Author: Hans "The Ramen Rater" Lienesch

Special Report – How Instant Noodles Are Made: The Pilot Line At The Wheat Marketing Center [VIDEO]

No comments

Recently, I was given the great opportunity to visit the Wheat Marketing Center in Portland, Oregon. People who work with noodles and other wheat products from all over the world come here to take part in the Asian Noodle Technology and Ingredient Application Short Course. The course is taught by Dr. Gary Hou, an expert in the production of wheat noodles like ramen and yakisoba. I found out about the course via a news feed I follow and decided to email Dr. Hou and see if I could cover the instant noodle workshop for The Ramen Rater. I was very pleased when he answered in the affirmative, and so on March 27th, we got up early, hopped in the car and drove to Portland! In the following pictures and video, I’ll describe how instant noodles start as raw ingredients and become the blocks of noodles we all know so well. I’ll go through everything from photos first, and then there’s a video at the bottom of the process. Enjoy! ...see full post

#1011: Maruchan Bowl Hot & Spicy Chicken Flavor Ramen Noodles With Vegetables

No comments

Here’s one of the new Maruchan Bowl products. There are three varieties – a non-spicy chicken which I reviewed a while back, this one and a spicy shrimp. Maruchan sent me these in a neat box – first samples from them (hope to get more of their stuff in the future)! Well, let’s check it out! ...see full post

‘Tipping Point’ Cup Noodle Article Published On ConsumerAffairs.com

No comments

I read an article about the dangers of instant noodle cups a long time ago which prompted me to write an article last year. Well, I recently saw another one so I thought it was time for a rebuttal. I emailed ConsumerAffairs.com and they were interested, and so without further adieu, here is my article! Thanks to Jim H.! If the link isn’t working, click on the image below for a large image of the article. ...see full post

#1001: Paldo ДОШИРАК (Dosirac) Beef Flavor

2 comments

Well my friends, onward we march with the first post-1000 review! This is Dosirac with Cyrillic writing on it. I thought at first this is sold in Russia, but on the back there was a clue. I looked up the url mentioned – it turns out the .MN means Mongolia! Neato! So what’s Dosirac? It translates to ‘lunch box!’ I’ve had many of the versions that are sold in trays, but never have I seen a pack version. Let’s give this a try. ...see full post

#999: Pot Noodle Tony’s Doner Kebab

No comments

Wow – here we are; this is the precipice of a very large psychological number! First things first – thanks to Joe & Gil of the UK for sending such a nice mix of interesting noodles! Okay so this is a Pot Noodle – they’re always interesting as the British seem to come up with some really interesting flavors to lend to instant noodles and this is definitely one of them. Doner Kebab. So, what is a Doner Kebab? Well, click here for the seriously huge amount of info from Wikipedia,. Basically what they’re saying is that you have a meat that’s roasted on a vertical spit and then sliced thin and garnished with tomato, lettuce, onion and other things. At least that’s what I’m getting from it. The packaging mentions this is lamb flavor, but beef is also common (and what I’ll use as a garnish). ...see full post

#998: Nongshim Shin Ramyun Black Cup Rich Spicy Beef Flavor Premium Noodle Soup

5 comments

Hey look at that! The new Shin Ramyun Black cup! Been wanting to review it since I first saw it. I reviewed the other Shin Ramyun Black cup (which was onion flavored) a while back and really enjoyed it immensely. This one’s being promoted by PSY! Yep – Mr. Gangnam Style himself. Let’s check it out… ...see full post

#997: Sakurai Foods Miso Stew Instant Udon (Winter)

No comments

Here’s one that was kindly sent by Mika over at Sakurai Foods in Japan – thank you! In Japan where ramen is a way of life, there are varieties which are seasonal and this is one of them. This is a winter varietal miso stew. I imagine the winter versions are more ‘stick to your ribsy’ and the summer ones (like one I saw on the Sakurai Foods site) are cold noodles. Awesome! Well, let’s get started. ...see full post

Meet The Manufacturer: #992: Prima Taste Singapore Laksa La Mian

1 comment

Here’s the other of the two Prima Taste La Mian varieties they sent. Laksa is a dish that’s extremely popular around the world that comes from Singapore. Wikipedia defines it: “Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup from the Peranakan culture, which is a merger of Chinese and Malay elements found in Malaysia and Singapore, and Indonesia.” ...see full post

What’s All The Mess About MSG?

2 comments

Let me make a disclaimer before you read this post. I am not a doctor or health official, and I dont hold a doctorate. The information I am providing you here is through my own research – though all major health agencies have made statements that agree with the facts that I will present to you here. This is the best information that is available at the time of this post. If new things should be discovered in the future, this information may change. ...see full post