Yumi Liu - Week 10: Instant Noodle

I love instant noodles. 

Yesterday, I made instant noodles for a midnight snack. I used Paldo Gomtang Instant Noodles, and I was reminded of the quarantine period (can you believe it's been five years since the peak of COVID-19). Although a bit concerning, my lunch every day throughout 7th grade was Paldo Gomtang Instant Ramen. I ate instant noodles so much back then that I was able to craft a perfect routine in how to make the noodles balance between soft but not soggy. During that Zoom lunch break, I would immediately go to my pantry and grab the instant noodle pack. 


  1. Take a pot and put the noodles

  2. Fill the water just above the noodles 

  3. Then boil the noodles till it is about to boil over


Lastly, my secret recipe is to leave the noodles in the pot after turning off the heat for exactly 4 minutes. Looking back, all those instant noodles probably stunted my growth. However, they were a crucial part of my daily life. I love instant noodles for its simplicity, flavor, and the lack of dishes it creates. 


However,


As much as I like instant noodles. I must preach my hate towards instant cup noodles. 

Objectively, I can say that instant cup noodles are good tasting but not great. Instant cup noodles don’t have enough soup to hit the spot that you want during a cold winter day. The dried vegetables are a lie to your taste buds and yourself. They are disgusting and do not make the cup noodles any healthier. So I would like to preach towards the 6% of Americans that consume instant noodles/cups every day to switch over to instant NOODLE and not CUP. 

Comments

  1. Ruhika GoelFebruary 5, 2025 at 7:30 PM

    Hi Yumi,
    I LOVE instant noodles. I know that you have a particular love for Paldo Gomtang, your quarantine staple, but my favorite is quite basic—it's Maggi and Buldak. I feel so nostalgic when you describe the amount of noodles in 7th-grade, as it reminds me of my own quarantine meals, digging into copious amounts of Maggi Noodles. You make your homage to noodles so personal, and it is so engaging. Especially the humor you weave throughout, joking about how often you ate the noodles, makes your blog keep a lighthearted tone. I 100% agree that instant noodles are superior to cup noodles. The “lack of satisfying soup” and “unappetizing dried vegetables” makes me want to ditch the cups for good! Do the instant noodles hold a special place in your heart now after all of this?

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  2. Alexander NatividadFebruary 5, 2025 at 8:22 PM

    Hi Yumi,
    Whenever there is nothing to eat at home, a pack of instant noodles is one of my go-to meals to make. I usually use the chicken Maruchan packs, and depending on my hunger I may end up making two. I like how you provided the steps to your culinary perfection on instant noodles, just in case someone who saw your blog felt hungry after reading it. I agree that cup noodles are less superior to the instant noodle packs; not only because of the contents inside (I do not really like the soup) but also because heating up the cup itself can get damaged in the microwave, and I am not trying to consume the “CUP” part of the cup noodle. Great blog!

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  3. Sara SanthoshFebruary 5, 2025 at 9:13 PM

    Hi Yumi! Your blog was really fun to read, especially since I love instant noodles like Buldak and Indomie. I completely agree that cup noodles just aren’t the same as the ones that come in the packet; there’s always too much or too little water, the noodles end up being over/under cooked, and the dried vegetables always taste like rubber and definitely aren’t healthy at all. Thank you for sharing your secret recipe for the noodles, I’ll probably try that next time!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ananya BhardwajFebruary 5, 2025 at 9:16 PM

    Hi Yumi! I don’t eat instant noodles or instant cups very often, so your blog was quite informative for me! I appreciate how you formed your own personal opinion about instant noodles and cups based on your own experiences, tastes, and sense of self; I find that quite admirable, and I’m inspired to do the same.

    While I may not have the same level of experience with instant noodles as you, I do have my own passion—music! I interact with music and music-related media on a daily basis, it’s a keystone aspect of my personality. When I have some downtime, which seems to be scarce these days, I love to catch up with my favorite artists and go through their discographies, or to find new musical artists! Spotify shows stream counts for every song on an album, and I always do my best to tune that out; finding ‘deep cuts’ in an artist’s catalogue and evaluating their works based off of my tastes and understanding of music makes me feel stimulated and furthers my passion for music, similar to how you developed your own opinions on instant noodles and cups.

    ReplyDelete
  5. abdul_muhaiminFebruary 5, 2025 at 9:22 PM

    Hello Yumi, I loved reading your post, it proves that we all live the same lives. I don’t exactly understand how it is similar to the concept of power, yet its simple premise is a stepping stone to a delightful read. Personally, I like Buldak as I crave the spice which is missing from most American Cuisine. Your interesting manner in which you are able to communicate humour really is a break from the common stresses of life. I also enjoy your invigorated spirit about the preaching virtues of instant noodles, and it honestly brings me joy about how I’m not the only one who feels this way about cup noodles.

    ReplyDelete

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