Ramen Noodles

Japanese astronaut, Souichi Noguchi, is on board the space shuttle Discovery, which launched on July 26. Among various space food loaded in the shuttle, there is the first space food ramen called “Space Ram.” It is said that ramen is one of Noguchi’s favorite food. Four kinds of ramen are loaded in the shuttle Discovery: Shoyu (soy sauce) ramen, miso (soy bean paste) ramen, curry ramen, and tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen. The flavor is made a little bit strong which is preferable in space. Nisshin Food Products Co., Ltd in Japan had developed Space Ram in cooperation with Japan Aarospace Exploration Agency (JAXA.) The founder and chairman of Nissin Food, Momofuku Ando, invented the world’s first instant noodle “Chicken Ramen” in 1958. He had strong intension of developing space food and formed a project team and began the research in 2001.

Various technologies of Nissin Food were used in the process. First, viscosity of soup was improved so that it woundn’t scatter in a state of weightlessness. Second, special noodle which can be softened with 70C degree hot water was developed. To make this noodle, the basic manufacturing method of instant noodle which was first invented by Ando was adopted. Further, noodles are shaped into one-bite-sized mass so that they wouldn’t scatter in the shuttle as well. Noodles, soup, and dried toppings are packed in a tranparent container. After pouring 70C hot water, space ramen will be ready in five minutes.

Noguchi is also eating his favorite instant curry and rice in space.