Maggi vs to Reman

8/7/2019 Maggi vs to Reman

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Maggi vs to reman

Does it seem silly to be comparing two brands of instant (not quite) noodles? Well... whenyou're all alone at home with nothing but these things for company and your stomach's givingout sounds like something sinister is about to burst out of you, I assure you my dear reader, it

will be the sanest thing you do.

Mom had to go to the doctor on that day. And Dad HAD to make just enough food in theafternoon to last us for lunch. And I just HAD to be left alone in the evening with not a grainof cooked rice at sight! (They say I might worsen my mother's condition! *GASP* That's toocruel! Oh well... I might)

And so, after having stared at the ceiling for a good half an hour and having finished watchingthe First season of Bleach in another hour or so aaaaaaand having listened to the neighbour'sgrinder grind for yet another five minutes, I decided...I had had enough! I shall NOT starveanymore.

And so, mustering my spirits, I marched to the kitchen. There was nothing there except a loneonion and a pack of Maggie Instant Noodles. For the life in me, I cannot comprehend why theycall it 'Instant' Noodles. It takes well nigh twenty minutes to make the darn thing edible! AndNO! It takes more than the '2 minutes' that the adverts proclaim it takes!

And since I lacked the culinary expertise of the pretty and saree-clad 'mummies' in thoseadvertisements, I had to improvise.

Now, this is not the first time I'm handling these things. There was once a time (read: summervacation coupled with a working mom and a lazy grandmother) when I had lived on thesethings. So, though my cooking wouldn't exactly floor professional chefs, I'm sure I won't besending anyone to their graves with my cooking!

Suddenly, as I open the container that contains these packs, I realize one thing. They're notthe usual ones that I use.

Well... if you're curious, I use Top Ramen. And the ones that I had were Maggie. I thoughtthere wouldn't be much of a difference in these brands. But I couldn't be farther from thefact.

By the time I had prepared the Maggie Noodles, I had burnt the lone onion, I had split enoughoil to cause concern for the orthopedic departments in the city hospitals and I had alsosucceeded in turning my kitchen into some place that looks like those dream scenes from themovies of the late 1980s.

And the reason?I had opened the taste maker that comes with the noodles and there was enough 'flavour' in itto send me into a coughing fit for a whole five minutes!

Now, any person who's never seen these taste makers will wonder... what in the holy name ofRenji Abarai's Zabimaru's baboon hiney is she talking about?

Well... as you'll know, Indians aren't a very adjusting lot. They wish to bring a little bit of



their 'thing' into everything they do... everywhere they go. And since the authentic noodles ofthe Far East will probably cause any Indian worth his curries reach out for the salt and peppershakers by the dozen at one go, the manufacturers spike the taste of these food items to suitthe Indian Palette.

This is one reason why 'Chinese' in India is not exactly 'Chinese' in China. (And just to get

things right... I love Japanese food... the bland saltiness some of their dishes have really keepme going!)

And all of this brings me to the point in contention. Maggie or Top Ramen?

These are a few reasons why I prefer Top Ramen...

y The Noodles that come in the Top Ramen packs are a bit stronger. If I were to putthem in hot water, they will not break at the slightest nudge and so... by the time thepreparation's complete, I can slurp all I want!

y The taste maker of Top Ramen is blander. (read: it does not make you worry cough for

a very very long time) And furthermore... it tastes more like Ramen would! That blandsaltiness with a hint of spices?

y The noodles of Top Ramen don't exactly absorb all the residual water in the pan oncooling. This means many things... one... there is a little amount of the broth with thenoodles and that ensures greater flavour moderation. Two... I don't have to moveHeaven and Earth to clean the dishes! Broth = lubrication = fewer leftovers stuck inthe pan! And I'm averse to do house chores!

y The Maggie noodles when cooked, taste like Mom's Puli saadham (tamarind rice - asouth Indian dish) with the rice replaced with longish strips of dough. And well... if Iwant Puli Saadam... I'll buy Puli Saadam. When I take a pack of Maggie Noodles, I want

Noodles. *sigh* Not a hard thing to comprehend ne?

y I know this isn't exactly legitimate enough... but Top Ramen belongs to Nissin which isa Japanese company. (yeah! yeah! I know... not fair... blah! blah! blah! Donecomplaining? Go fish now!)

So, as I sit in front of the computer, my badly 'Indianised' Noodles at hand, and Bleach Season2 running in full speed, I can only sniffle a little... Why can't I have proper ramen for once?

AS CONTEMPLATED BY KIKYO ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 05, 2008

LABELS: COOKING, INSTANT NOODLES, RANTS

1 B U T T E R E D T O A S T S :

Ingrid said...



Hi!! Randomly I ended up reading your post, and i have to tell you, it was hilarious.

But... how can you criticize maggie ramen so much?? I live in mexico and maggie

ramen is the best ramen i've ever tried, i'm actually o disappointed cuz they stopped

selling it here in mexico so i have to eat a lot of other brands (Ottogi ramen is the best

one so far), but i think i've tried one that said nissin, and it was the same as the other

ones (nothing special). But it's all in the way you prepare them, you should try and not

use the taster and use something else (like alfredo sauce, tomato sauce, etc, JUST

LIKE PASTA), it's delicious.

Well, just wanted to comment on ur post and say (WHERE DO YOU LIVE?? I NEED TO

BUY MORE MAGGIE RAMEN!!) Lol. Have a nice day.

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Maggi vs to Reman