Some argue that the emergence of Meituan food delivery has disrupted instant noodles. This article aims to use a historical perspective to trace the journey of a pack of instant noodles—often overlooked and unnoticed—from abroad to China and back, ultimately allowing you to form your own conclusion: will food delivery revolutionize the instant noodle industry?

China is a major instant noodle consumer, with sales consistently ranking first globally. In 2014 alone, Chinese people consumed 44.4 billion packs of instant noodles, which stacked up would equal 7.4 million People's Daily buildings, accounting for over 40% of global annual demand, averaging more than 30 packs per person.

Despite the astonishing quantity consumed, Chinese people's taste in instant noodles has been questioned. On a variety show, an American young man, faced with a beef-flavored instant noodle popular in China, exclaimed in horror that he "smelled his sneakers." Are Chinese instant noodles really that bad? Or do foreigners have different taste buds?

1. Chinese Favorite Instant Noodles, Yet Disliked by Foreigners

Of the 7.4 million buildings' worth of instant noodles consumed in 2014, 4 million were made up of Braised Beef Noodles and Pickled Cabbage Beef Noodles. The instant noodle smell permeating train stations across China mostly comes from these two varieties.

Despite their popularity in China, securing the top spot in global sales, they have never managed to break into international markets. Not only do consumers and TV shows react poorly, but professional Western instant noodle critics also express disdain for Chinese instant noodles.

1. Japanese Instant Noodle Critic: China's Most Popular Instant Noodle Gets Only 2 Points!

Japanese instant noodle critic Toshio Yamamoto, hailed as the "world's number one instant noodle expert," has published reviews of 5,660 instant noodle varieties. His assessment of a Chinese braised beef noodle: the flavor elements are relatively simple, with strong stimulation that fades quickly, leaving little aftertaste. He believes that despite its popularity in China, it does not suit Japanese tastes, scoring it only 2 out of 5.

2. American Ramen Enthusiast: Chinese Instant Noodles Frequently Appear on My Annual Worst List!

American critics' reactions are also harsh, often sparking backlash from Chinese netizens who accuse them of "not knowing quality."

Hans Lienesch, an American instant noodle enthusiast who founded "The Ramen Rater," releases a global instant noodle ranking annually. Although Taobao sellers treat it as a buying guide, it often stirs controversy in Chinese online communities due to negative reviews of Chinese instant noodles. In his annual lists, no instant noodle from mainland China has ever made the top ten, but Chinese brands and varieties frequently appear on the "worst of the year" list.

Hans Lienesch, founder of The Ramen Rater

2. Why Are Instant Noodles Disliked by Foreigners Yet Loved by Chinese?

From the evaluations of Yamamoto and others, it's clear that Chinese instant noodles' cold reception and negative reviews are related to their heavy flavors.

Comparing nutritional labels of instant noodles from different countries reveals the taste differences. In the Nissin "CUP NOODLE" series, which is extremely popular and well-received in Japan and the U.S., the sodium content—indicating salt—is only 900 milligrams, quite mild. In contrast, the seasoning packet of Pickled Cabbage Beef Noodles contains up to 2,266 milligrams of sodium. Proportionally, with the same noodle cake weight, Pickled Cabbage Beef Noodles have nearly double the salt of Nissin Cup Noodles.

Nutritional comparison between Pickled Cabbage Beef Noodles and Nissin CUP NOODLE

The sauce packet is crucial to the flavor of a Chinese instant noodle. It typically consists of palm oil, beef tallow, soy sauce, bean paste, Sichuan pepper, and other ingredients, resulting in not only a heavy taste but also a strong aroma.

A whole shiny block of sauce, when steeped in hot water, releases a large number of aroma molecules. Within minutes, the intense fragrance of the instant noodle sauce fills the entire room and lingers, leading to the common consensus among Chinese people: "smells good, but makes you nauseous after eating."

The heavy flavor of Chinese instant noodles may be the core reason they are unpopular overseas. How did this flavor develop?

3. From the History of Instant Noodles: The Origin of Chinese Preference for Heavy Flavors

The flavor of Chinese instant noodles was not always so intense, and the sauce packet did not exist initially.

