Chikin Ramen

Chicken Ramen

A bowl of Nissin Chikin Ramen with serving suggestion of chives and a raw egg in the centre
Produced by	Nissin Foods

Nissin Chikin Ramen (日清チキンラーメン^?, Nisshin Chikin Rāmen) is a noodle brand and the first marketed brand of Japanese instant noodles produced by Nissin Foods since 1958. It was invented by Momofuku Ando after he saw how to cook tempura in his house in Ikeda, Osaka. It is currently referred to in English as Chicken Ramen by the company. The product is sold in Japan with small amounts exported overseas by distributors.

Instant noodles were invented by Taiwanese-Japanese inventor Momofuku Ando in Japan. It was first marketed on 25 August 1958 by Ando's company, Nissin, under the brand name Chikin Ramen. Ando developed the production method of flash frying noodles after they had been made, creating the "instant" noodle. This dried the noodles and gave them a longer shelf life, even exceeding that of frozen noodles. Each noodle block was pre-seasoned and sold for 35 yen. Initially, due to its price and novelty, Chikin Ramen was considered a luxury item, as Japanese grocery stores typically sold fresh noodles for one-sixth their price. Despite this, instant noodles eventually gained immense popularity, especially after being promoted by Mitsubishi Corporation.

Unlike Nissin's other noodles, the ramen does not have seasoning packets but are contained within the noodle itself.

The product unpackaged

A promotional vehicle for the product

Chicken Ramen mascot on a parade float in 2014