Hong Kong Cup Noodles Museum celebration

The Cupnoodles Museum Hong Kong has been celebrating the 115th birthday of Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant noodles.
Mr Ando, the founder of Nissin Foods, dedicated his life to reimagining food, inventing the world’s first instant noodles, chicken ramen, in 1958, and cup noodles in 1971.
“Mr Momofuku Ando’s relentless pursuit of innovation changed the way people eat worldwide,” says a spokesperson for the museum, which is in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.
Our insider is also quick to explain: “This is more than just a museum — it’s a fully interactive space where guests can dive into the fascinating history of instant noodles and even create their very own customised versions at hands-on workshops.”
It has a “cup noodle wall” with examples of cup noodles from 17 countries. It shows the big variety of packaging.

about MOMOFUKU ANDO
Throughout his 96 years, Mr Ando remained focussed on thinking about food in new and creative ways.
First invention
Chicken Ramen, 1958
In a little shed behind his home in the town of Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, he started work on an invention for quickly making ramen at home by just adding hot water, explains the museum spokesperson. “He worked alone, sleeping only four hours a night and without a day off for an entire year. Chicken Ramen, the product of many trial and error experiments, was dubbed ‘magic ramen’ and became an instant popular sensation.”
Second Invention
Cup Noodles, 1971
Mr Ando went on a fact-finding trip to the US, and saw supermarket managers breaking up chicken ramen noodles, putting them in a cup, pouring in hot water, and eating them with a fork. The spokesperson explains: “It was then that Momofuku realised that moving past conceptions about how we eat was the key to making instant ramen a global food. By bringing together all sorts of wisdom and innovative ideas, cup noodles transformed ‘made in Japan’ instant ramen into a global food.”
Third Invention
Space Ramen (2005)
“Pursuing his long-held dream to invent a ramen that can be eaten in space, Momofuku started work on Space Ramen,” says the spokesperson. “Along with applying various techniques for eating in weightless environments, Space Ramen is based on the hot oil instant drying method that Momofuku invented in 1958. With Space Ramen, Momofuku’s creative thinking transcended the bounds of earth to contribute to creating food that people can eat even in space.”

about THE MUSEUM
The museum offers three hands-on workshops and immersive exhibitions that make food innovation exciting, creative, and unforgettable.
+ At its “My Cup Noodles Factory” workshop, visitors can customise cup noodles, selecting from a variety of soup bases and toppings to design a unique cup to take home.
+ At the “Demae Iccho Factory”, visitors can create noodles from scratch — kneading, spreading, steaming and seasoning the wheat flour and drying it the flash frying method.
+ Aimed at family fun, the “My Granola Factory” lets visitors mix and match toppings to create their own granola snack.

fact file
+ Entry to the Cupnoodles Museum Hong Kong in Kowloon is $12.20 (HKD60) for 30 minutes.
+ It is open most days, except Wednesdays, from 11.15am to 7.15pm.
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