Main ingredients: wheat flour Ingredients: edible salt, MSG, white sugar, beef noodles... Manufacturer: Master Kong, Tongyi, Huafeng , Baixiang , Wugu Taochang ... Size: 100g Shelf life: 18 months Applicable people: travelers, overtime workers, Internet access all night, accommodation students...
Almost everyone has eaten instant noodles , such a fast food product, and almost everyone has a past about eating instant noodles. According to the relevant data of World Instant Noodles Association , in 2020, the global consumption of instant noodles accounted for about 40%, making it the world's largest instant noodles consumer country. So do you know how China's instant noodles industry was born and developed?
The birth of Chinese instant noodles
The world's first package of instant noodles was born in Japan. In 1958, the Japanese Ando Momofuku developed fried instant noodles based on Chinese idiomi Noodles. With its convenience, deliciousness and easy preservation, instant noodles quickly occupied the Japanese market and became a food that everyone rushed to buy.
As a neighbor of Japan, my country also smelled this business opportunity. In 1964, the Beijing Food Factory tried to produce this fried instant noodles manually for the first time. , but because it was the first time a girl was in the flower salon, the oil used by the Beijing Food Factory was not a good oil, but a cheap duck oil , so its taste was not good and did not cause much response in the market.
In 1970, Shanghai Yimin Food Factory No. 4 decided to study the instant noodles production carefully. so he spent a lot of money to introduce mature instant noodles production technology from Japan, learning while imitating, and finally made his own production equipment.
In the same year, Shanghai Yimin Food Factory No. 4 launched the first batch of mass-produced instant noodles, named it "Happy Instant Noodles", also known as "egg instant noodles". As soon as the instant noodles were launched, they received crazy buying from everyone, and received rave reviews. "Happy Instant Noodles" has also become the first package of instant noodles in my country in the true sense. Since then, my country's instant noodles have begun a history of ups and downs in the past 50 years.
Hundreds of flowers bloomed Hundred Schools of Contest
"Happy Instant Noodles" occupied the market as soon as it was launched, but later due to the immature technology and high pricing, the instant noodle industry of Shanghai Food Factory No. 4 did not get better and better. Instead, it was getting worse and worse and worse.
In a blink of an eye, reform and opening up began, and time also came to the 1980s. Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province was close to Shanghai, and also started making instant noodles. In 1984, the first instant noodles production line in Zhejiang Province was born in the Hangzhou flour mill. The "Shuangfeng Brand Instant Noodles" produced by was sold in the supply and marketing cooperatives in Hangzhou. At this time, a wave of buying instant noodles was set off. Shuangfeng Brand Instant Noodles not only sold in Hangzhou, but also in Zhejiang, going all over the country. In order to meet the huge consumer demand, Hangzhou flour mill worked overtime every day. According to statistics, the annual sales of instant noodles at Hangzhou flour mill reached 90 tons at that time. to today, many old Hangzhou people still remember the Shuangfeng Brand Instant Noodles from that year.
At the same time, in in South China region, Huafeng Food Company in Zhuhai, Guangdong also began to enter the instant noodles market. Huafeng Company also invited famous Hong Kong stars to endorse their instant noodles. Soon, Sanxian Yi Noodle produced by Huafeng quickly became popular across the country and became the sales champion at that time. Before Taiwanese companies such as Master Kong and Uni-President entered the mainland market, Huafeng companies have always occupied the largest market share.
Time comes again in the 1990s, and Taiwanese company Master Kong swept the mainland market. So when it comes to how Master Kong entered and became popular in the mainland, there is an interesting story behind it.
In 1991, Taiwanese businessman Wei Yingzhou came to the mainland. At that time, he had just taken over the family business Dingxin Group . This is a company specializing in the production of edible oil, but the business is getting worse and worse, so he brought 40 million yuan to the mainland, preparing to invest in and set up factories in the mainland to open up new markets.
However, due to his unfamiliarity with the mainland market, Wei Yingzhou hit a wall all the way, and the 40 million yuan he brought was almost lost. Just when he was at a loss, God pointed him out another way.
