Noodles Not Invented in Italy
Listen to a story about a guy who made cup noodles
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What do you think, eh?
The words
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Word
Meaning
Company (n.)
A business that makes or sells things. Example: Lego is a famous company.
Design (n.)
A plan or drawing of how something is made. Example: The new design of the blocks was better.
Together (adv.)
With each other, in one group. Example: The blocks stayed together.
Different (adj.)
Not the same. Example: The old box and the new box are different.
Idea (n.)
A thought or a plan. Example: He had an idea for a new kind of block.
The story
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Instant Noodles
If you ask people in Japan what’s the best thing from their country, they might say instant noodles. Sometimes called ramen, instant noodles are enjoyed around the world. Where did they come from?
The history of instant noodles begins in Japan in 1957.
Momofuku Ando was 47 years old. At that time, Japan was not a developed country. Some people didn’t have enough food to eat.
Ando wanted to make a new food. It should be easy to make and not cost a lot of money. He wanted to make instant noodles. For one year, he tried to make it. Nothing worked. One day, something good happened. He put noodles in hot oil. It worked well. They became easy to eat after sitting in hot water for a few minutes. He found a way to make instant noodles.
People in Japan loved them. Five years later, he went to America. Some business people tried his instant noodles. He watched them eat and saw something interesting.
The Americans put noodles in a cup. That gave Ando another idea: cup noodles. In 1971, he made instant noodles in a cup. It was a big seller.
Ando died in 2007. Many people remember Ando as the man who created a new and special Japanese food. And it all started with a man and an idea.