As early as 1971, Shanghai Yimin Food Factory No. 4 launched the first fried instant noodle in mainland China—Meiwei Rongrong Noodles, marking the rapid development of the instant noodle industry in China. By March 1983, there were already 38 instant noodle manufacturers.

From the 1980s, brands like Tiantan Instant Noodles, Huafeng Sanxian Yimian, and Longtan Seafood Noodles dominated the burgeoning market. As a "high-end snack only eaten for good behavior," they became fond memories for many born in the 1980s. Even today, Chinese forums occasionally feature nostalgic posts about 1980s instant noodles.

Meiwei Rongrong Noodles (left) and Sanxian Yimian (right)

During this period, most Chinese instant noodle production lines were imported from Japan, and seasoning packets were similar to foreign ones, typically a single powder packet. Only a few, like Zhongcui Xuecai Pork Noodles, included a preserved vegetable packet as an extra seasoning.

In the global history of instant noodles, the first sauce packet appeared in 1971 in Taiwan, when Uni-President's R&D team added a "minced pork flavor oil packet" to "Uni-Noodles." This innovation even surpassed Japan, the inventor of instant noodles, where sauce packets only appeared in 1976 with Nissin UFO Yakisoba.

Taiwan's Uni-Noodles and seasoning packet

The sauce packet arrived in mainland China in 1992. At that time, Tingyi's Braised Beef Noodles burst onto the scene, with its "braised beef" flavor—popularized in Taiwan by Sichuan veterans—the "delicious and visible" TV ads, the included paper bowl and plastic fork, and an unprecedented large beef sauce packet. It decisively ended the era of fragmented competition, unifying the region's diverse tastes.

The success of Braised Beef Noodles was no accident. Previously, Tingyi's two major products, "Dinghao Fragrant Oil" and "Kanglai Egg Crisp Rolls," had met with market indifference, resulting in losses of up to NT$150 million in mainland China, reaching a point of "if we don't succeed, we pack up and go home."

Before launching its first instant noodle, Tingyi conducted taste tests with tens of thousands of people, extensively borrowed from Taiwan's instant noodle leader Uni-Noodles, and carefully determined the final flavor—braised beef.

Braised Beef Noodles in a 1993 Kangshifu TV ad

Braised Beef Noodles achieved tremendous success. Four years later, when Tingyi (Kangshifu) was listed in Hong Kong, it had reached an annual production scale of 6 billion packs.

Over the next 20 years, Braised Beef Noodles consistently held the top spot in Chinese instant noodle sales, strongly influencing all subsequent instant noodles. Its popular sauce packet naturally became a major selling point, contributing significantly to its success.

The era of heavy-flavored Chinese instant noodles had arrived.

4. Did Chinese People Simply Like Heavy-Flavored Noodles? No!

The rise of the sauce packet can be attributed to a key factor: in China, people choose instant noodles not only for convenience but also for affordability.

In an era where jianbing and Shaxian snacks cost at least 5 yuan and often approach 10 yuan, instant noodles are one of the few meals that can be had for just 2.5 yuan. Many business leaders recall instant noodles as an essential detail of their hardworking youth.

At a movie press conference, a cooking instant noodles segment symbolized the Beipiao (Beijing drifters) life depicted in the film.

More evident is China's unique train instant noodle culture. Even though train station dining options are relatively abundant, most people still opt for affordable instant noodles over meals costing 20-30 yuan.

Additionally, strong seasonings can effectively enhance satiety. For those with lower incomes and limited food variety, a bowl of heavily salted and spicy Pickled Cabbage Beef Noodles is more satisfying than a cup of CUP NOODLE.

The aroma of Pickled Cabbage Beef Noodles is unforgettable

Finally, due to the acquired nature of taste, people raised in environments favoring heavy flavors often develop similar preferences, which do not easily change with improved economic conditions.

5. Will Chinese People Always Prefer Heavy Flavors? Not Necessarily!

Over the past 23 years, the price of a pack of Braised Beef Noodles has only increased by 67%, while the consumer spending level has risen from 1,057 yuan to 17,705 yuan. A pack of noodles that once cost a lot can now buy half a box. Naturally, instant noodles have been downgraded from "high-end snack" to "the most cost-effective food to fill you up."

