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Japan instant stir-fried rice noodle recognized as world long-seller
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Named after its Taiwan-born founder Kenmin Takamura, the company began producing rice vermicelli noodles, which is commonly pronounced "bee hoon" in regional Chinese dialects, in the 1950s following the Second World War. (Shutterstock/New Africa)
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uinness World Records has recognized a Japanese instant stir-fried rice noodle brand as the world's longest-seller at 59 years of continuous sales, its manufacturer Kenmin Foods Co. has announced.
Yaki Befun, which first went on sale in 1960, is also the world's first and only flavored instant rice vermicelli product, according to the company headquartered in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture.
Named after its Taiwan-born founder Kenmin Takamura, the company began producing rice vermicelli noodles, which is commonly pronounced "bee hoon" in regional Chinese dialects, in the 1950s following the Second World War.
But as the average Japanese consumer was not very familiar with rice vermicelli at that time, the company decided to create an instant noodle product that anyone could make at home in just three minutes.
Read also: Indonesians & instant noodles: A love affair
The original product, which sold for 35 yen (US$0.33) when it first went on sale in 1960, came already flavored with seafood stock, which made adding seasoning unnecessary.
Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the standard flavor for the brand is now chicken stock and soy sauce. Additionally, it is available in a variety of other flavors, including salt, oyster sauce and curry, with a soup version also added to the line-up.
"We want to continue to pour our hearts into making a (product) that everyone can find useful and enjoy," Kenmin Foods President Yuki Takamura said in a press release.
The company, which accounts for around 60 percent of the rice vermicelli market in Japan, produces around 15 million packs of Yaki Befun every year, according to its official website.
