Nissin Cup Noodles "Mast Masala"

Brand: Nissin Cup Noodles
Flavour: Mast Masala
Format: plastic cup
Packets: zero
Identifiables: noodle frustum
Sodium: 1.35 grams

Naturally, given the overblown anime name of this batch, I'll start it off with an Indian dish. I found this cup at a nearby Indian grocery, and given that I'm a fan of the cuisine I simply had to grab it. Plus, it's clearly labelled as a "Proprietary Food" and that's just not a context I often see the word in. I'm guessing that it means Nissin is the only company putting instant Indian-styled noodles in a cup. Is that worth bonus points?

The cup is plastic, not styrofoam. I do prefer the plastic because it's far less likely to be crushed into oblivion by clumsy pallet handling, and it's somewhat more recyclable – though I'd be more impressed with that were it not for the difficult-to-recycle foil lid and the additional cellophane around the whole package. (Tell your friends, CTF is going annoyingly green. In fact, all these electrons are one-hundred percent post-consumer content!) The plastic cup is slightly tricker to handle when hot, however, and requires that the consumer be more intelligent than the product. (I'm shaky on this point, but learning with every attempt.)

I got a closer photo of the inspirational text on the side of the package. You know, I could probably dedicate this blog to the memory of Dr. Momofuku Ando.

The cellophane covered the nutritional facts on the lid with a paper sticker bearing nutritional facts. This is less absurd when one considers that the latter is the U.S.-style fact sheet indicating the serving size facts and the one on the lid... isn't. Either way, it should be noted that Indian cuisine is frequently the most efficient way to eat vegetarian without accidentally eating healthy at the same time. Regardless, the lid came off with little effort and no tearing. In fact, you'll notice in the photos that I erred by pulling the whole lid off instead of peeling half back. (Like I said, I'm learning.)

After cooking the noodles by pouring boilign water in and waiting for three minutes, I noted that there was rather less broth than most Cup Noodles. What was there, however, was fairly rich and spicy, with a good amount of pleasant but not spectacular flavour. The noodles themselves are quite standard for the format, meaning they in no way conflict with the seasonings. I sincerely wish this flavour were available locally instead of via import, as it would then be as inexpensive as the shrimp Cup Noodles and I'd likely make it my regular instant noodle.

Numbers: packaging 3, preparation 4, heat 3, flavour 3, overall 3
Music: Yuzo Koshiro - Etrian Odyssey 2: Heroes of Lagaard (DS) - Labyrinth VI ~ Forbidden Forest