This significant drop in status has made domestic instant noodles show signs of fatigue. In recent years, Chinese people have also begun to seek higher-priced instant noodles, shifting their attention to the premium market.

In 2014, Kangshifu's instant noodle sales fell by 4.9%, while Japan's Nissin Group saw a 43.8% increase in its Chinese instant noodle business. Uni-President's "Tang Daren" series, positioned in the premium market, achieved over 200% growth. Both of these have lighter flavors compared to Braised Beef and Pickled Cabbage.

Therefore, in my view, the reason Braised Beef and Pickled Cabbage Beef Noodles dominate China and are beloved by Chinese people is fundamentally due to economic foundations. As economic conditions change, these heavy-flavored habits will inevitably change as well.

A weak economic foundation leads people to prefer cheaper instant noodles, and due to poor conditions, the variety of ingredients in their daily diet is limited. What you can't get, you crave; lacking diverse ingredients, you yearn for them. In this context, heavy-flavored instant noodles provide a sense of satisfaction that clear soups and plain noodles cannot match. Hence, Braised Beef and Pickled Cabbage rose to prominence.

History moves forward. Although economic foundations gradually improve, people are nurtured by previous generations. The heavy-flavored habits of the older generation easily influence the next generation in daily life, often unnoticed. Habits cannot change quickly, but once people have the ability and have seen more of the world, their need for such flavors naturally diminishes, until it is only recalled in memories.

Moreover, when economic foundations are weak, people first think about survival; when they become prosperous, they naturally think about living better! This is why the health industry is increasingly popular.

Even from a micro perspective, looking at an individual's life trajectory, the frequency of eating instant noodles is significantly higher during middle school, high school, college, and just after graduation. But as income rises, the frequency decreases, and eventually, they may stop eating them altogether! When occasionally needed, they tend to prefer seemingly healthier options like Tang Daren. The success of Tang Daren's positioning is due to accurately targeting the era's demand for health, not just superficial premiumness or "good noodles, good soup."

Whether a product works can be assessed through pain points, itch points, and thrill points. For food, the pain point is the fear of getting sick or developing health problems, so as the economy develops, people lean toward healthier foods. The thrill point is the pleasure from intense taste stimulation, which is why most popular mass-market foods are heavy-flavored. The itch point might be satisfying one's imagination, such as thinking that eating light-flavored food is the standard for high-end or international people.

Previously, in a long-copy assignment, Kiki Noodles, from a price perspective, also took a premium route and targeted the health pain point, but placed its core selling point on the noodles and emphasized the sauce packet. Personally, from a pain point perspective, it doesn't match the health image created by Tang Daren, and combined with a price much higher than Tang Daren, the probability of long-term success based on this point alone is low.

However, Kiki Noodles simultaneously targets thrill and itch points. The thrill point is the flavor from the sauce packet that brings pleasure; the itch point is that eating the same noodles as international celebrities makes you feel more high-end. With multiple points being hit simultaneously, where Kiki Noodles will ultimately go, I don't know...

So, does that mean heavy-flavored instant noodles have no market? They do. Every era has people with weak economic foundations, and every person has a stage with poor economic conditions. It's just a matter of market share and whether alternative products targeting this market emerge.

For example, if a product appears that is priced similarly to instant noodles, satisfies the taste pleasure, but is slightly healthier, the heavy-flavored instant noodle market would inevitably shrink significantly. Let your imagination run: as the country becomes stronger, high-speed rail and trains might offer free meals, and the demand for instant noodles in travel scenarios would drastically shrink. On high-speed trains, where destinations are now reachable in a few hours, people would rather endure hunger or snack lightly, minimizing instant noodle consumption.

Therefore, instant noodles still following the heavy-flavor route must remain vigilant. Those taking the premium route should not cling to superficial premiumness but understand the deeper needs behind it. They must also be wary of substitutes that satisfy the same needs!

So, will food delivery revolutionize the instant noodle industry? I think not. It will only push the industry to evolve into another form to survive. If you have other views, feel free to leave a comment.

Source: Marketing Flight (YXHB18)

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