Dried ramen, also known as instant noodles, was invented in 1958 by Momofuku Ando, a Taiwanese-Japanese entrepreneur and founder of Nissin Foods. Inspired by the post-World War II food shortages in Japan, Ando sought to create a convenient, affordable and shelf-stable meal. After experimenting in a shed behind his home, he developed a flash-frying method that dehydrated pre-cooked noodles, allowing them to be rehydrated in boiling water in just two minutes. Launched as Chikin Ramen, this innovation was initially a luxury item, costing six times more than fresh noodles, but its convenience led to widespread popularity, revolutionizing global food culture. By 1971, Ando introduced Cup Noodles, further simplifying preparation and making ramen a global phenomenon, with over 103 billion servings consumed annually by 2018.

Ingredients

Salad

4 cups chopped cabbage (Aguilar Farms)

1 cup shredded carrot (Aguilar Farms)

1/2 cup sliced daikon radish (Amador Farms)

1 cup sliced strawberries (Sidhu Farms)

1 cup cut pineapple (I used fresh)

1.5 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 3.5 oz package ramen noodles

Salad dressing

1 tbsp honey (Novo Bees)

2 tbsp olive oil (Ancient Trees)

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tbsp sesame oil

Seasoning packet from ramen noodles

Directions:

1. Make salad dressing by combining all ingredients. Using a whisk, stir until honey and seasoning are well combined.

2. In a large bowl, mix all salad ingredients except for the dried ramen noodles. Stir until ingredients are combined.

3. When you are ready to serve the salad, add crushed ramen noodles and pour dressing over the top. Stir and serve immediately.

4. This is not a hold overnight salad once the ramen and dressing have been added. Serves 6 to 8.

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Federal Way resident Vickie Chynoweth published a cookbook called “Well Fed: Easy-to-Follow Recipes.”