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The unique, the experimental, the delicious: Niche instant noodles flavors worth a try

A list of instant noodles you may have overlooked or didn’t know existed, including - an ice cream noodle?

Almer Mikhail (The Jakarta Post)
Bandung
Tue, May 11, 2021

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The unique, the experimental, the delicious: Niche instant noodles flavors worth a try Rows of instant goodness: Instant noodles remain popular as ever in Indonesia. (JP/Almer Mikhail)

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ince its creation in 1958 by Taiwanese-Japanese inventor-businessman and Nissin Food Products founder Momofuku Ando, instant noodles have gone on to become a staple in almost every kitchen in the world. First regarded as a luxury item due to being priced higher than fresh noodles in its early days, instant noodles are enjoyed by almost everyone. “It can be prepared easily, it’s affordable and you can find it anywhere,” said Astri, a 32-year-old finance administrator who, like most Indonesians, love instant noodles.

According to a survey by the World Instant Noodles Association, it is estimated that Indonesians consumed 12.52 billion servings of instant noodles nationally in 2019. With the second-highest demand for instant noodles just below China, it’s evident that for Indonesians, instant noodles is a serious business.

Agama Indomie (Indomie Religion, @AgamaIndomie on Twitter) is an account centered around the most popular instant noodles brand in Indonesia. Started out on a whim by two friends as a joke back in 2015, the account often shares jokes and memes specifically about Indomie - arguably the most popular instant noodle brand, the name of which has become interchangeable with the term “instant noodle” - the account has amassed more than 65,000 followers.

Asked about what instant noodles meant to them, they jokingly said it’s a “faith”, before elaborating, “It’s something like a savior, perhaps. When you don’t have anything or don’t know what to eat, [instant noodles] are the certain choice.” They do, however, advocate for enjoying instant noodles in moderation.

“Too much of a good thing is always bad.”

“It’s something that I often had when I was in college or while I’m at my warung [food stall] hangout spot,” said Aldi, a 25-year-old journalist whose view of Indomie is shared by other Indonesians who've had to live on a tight budget, tight deadlines and limited cooking skills.

Another instant noodle fan, 22-year old Benjamin, stated that instant noodles were something he always keeps coming back to. Anytime there’s a new instant noodles flavor, he’s almost certain to try it. “New and unique noodles flavors always got me interested, especially the spicy ones.”

Beyond the ever-popular flavors of instant noodles like mi goreng (fried noodles) or ayam bawang (chicken soup), there’s a whole world of instant noodles variants—some of them being cult favorites that were produced only for a limited time. With notes from instant noodles aficionados, The Jakarta Post compiled a list of fan favorites worth a slurp or two.

Indomie Goreng Cakalang (smoked skipjack tuna)

Part of Indomie’s popular Kuliner Indonesia (Indonesian Culinary) range, which based its flavors on traditional Indonesian dishes, Indomie Goreng Cakalang is based on a popular North Sulawesi menu. The flavor combines the familiar taste of Indomie’s beloved mi goreng with smoked skipjack tuna from Manado. “It’s very difficult to find [in Jakarta or Bandung], as it’s only sold outside of Java,” said finance administrator Astri of the flavor.

Indomie Real Meat Ayam Jamur (chicken mushroom)

This variant of Indomie comes with fresh—not dried—pieces of meat and mushrooms covered in sauce. “Not a lot of people talk about [this flavor] even though it’s delicious, perhaps because it's somewhat of a more ‘premium variant,’” stated Agama Indomie. “It’s actually quite satisfying if you’re craving more ‘serious’ noodles,” they added.

Kare (discontinued)

A brand of noodles producing only variants of Asian curry flavors, Kare had a unique niche unlike other brands. One of its fans that misses them is journalist Aldi, who said, “It’s interesting that they only focus on curry. The soup is thicker than other noodles and the flavors are interesting.” Its signature soup is perhaps the most distinct characteristic, making the noodles taste more authentic to traditional curries. Regrettably, Kare was discontinued in 2008 after not achieving its sales target.

