Total War Among Chicken Ramen, Nissin Raoh, Maruchan, Sapporo Ichiban, and Others for the Strongest Instant Noodle Brand

The “Maruchan Shock” Effect

“Maruchan Seimen,” introduced by Toyo Suisan, sent shockwaves through the industry. It elevated instant noodles from being perceived as light snacks or late-night meals to a full-fledged “meal.” The difference between bag noodles and ramen served in restaurants lies in the texture of the noodles and the flavor of the soup. Toyo Suisan utilized a patented technique called the “fresh noodle, stay delicious method,” where the cut noodles are dried as they are, preserving the chewy texture inherent to fresh noodles and reproducing firmness (koshi). Additionally, by using liquid rather than powder for the soup, they achieved a soy sauce flavor.
To bring the taste closer to traditional local Chinese restaurant flavors, they assembled the soup using only chicken fat, pork extract, and vegetable extracts, deliberately avoiding their usual seafood flavors. This approach proved successful in creating a product that can be considered epoch-making, following in the footsteps of “Chicken Ramen.” (Statement by ramen enthusiast Kanda Takero)

Dubbed the “Maruchan Shock,” Toyo Suisan’s brilliant move was followed by intense competition in product development among various companies. Among them, Meisei Foods, known for their 1966 release of “Meisei Charmera,” achieved a “Thick Noodle Revolution” with their 2020 release of “Menjin.”

“Instant noodles and thick noodles don’t naturally go well together. The thicker the noodles, the longer they need to boil, and the longer they boil, the harder it is to maintain their texture. However, Meisei succeeded by controlling the amount of air in the noodles and developed the ‘New Three-Layer Thick Noodle Method,’ where a single noodle is composed of three layers. This method replicated the texture of thick noodles eaten in restaurants while keeping the boiling time to just 7 minutes. The development of thick noodles has led to an increase in variations of soup flavors for instant noodles. For example, rich tonkotsu soy sauce ramen, known as ‘Iekei,’ is a popular genre. However, with thin noodles, it was difficult to balance the noodles against the presence of the soup. The current trend of thick noodles with rich soup in bag noodles can be attributed to ‘Menjin’ created by Meisei,” explained Mr. Yamato as mentioned earlier.

San-Yo Foods, boasting the overwhelming number one brand, faces strong competition from Toyo Suisan and Meisei Foods, who have expanded their sales through technological innovation. Meanwhile, the original instant noodle pioneer, Nissin Foods, maintains its industry-leading position through comprehensive strength.

“In a move echoing the success of ‘Maruchan Seimen,’ Nissin launched ‘Nissin Raoh’ in 2012, promoting its texture as ‘just like fresh noodles.’ When Meisei sparked the thick noodle boom, Nissin responded in 2020 with ‘Nissin Foods Kore Zettai Umaiyatsu♪,’ released alongside ‘Menjin.’ This reflects Nissin’s competitive spirit as the ‘unwilling-to-lose king,’ unwilling to let rivals dominate the market alone.
Of course, Nissin isn’t just following in others’ footsteps. Like Meisei and Toyo Suisan, Nissin may initiate a revolution in the near future. Rumors suggest they could integrate their cup-style new product ‘Complete Meshi,’ containing all 33 essential nutrients for humans, into bag noodles. If realized, this could create an unbeatable bag noodle with excellent cost performance, texture, and nutrition, potentially overwhelming other brands. Given Nissin’s track record, it’s likely we’ll see the first of these within a few years.” (As mentioned earlier)

As the defending champion facing attacks of tradition and innovation, the bag noodle industry is set for a “Four Noodle War” in this thriving market.

From the June 21, 2024 issue of FRIDAY