If it feels like instant Ramen is EVERYWHERE right now, on store shelves, tik tok feeds, or in the hallway of UAG, you are not crazy. According to The Guardian, grocery stores have seen a 50% increase in the sales of instant ramen, with an increase in unique flavors and styles. Once seen as a cheap college food, it is now a regular part of everyone’s diet.
Ramen has been the #1 meal when it comes to our 5th period lunch. Whether it’s brought with you from home, or purchased in Lindsey’s or ROTC’s school stores. With so many to choose from, we decided to rate the best options to help you make a better decision when you’re starving and trying to survive the school day.
Nissin
The OG ramen brand. There’s a lot of history behind this little cup. Instant ramen was inspired by the post-WWII food shortages in 1958, when a man by the name of Momofuku Ando in Japan curated a flash frying method to dehydrate noodles, making the first “Chicken Ramen”. At first, it became so popular it was considered “luxurious”. Later down the line, the price went down due to popularity and necessity. It later became property of Ando’s company, “Nissin”.
According to the World Instant Noodle Association, “In 1971, Nissin introduced Nissin Cup Noodles, a cup noodle to which boiling water is added to cook the noodles. Dried vegetables began to be included in the cup, creating a complete instant soup dish. Cup noodles combine the functions of packaging material, a container for boiling water, and a bowl to eat the noodles from”
Difficulty of preparing: 0 out of 5
Price/value: $1.89
Final rating: While it may be the oldest and OG, it unfortunately doesn’t stand up to its modern competitors. Maruchan’s is a better option if you stay in the same price range.
Yakisoba
Maruchan’s Yakisoba is a thin noodle simple instant ramen that comes in chicken, teriyaki, spicy chicken and Korean BBQ.
Difficulty of preparing: 3 out of 5 – If undercooked, there’s no saving it.
Spice: Not Spicy
Price/value: $1.69
Final rating: For the price, this is definitely a good option to try out if you’re sick of the regular cup of noodles. The teriyaki flavor is a standout amongst their flavor options.
Maruchan Cup of Noodles
The OG. The Legend. Maruchan cups are the most liked amongst Graphics Campus. These cups come with a good size portion.
Difficulty of preparing: 0 out 5
Price/value: $.79
Final rating: The price and the taste combined, nobody can go wrong with these noodles.
Buldak
While most of the ramens we’ve tasted have a Japanese history, Korean ramens have seen a huge surge in popularity with their unique flavors and intense levels of spice. We decided to try one of the most popular hot chicken carbonara.
Difficulty of preparing: 3 out of 5, you have the option to add other ingredients and holes need to be punched!
Price: 3-4$
While the most expensive, Buldak Cabonara is probably one of the best if not THE best ramen on this list. It’s a very cheesy, very flavorful, and unique ramen. This is a twist on the original spicy Buldak ramen. This is one of my personal favorites due to the exotic nature of the ramen. It’s also very Tik Tok popular due to all the customizable options like adding meat or adding your own versions of cheese and flavoring, you can cook it with milk, hot water, or even microwave it.
Overall 9.8/10 (spiciest on list)
Our taste test proved that the world of ramen is vast and wonderfully varied. Ultimately, our tasting showed that the “best” ramen is highly subjective, depending on how much money you have or how much spice you can handle. Get out there, try them all, and let us know which bowl earns the best title in your book!
