About this episode

The episode explores the complex history of instant ramen and its inventor, Momofuku Ando, highlighting his challenges and the myths surrounding his success.

Momofuku Ando told the world he invented instant ramen noodles in a shed in his backyard. In Japan, there's not one, but two museums celebrating this breakthrough. Only Ando wasn't the first person to flash-fry noodles to preserve them - but he was willing to sue any rival ramen maker.   Ando had suffered repeated business failures and even been jailed for tax fraud - but he created an origin story for his instant noodles so compelling that it helped him build a convenience food empire that sent instant ramen everywhere on earth and finally into space.    Write to us at  businesshistory@pushkin.fm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Topics covered

• instant ramen
• business history
• innovation
• entrepreneurship
• food industry

Keywords

• instant ramen
• Momofuku Ando
• noodle preservation
• business failures
• food empire
• Japan
• convenience food

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pushkin Industries

Products: instant ramen noodles

Places: Japan

More episodes of Business History

• The Battle of Fort Frick and the Anarchist Assassin · September 9, 2026 · 45 min
• Andrew Carnegie's War with his Workers · September 2, 2026 · 40 min
• George Washington’s Trusted Tavern Guide: The Birth of the User Review · August 26, 2026 · 45 min
• The DeLorean Saga: Fraud, Drug Deals and Marty McFly's Car · August 19, 2026 · 48 min
• Billy Beer: When American Beer Hit Bottom, Then Bounced Back · August 5, 2026 · 41 min
• The Printing Press: The Invention Built on Debt and Sin · July 29, 2026 · 46 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Business History podcast page.