While we were in Osaka, we visited The Instant Ramen Museum in Ikeda. This is where the humble packet of instant noodles started. This museum is every 2 minute-noodle fan’s dream, there’s no admission fee and there’s lots to see, do and eat (the eating part costs ¥).
It was inspiring to learn that Momofuku Ando invented instant noodles and later the cup noodles during a post-war food shortage. Momofuku’s intention was to create something that was affordable, accessible, delicious and had a long shelf-life.
Momofuku’s shed with all the equipment he used to make his first batches of instant noodles.
Chicken Ramen was the first type of instant noodles marketed in 1958!
And since the first batch of Chicken Ramen, instant noodles and cup noodles has become a global phenomenon.
After walking around the museum, we created our very own cup noodles!
All we had to do was put ¥300 into the vending machine to buy our cup then it was all about drawing our cups to make them look pretty.
Guess which one is mine?
After designing our cups we went over to fill our cups with noodles, soup base and toppings!
Yep, that’s ours 🙂
The finished products, our personalised cup noodles!
If learning the history and creating your own cup noodles isn’t enough, you could join a class to knead, stretch and make your own chicken ramen!
The Instant Noodle Museum
8-25 Masumicho, Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture 563-0041
+81 72-752-3484
http://www.instantramen-museum.jp/index.html
*Foodsaurus
Foodsaurus 
Love the idea of getting to make your own noodle cup at the end of the tour! I think I may need to add this museum to my list of places to visit in Japan…
It was so much fun! Ikeda isn’t on the JR train line but it’s well worth the trip! There’s also one in Yokohama if you’re planning to go there.
I wanna go!