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Thread: Noodles

  1. #46
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    snail noodles

    Snail noodles go viral in China during the pandemic. But the dish is a bit ... funky
    January 16, 20228:04 AM ET
    Heard on All Things Considered
    EMILY FENG
    AOWEN CAO


    Above: locals in Liuzhou feast on their regional specialty of snail noodles. The novelty of the dish has made it a viral sensation in China during the pandemic.
    Li Hanchi/Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
    LIUZHOU, China – It's fermented. It's stinky. It's delicious. And during the pandemic, it's become a national sensation.

    The dish is snail noodles, or luosifen.

    "A lot of people were looking for crazy, smelly, ridiculous things to eat." says Mei Shanshan, a Beijing-based food blogger.

    Slippery rice noodles are first bathed in a slow-simmering broth of laboriously peeled river snails. Then they're topped with odorous bamboo shoots that have been covered in salt and left to ferment for a few weeks, tofu and salty lemon vinegar.

    Much of the preparation relies on fermentation, common in cuisine from southern Guangxi province where the noodles first began. Their malodorous reputation also makes snail noodles quite possibly one of the worst meals to make at home: The smell of the pickled toppings and the stewed snails can linger for hours.

    In 2020, online influencers with tens of millions of followers began blogging about the disgustingly good snack.

    "Eating noodles while pinching my nose was the most wonderful thing I have ever done in my life. So stinky, delicious, irresistible!", wrote Yang Xuemei, an influential technology editor and writer.


    Workers at a food factory in Liuzhou use river snails to make the broth for snail noodles.
    Tan kaixing/Imagine China
    A combination of online guerilla marketing and word-of-mouth hype has made snail noodles an instant hit. Last year, dozens of snail noodle brands sold 1.1 billion packets of the make-it-at-home version.

    Soon, millions were making the dish from their apartments under lockdown. And now the fermented snail dish is a viral Chinese snack – as well as an economic boon for the city of Liuzhou in Guangxi province.

    Getting rich from river snails

    NPR traveled to the lush city of Liuzhou, in southern Guangxi province, which is credited with coming up with the dish.

    The city is proud of its obsession with edible river snails. Archaeological digs have even found snail fossils discarded by ancient humans in paleolithic caves dating back 25,000 years.

    Several people claim to have created the first apocryphal bowl of snail noodle soup in the 1980s. Each origin myth ultimately boils down to the same story: combining snail soup and rice noodles, long been two independently popular dishes in Guangxi, in one bowl.

    "I eat snail noodles at least once a day, really! The taste really suits Guangxi people. It's sour and spicy. Once you get used to the taste, you don't really notice the smell anymore," says Deng Rijie, a diner at Feng Zhang, one of Liuzhou's older noodle establishments.

    The noodles' nationwide popularity has breathed new life into Liuzhou. The city was once economically reliant on the manufacture of industrial trucks and cars until the 1990s, when struggling state firms initiated a round of mass layoffs nationwide, including in Liuzhou.


    A Chinese street stall serves up a bowl of snail noodles.
    Liu Xianbiao/Imagine China
    In Liuzhou, many of the newly unemployed entered the food business, setting up small snail noodle roadside shops and food stands. By the 2000s, they had set up some noodle factories and chain restaurants. The pandemic was the lucky break they needed.

    The hometown chow has now been standardized and rapidly scaled-up to meet national demand.

    Liuzhou's state-managed snail noodle association sets specific flavor components each noodle maker must meet, to keep quality high. Other than acidity of the pickles and the spice of the chili, there's also the springiness of the noodles, the umami of the snail broth and the diversity of the toppings – which can include what tofu, bamboo shoots, fried chickpeas and snail meat.

    Livestreaming snails

    Liuzhou hosts a dedicated industrial park for dozens of noodle factories, each one serving multiple food brands who in turn contract with the factories to develop customized recipes. The park pumped out $2 billion worth of noodles last year.

    "The snail noodle supply chain is incredibly automated now. It used to be a very labor intensive process, but now human workers merely have to service the machines to do everything," says Mr. Tang, an engineer at one of the factory. He requested only his last name be used as provincial authorities hadn't approved the interview.

    Without government support, snail noodles likely would not have become the viral hit that are today. The dozen or so noodle factories in Liuzhou's snail noodle industrial park enjoy initial corporate tax breaks and utility subsidies.

    There's also a snail noodle vocational degree established in 2020 by the local government to train chefs to prepare the snack. On the outskirts of Liuzhou, the city also built a snail noodle tourist town, replete with a shell-shaped visitor hall and noodle-making demonstration site. There, the municipal government also hosts an annual snail noodle festival with noodle-making and noodle-eating competitions.