Mie Sedaap Selection - Korean Spicy Soup

Imported taste: Korean-style instant noodles are also popular in Indonesia, especially due to their spicy nature.
Imported taste: Korean-style instant noodles are also popular in Indonesia, especially due to their spicy nature. (JP/Almer Mikhail)

For a lot of spicy food and noodle lovers, this noodle is a perfect match. “This is one of the few instant noodles that is actually spicy—the flavor is also quite authentically ‘Korean.’ Since there are two chili powder packets, those who have lower tolerance to spicy foods can also enjoy [the noodles],” explained Benjamin. Other than the soup, the flavor also has a dry variant with similar taste.

Indomie Mi Keriting Premium Collection - Ayam Panggang (grilled chicken)

From the premium line of Indomie, this variant of noodles has a different texture to the regular ones. “It feels a bit like traditional yamin noodles, with dry noodles and a separate soup, quite unlike most other instant noodles,” expressed Aldi.

Nissin UFO Spicy Curry

Spaced-out: Nissin's U.F.O brand has long been popular in Japan and is now making a name for itself in Indonesia.
Spaced-out: Nissin's U.F.O brand has long been popular in Japan and is now making a name for itself in Indonesia. (JP/Almer Mikhail)

While not as big as their homegrown counterparts like Indomie and Mie Sedaap, the originator of instant noodles boast a highly varied range of products. One of them is UFO, cup noodles with a noticeably larger portion than ones people are more familiar with. With strong tastes and a practical method of preparation, the spicy dry cup noodles is a cut above their competitors.

Indomie Mi Keriting Premium Collection - Salted Egg

“This might be a bit controversial, because you either love it or hate it. There’s no in between,” said Agama Indomie. The divisive flavor was introduced mid-2018, when the salted egg craze was at its highest here. Some said that the noodles have a strong and pungent aftertaste, turning off some customers from the flavor. Agama Indomie explained, “The trick to making it is to follow the instructions down to a T. Indofood, if you’re reading this please bring the flavor back.”

Indomie Mi Goreng Chitato Sapi Panggang (beef barbecue)

The second collaborative product between Indomie and Chitato potato chips, after Chitato released an Indomie Mi Goreng flavored chips. “The noodles are tasty, and eating noodles with potato chips is already a common practice. Sadly, since this is a limited edition product it’s no longer around,” said Agama Indomie.

Mie Sedaap Mie Goreng Salero Padang

A relatively new variant from Mie Sedaap. With green chili sambal and rendang chips to top it off, Mie Goreng Salero Padang manages to create noodles with a strong Padang food flavor worthy of its name.

Indomie Mi Goreng Sate

Universally beloved and missed, Indomie Mi Goreng Sate is a curious case. The flavor is sweet and smoky, with hints of Indonesian satay seasonings. “The aroma of these noodles is unmistakable. Once in a while I can still find it in larger supermarkets but more often than not, it can’t be found anywhere,” said Astri of the elusive noodle flavor. The fact if it’s still being produced or discontinued is largely unclear to a large part of its customers. This variant of noodles fetch a higher price on online marketplaces, at around Rp 15, 0000 a pack. Some online sellers claim that the noodles are still produced, albeit not in Indonesia—the ones being sold online are imported from abroad. Its popularity even inspired a Change.org petition to bring it back in production.

Indomie Goreng Ice Cream

One-of-a-kind: Local ice cream producer Holi Ice Cream created an Indomie Goreng (friend Indomie) flavored ice cream, which they launched last year.
One-of-a-kind: Local ice cream producer Holi Ice Cream created an Indomie Goreng (friend Indomie) flavored ice cream, which they launched last year. (Instagram Holi Ice Cream/Courtesy of Holi Ice Cream)

Technically, not a noodle, but this Indomie Goreng flavored ice cream produced by ice cream maker Holi Ice Cream comes complete with that signature fried onion tang, and is certainly an experience worth at least one scoop.

 

 

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