think i may try ramen now.

@RobertGarcia-tz6ve 11 months ago

Everyone in my platoon in S. Korea just couldn't stop eating ramen or as we called it "Romy" as a midnight snack back in 1971. So upon returning home, I was estatic when I saw the local San Antonio TX HEB grocery stores had it! Up until 2024 I always bought the "oriental" flavor of TOP RAMEN which I can't find anymore. Now 2025 I have to settle for Maruchan brand of ramen noodle soup , soy sauce flavor. It's good but I miss Romy!

@cassieoz1702 11 months ago

As an Australian, I never heard the term ramen until (i think) the early 90s. Instant noodles were around a long time before that.

@MirzaAhmed89 11 months ago

Maruchan Gold ramen packs are actually surprisingly good, almost the real thing.

@Svartalf14 11 months ago

one big difference between traditional ramen and instant stuff is also that restaurant ramen will serve you a large bowl, and the bowl is a full meal, while an instant packet or cup is a much smaller serving and will not sate your hunger for very long, if at all.

@almusci7373 11 months ago

When the kids were young , I would make instant raman for them and friends for lunch , esp in the winter time ... I called it , "Noodles & Poodles" , I would cut up a couple hot dogs into tiny pieces , toss it in with some frozen corn & peas , sometimes beaten eggs depending on how many bowls I made ..... Kids & friends loved it....

@summerbadboi 11 months ago

another mouth-watering episode I can digest. authentic ramen is heavy and it's not recommended to eat it early in the morning, if I recall from experience

@Svartalf14 11 months ago

wait what? how can lo mein be called soba when it's wheat based while soba is buckwheat?

@bronxboroughpresident3608 10 months ago

We can't leave out the extremely high sodium percentage in those instant noodles 😬

@shulmice 10 months ago

In Hawaii in the early 1960s we made Ramen in a pot with green onions, Hard Boiled Eggs, and Pork.

@jimmychan19 11 months ago (edited)

When you go to Hong Kong, you’ll realize that “noodles - 粉 and 麺” is a general term for all types of noodles. Based on cooking methods, there are soup noodles, dry noodles, and stir-fried noodles. By type, there are oil noodles, thick noodles, thin noodles, e-fu noodles, ramen, Shanghai noodles, Chiu Chow noodles and more. In terms of ingredients, some noodles are made with rice instead of wheat — such as rice noodles, rice vermicelli(米粉) and ho fun(河粉), etc. Ramen is just one kind — specifically hand-pulled soup wheat noodles.

Instant noodles and cup noodles were actually invented by the same person — a Taiwanese man who settled in Japan with his Japanese wife. After World War II, he invented instant noodles, which were considered a premium product at the time. Cup noodles didn’t sell well in Japan initially, until a news report showed police eating cup noodles during a major case — after that, cup noodles became hugely popular.

As for the story behind the invention of instant noodles, it was even adapted into a Japanese TV drama called *Mampuku*.😋

@luckyme4136 10 months ago

This video soothed my soul. I have a cold.🤧

@antontsau 11 months ago

In Russia these instant packs, especially cheapest versions, not in foam bowl or cup but in plastic bag, are known as бомжпакет, hobo-packet. They are extremely cheap, require only boiling water to prepare and can support the life. No one even talks about taste or nutritions, its just a FOOD.

@bangastar8921 2 months ago

Thanks for explaining the difference between Ramen and Instant noodles.

@MinipizzaBatfish 10 months ago

Very interesting video! Thanks!

@jadenephrite 11 months ago (edited)

Regarding 7:45 slurping noodles, in Japan, slurping noodles is known as "zuru-zuru" which is considered a sign of appreciation and compliment to the chef. It helps to cool the hot noodles and enhances their flavor and aroma. Furthermore, in Japan, "bukkake" (ぶっかけ) is a udon or soba noodle dish and means "to splash" or "to pour over". However, from the late 1980s, "bukkake" has a different meaning in pornography.