    A short drove away, an army of professional marketers works out of a new office building designed specifically for livestreaming. But they face stiff competition – from each other and from up and coming specialty snacks from other provinces.

    "The market is ever changing so if you don't keep up, you will be tossed aside. Money isn't as easy to earn these days with snail noodles," says Douya, a noodle livestreamer. Inside, she and her colleagues boil rice noodles while surrounded by sparkly iPhones and studio lights. They livestream nearly 24 hours a day, split into three shifts, to sell one particular brand of noodle.

    But food bloggers are already shifting attention. They're searching for the next big thing in gastronomy — another snack that might keep China another year under lockdown. And maybe one that won't mean keeping the windows open to drive out the smell.
    ummmm...yum?
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  2. #47
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    I am NOT a child...

    ...but the last time I got burned, it was making instant noodles.

    Instant noodles account for almost a third of childhood burn injuries, study says
    By Zoe Sottile, CNN Feb 11, 2023 Updated Feb 13, 2023


    A new study has found almost a third of pediatric burn patients admitted to the University of Chicago's Burn Center over 10 years were burned while preparing instant noodles.
    Wako Megumi/iStockphoto/Getty Images

    Instant noodles account for almost a third of childhood burn injuries, according to a study published by researchers at the University of Chicago.

    The study, published in the journal "Burns" by a group of researchers at the university's burn center, examined data regarding all pediatric patients who were admitted with scald injuries caused by hot liquids between 2010 and 2020.

    Of the 790 total cases of childhood scald injuries, 31% were caused by instant noodles.

    "Anecdotally, it felt like every other child we were consulted on for a burn was injured by instant noodles, so we wanted to dive into the data to see what the trend really was," said senior author Sebastian Vrouwe, assistant professor of surgery at University of Chicago Medicine, in a news release. "Our hope is to develop the groundwork for future burn prevention programming, as essentially all childhood burns are in some way preventable."

    Vrouwe said he and his team did not expect instant noodles to be such a significant cause of childhood burns.

    "We were surprised by the sheer magnitude of the problem, which confirmed that focused effort and awareness on these types of burns could have a significant impact in the communities that our burn center serves," he said in the release.

    The study also found certain children were more likely to experience burns from instant noodles than others. On average, the patients with instant noodle burns were more likely to be Black and to be from ZIP codes with a lower average childhood opportunity index score.

    The researchers linked the trend to the fact instant noodles are a low-cost meal option. Because of the link, "global efforts to address childhood poverty would very likely have positive secondary effects on burn prevention," wrote the researchers.

    Children with burns from instant noodles were also slightly older than children with other burn injuries, with an average age of 5.4 years. The researchers described it as "the age at which children are able to attempt to prepare instant noodles, but not old enough to do so safely." The children were also more likely to have been unsupervised at the time of the injury.

    In the news release, Vrouwe explained adult supervision is an essential preventive measure for reducing burns from instant noodles and other foods.

    "Direct caregiver supervision is one important step in burn prevention," he said. "The amount of heat contained in these noodles can easily cause second- and third-degree burns in anyone, but young children are particularly vulnerable due to their relatively smaller bodies and thinner skin."

    Kyran Quinlan, a pediatrician who has conducted research on childhood burn injuries, told CNN via email it was "amazing how common this one mechanism of child scald is."

    Quinlan, who did not contribute to the study, noted it only included patients admitted to the University of Chicago's Burn Center, which primarily serves a low-income community on the south side of Chicago. So while the findings might not be generalizable to the rest of the country, they do "tell a story quite common in the inner city areas across the country," he said.

    Like Vrouwe, Quinlan also emphasized the importance of supervising young children using the microwave to prepare instant noodles or other foods.

    "Young children cannot and should not operate a microwave without supervision," he said. He added the study could "help parents realize that these types of scalds happen all the time."

    "Burn units around the country see this exact type of burn mechanism frequently," he pointed out.

    Quinlan has advocated for "child-resistant" doors on microwaves, which he said are one measure to prevent burns among young children. The microwaves will be widely available for sale in the US starting in March, he said.

    "We need to keep learning about what works to protect young children from these severe and often disfiguring scalds," he said.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  3. #48
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    Godzilla & Nissin Cup Noodles

    GODZILLA X NISSIN CUP NOODLES® LANYARD AND PIN SET (2022 CON EXCLUSIVE)
    $ 30.00
    Limited to 800 pieces worldwide!

