Flavour: Instant Noodle Soup: Vegetable Style
Format: styrofoam cup
Packets: zero
Identifiables: noodle frustum, dried veggies
Sodium: 1.26 grams
When I speak of non-English written languages on ramen packaging, they tend to fall within a certain group. Given the origin of instant noodles, it makes perfect sense that the most common are Korean, Japanese, Thai, and Chinese. I'll occasionally see French or Arabic as translations for export to a wide spectrum of different nations. Today, however, I find myself looking at perhaps the rarest of the lot thus far, Hebrew.Hebrew? Yes. Granted, there's not that much of it, but this cup of ramen prides itself on being not only kosher but pareve, meaning it doesn't count as either dairy or meat. This cup is a standard paper-lidded add-boiling-water-and-wait-three-minutes deal. The only unusual factor about it is that a stiff cellophane ring keeps the paper lid on, but it has no visible perforations and, out of desire to keep from tearing the weaker styrofoam cup, can only be removed by cutting.
Having grown up in a half-Jewish family, I keep wanting to make off-colour jokes about all of this, but now that I'm a corporate shill (or will be once those codes show up tomorrow!) I have to be careful not to offend anybody.
What I certainly can say is that being kosher may redeem this foodstuff in the eyes of Orthodox Jews, but the rest of us would be happier with other options – Maruchan, even! This ramen's flavour is underwhelming, more blandly cardboardish then anything. The noodles have an acceptable texture. The vegetables add a little taste, but there's honestly not much to detect here flavour-wise other than salt and monosodium glutamate. Less than halfway through the cup, I gave up and squirted some off-brand sriracha in there so it would taste like something, and that worked. Steer clear of this one unless you're trying to impress Uncle Moshe.
Numbers: packaging 2, preparation 4, heat 0, flavour 2, overall 2
Music: Isao Tomita - Holst: The Planets - Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity ~ Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age
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2 comments:
That's what Parve means? Thanks, that's good to know! I found this in a health food store in RI that seems to sell alot of jewish foods (Eastside Marketplace), and although I'm not jewish, I was drawn to the vegetable style.. I've never seen a vegetarian instant-ramen-in-a-cup!
I am actually very happy with the flavor, although it could be the excitement of eating ramen again since I turn vegetarian a few years ago... but I loved it.
Although I did add extra frozen veggies- broccoli, corn and soy beans- there are never enough veggies in these things.
And I always "cook", literally cook, longer than the directions say.. the 3 minute steeping has never tasted done to me. I add hot water to soften the noodles, and pour them into a microwave safe bowl (that styofoam taste will ruin it if you cook it in that), and heat it 3.5-4 minutes. The noodles are more transparent and I think taste waay better that way.
From the Tradition Foods website: http://www.traditionfoods.com/
We are now making all of our products in a printed paper cup and lid instead of the styrofoam cup and cardboard sleeve that we have used for many years. The noodles and seasoning inside the cups are exactly the same no matter which cup you find on the shelf.
Please note that the cups should never be put directly into the microwave. You should heat water first in a microwave safe dish and then pour the hot water into the cup and let it sit for 3 minutes.
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