It's late in May. Temperature is soaring towards the 30-degree mark, and humidity these days are averaging around 80%. What's worse is that I have no air conditioner installed at home due to due to renovation.
Let's imagine you're hungry at night, and you want some instant noodles for a snack. The problem is that instant noodles are usually served hot, and under having hot food in hot weather is not always so appetising. In Japan, there is an official solution to this problem - Ice Cup Noodle Light. Essentially Cup Noodle Light but with less boiling water and more ice.
Ice Cup Noodle Light was released last year in Japan, where one is supposed to add boiling water up to the noodles, stir for 30 seconds, and leave it soaked for another 2 and a half minutes, before adding ice cubes to chill it right down. So far, 4 flavours are available: Plain, Seafood, Curry, and Tomato.
According to Reuters, the introduction of Ice Cup Noodle Light is a popular move, mostly due to the power situation in Japan as a result of the earthquake and tsunami, as well as the subsequent nuclear plant disaster in 2011; the use of air conditioners are encouraged to be cut down as much as possible. This causes people to look for new ways to beat the heat, and Ice Cup Noodle Light happens to be one of them.
Why use Cup Noodle Light instead of the normal Cup Noodle? The Light version uses less oil and is lower in calories, which may seem more appealing to the ladies. It is apparently chewier this way, while having the salty edge of the soup softened down a bit at the same time.
Recently, Nissin (makers of the Cup Noodle) also recommends having iced milk cubes substituting normal water ice cubes for curry and seafood flavoured noodles. While I haven't tired either of these flavours, I think adding milk gives more of a creamy feel to the soup as well as the flavours. But seriously I never imagined making iced milk cubes before!
According to its official website, there is also "new content" to be announced in the near future. What will it be? Guess we will have to wait to find out. :o
Iced cup noodles... While I don't think this particular line is available in Hong Kong, I guess it won't hurt to give it a try with ordinary Cup Noodle Light. I wonder whether it's that good though. But looking that Nissin made a campaign for it last year, it can't be disasterous. Well, we shall see once I have the chance to make some myself ^^;
Images are from Ice Cup Noodle Light website
I was wondering about the oil content too. I know the others are high in oil and with it being iced wouldn't be that good.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have the light version here, or I may be inclined to give it a try - even with the iced milk!
Apparently the use of Light's oil makes it less likely to solidify at lower temperature compared to the normal ones, but don't mark my words for that!
Deletehmm... this is very interesting.. I must try one when I visit Tokyo in June sin.. XD
ReplyDeleteUnusual idea, but it looks like it might work well. That's one more thing to add to your to-do list in Japan! ^^
DeleteI actually add ice cubes to instant noodles already if I don't want to eat them hot. Most of them have the oil in their own packets so you can decide how much to put in, making it so it's not gross when you put the ice in.
ReplyDeleteOh you've eaten it iced and cold before! Sounds like it's a method that works well in the first place.
Deletethis sounds... absolutely grim!! Not the ice noodles idea (cold noodles is awesome when the weather is hot. Soumen is still one of my faves) but the flavours!!
ReplyDeleteIced curry flavour?? Isn't that an oxymoron? Tomato might work tho...
The only flavour I would be interested to try is the original flavour. Not sure how iced curry flavour will fare well (is it really that much of an "oxymoron" for you?!), especially with milk; I can't really imagine that in my mind to know whether it will be surprisingly good... Or just a plain disaster. I somehow am not so much of a fan for tomatos though.
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