    Take the world’s most famous kaiju with you anywhere! The Godzilla x Nissin Cup Noodles® Lanyard and 4pc Pin Set features Godzilla and the incredibly delicious Cup Noodles® for a tasty mashup that will help you keep track of badges, keys, and more. It includes a colorful printed lanyard and a 4-pack of 1.5” enamel pins to enjoy!
    Noodles
    Godzilla
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  4. #49
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    Caffeinated Cup Noodles

    Cup Noodles Unleashing Caffeinated 'Gamer-Friendly' Version of Its Famous Noodles on Japan
    Gamer Cup Noodle is like an energy drink, but in noodle form.
    Kat Bailey
    BY KAT BAILEY
    UPDATED: SEP 7, 2023 11:20 AM
    POSTED: SEP 7, 2023 11:16 AM
    You've heard of Gamer Fuel, but what about Gamer Noodles? They're not as different as you might think. For one thing, they're both caffeinated.

    As reported on CNN, Cup Noodle has announced a truly harrowing gaming variety for Japan. Available in a friendly rainbow-colored package that recalls RGB lighting, Gaming Cup Noodle will be available in garlic and black pepper yakisoba varieties in Japan starting September 18.


    Crucially, both versions will be "soup-free," meaning you don't have to worry about damaging your controller or console. They will also be caffeinated, providing additional energy for all-night gaming sessions. Nisssin Foods calls the new variety "the strongest buff meshi," with meshi meaning meal.

    Gaming Cup Noodle is part of a long tradition of "gamer foods" on both side of the Pacific, from G Fuel to JerkyXP.


    TASTY. IMAGE SOURCE: NISSIN FOODS.

    That it took this long for Cup Noodle to make a gaming variety is actually rather surprising. The brand has long been closely associated with games, with its in-game sponsorship with Final Fantasy XV being one of its more famous examples. It's fast, it's easy to heat up, and now it's caffeinated, too.

    Gaming Cup Noodle will be available for 280 yen if you buy the black pepper flavor, and 298 yen if you choose the curry flavor. No word on whether Gaming Cup Noodle will eventually be released in North America, but we can only hope.

    Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
    I'm not a gamer, but these would be great for my next all-nighter...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  5. #50
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    Ramen pizza

    Pizza Hut releases a ramen pizza in Japan, and it took half a year to perfect


    Oona McGee 14 hours ago


    Tie-up with the country’s top ramen chain fuses two comfort foods together for a limited time.

    When it comes to comfort foods in Japan, pizza and ramen are two foods that come to mind for many, so the opportunity to enjoy both at the same time is the stuff of dreams. Now those dreams are set to come true for a limited time, thanks to Pizza Hut’s newest menu item — the Kotteri-fuu Ramen Pizza.

    “Kotteri-fuu” means “thick style”, which is in reference to the thick and rich “kotteri” broth served up at Tenka Ippin, a ramen restaurant with 50 years of history that’s been ranked number one in popularity polls. The chain’s signature thick broth, which is a large part of its appeal with fans, sets this pizza apart from all the others on the market, with a generous amount of it used in the topping.

    Tenka Ippin’s creamy broth, made from chicken bones and over a dozen different vegetables, would normally soak through a dough base, so Pizza Hut worked with the ramen chain to make it more viscous, giving it a sauce-like texture without changing the taste or aroma.

    Diehard Tenka Ippin fans will no doubt appreciate the option to add more of the irresistible broth flavour to the pizza, and they’ll be happy to know that familiar ramen ingredients like green onions and chashu pork are included in the toppings to further replicate the sensation of eating noodles.

    Of course, the highlight of the new pizza is the noodles, and though it was a challenge to preserve their texture while adding them to the topping, by choosing crispy dough they were able to successfully combine the ingredients. Pizza Hut informs us that the mouthwatering image below is for illustrative purposes only, though, as the noodles don’t stretch.

    According to Pizza Hut, this new product took half a year to perfect, and it was born from the company’s TikTok video initiative, which aims to blow people’s minds with creations that are in line with their slogan, “Always more than you can imagine“. This is the third pizza created for the project, which began in 2023 as a way to update the chain’s image for its 50th anniversary year in Japan, with the first being the Too Much Coriander Pizza and the second being the Weiner Coffee Pizza.

    As the names of these pizzas suggest, this campaign is all about creating a buzz on social media with innovative and surprising ingredient combinations that create debate and garner mixed reviews from the public. The chain’s first two pizzas proved to be very popular, with sales for the coriander-laden pizza extended due to demand, so we have high hopes that the new Ramen Pizza will become just as sought after.

    Sold in a medium size, priced at 1,980 yen (US$13.40) for pickup or 2,230 yen for delivery, the Ramen Pizza will be available at Pizza Hut branches around Japan from 22 January to 12 February.

    Source: PR Times
    Featured image: PR Times
    Insert images: Pizza Hut, PR Times
    Fast Food Nastiness
    Noodles
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

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