I mentioned previously that spring is a drama queen. I was right.
I mentioned previously that spring is a drama queen. I was right. After being unseasonably warm for the last few days, today it has been pouring the whole day. Rainy and gloomy days are never pleasant, but it is especially unpleasant when it falls on a Sunday because it kind of ruins your weekend plans. This calls for some comfort food. For me, that is a hot bowl of noodle soup.
However, it is Sunday and the rain and gloom makes me extremely lazy. So an instant noodle pack it is. I am a millennial (as you can tell by the website) so I am all about instant noodles. I think I’ve tried almost every kind of instant noodle in every country I’ve been to in Asia. Every country has its unique flavors, textures, and spices which reflects the food culture. I would even say that instant noodles are a microcosm of the food culture (In Asia, that is. Instant noodles in the US and Europe are generally pretty disgusting with the exception of Maruchan which is, unsurprisingly, a Japanese company).
It’s fascinating to see how the technology and flavors of instant noodles have drastically improved over the last decade. I remember when I was living in Cambodia, I regularly ate Hao Hao, which is a Vietnamese instant noodle brand (either that or it was Mama, a Thai instant noodle brand which was also delicious). However, the taste was average – I bought them because they were cheap and I was dirt poor as I was working pro-bono in Cambodia. In any case, I now see many more Vietnamese instant noodle varieties and I quite like the pho noodle kind which didn’t exist back then. The soup is also very good as pho broth is very particular – it’s not overly oily like ramen soup but it also has a very distinct meaty clear broth taste. Instant noodles have gotten very good at recreating this simple but complex flavor.
Anyhow, I digress.
Some may think instant noodles are disgusting – yes, they are processed, chemical and unhealthy. But they’re a food product I’ve grown up with and a comfort food that brings back my childhood. Whether they’re healthy or not, I will still continue to eat them. I’ve recently embraced the concept that you can add ingredients to make dishes more filling and nutritious rather than avoiding them completely. For mine, I added fried tofu, seaweed, funori (which is purple seaweed and contains more fiber and potassium), sprouts, a poached egg, ham, and lime. To top it off and to give it some additional flavor, I also have it with hoisin sauce and chili sauce. Just from the looks of it, you can’t really tell it’s instant noodles; plus they are now packed with protein, minerals and vitamins.
So here I am, stuck inside, and eating souped-up instant noodles while spring throws its usual tantrums. At least I’ve got my bowl comfort food. Sometimes the lazy option is exactly what you need.