On a long-distance train, Wei Yingzhou opened a bucket of instant noodles brought from Taiwan. After soaking, the fragrance suddenly filled the entire carriage, stirring the bitter throat of every tired traveler.
Travelers around
asked Wei Yingzhou: "Where did you buy this instant noodles? It smells so good, why do you have so many packages of ingredients..." At this time, Wei Yingzhou understood: Although there are many instant noodles manufacturers in , they have not developed maturely and there are not many things that should be available.
In fact, this is true. At that time, there was a piece of instant noodles produced in the mainland. Although was soaked in the noodles, it was not very delicious, but it was not very delicious. It can only be said that it was a must-have for hunger.
The instant noodles produced in Taiwan at that time not only included ingredient bags and vegetable bags, but more importantly, there were sauce bags. Once the sauce bag was added, the taste of the whole bowl of noodles was increased by more than several times. It can be said that sauce bags are the soul of instant noodles.
So Wei Yingzhou decided to give up doing edible oil business in mainland China and enter the instant noodles market. At the end of 1991, he set up a factory in Tianjin and opened the first instant noodle production line. and named his instant noodle brand "Master Kong". 's famous "Master Kong" was officially established.
The flavor of instant noodles made in Wei Yingzhou was braised beef noodle , This can also be said to be the most classic flavor of Master Kong. At that time, it was not easy for people to eat pork, let alone beef, and there was no need to really add beef to instant noodles. Just prepare a pack of sauce made of beef soup , which is enough to enhance the taste of instant noodles a lot, killing other instant noodles on the mainland market at that time.
The result is really as Wei Yingzhou expected. Master Kong braised beef noodle was sought after by the public. people no longer regard instant noodles as food to satisfy their hunger, but as food to satisfy their cravings.
After gaining a foothold in Tianjin, Master Kong's enterprise began to develop southward and established factories in Guangzhou and Hangzhou successively. Master Kong's territory gradually expanded to the whole country, which also caused operational difficulties for many instant noodle factories in the mainland. Hangzhou's Shuangfeng instant noodle went bankrupt, and Huafeng Food Factory, which was once very popular, was also acquired by Indonesian enterprise.
Seeing that Master Kong is developing at its peak in the mainland, other instant noodles companies in Taiwan were also very jealous and wanted to come and get a share of the pie. so unified also entered the mainland market.
The new generation that came first must not be able to compete with Master Kong, so Unity took a different approach. launched the Danqian noodles and named it " Little Raccoon ". believes that this is a childhood memory of many born in the 1990s. Danqian noodles have been welcomed by many people, especially children due to its novel design. Unity has gradually established a stable market in the mainland. However, everyone knows that the competition between Master Kong and Unity has never stopped, until today.
When Master Kong and the two immortals of Tongyi fought, many local instant noodle companies in mainland China also emerged: such as Baixiang Enterprise in Henan, Dongsanfu Enterprise in Hebei, and later Hualong , Jinmailang Instant Noodles... For a time, many companies began to compete and launched various novel promotional activities, such as giving ham sausages, instant noodles bowls, etc.
memories of generations
However, instant noodles manufacturers may not have expected that it was not the peers who killed themselves in the end, but other industries. With the development of the times, various fast food products have emerged, such as self-heated hot pot, self-heated rice, snail noodles , etc. The most important thing is the rapid development of the takeaway industry, which has squeezed out many markets of instant noodles.
However, instant noodles, as an indispensable food in life and disaster relief, emergency response, and donated materials, have become one of the indispensable foods in the human world. Even if it is impacted by various emerging industries, instant noodles will not be able to withdraw from the market. Just like the data given at the beginning of the article, domestic consumers still have huge demand for instant noodles.
More importantly, instant noodles carry the memories of generations. This efficient food that fills your stomach has also witnessed the most profound changes in this country. Whether you were a hungry traveler, a student preparing for the exam late at night, or a worker who worked all night... that bowl of steaming instant noodles will always be with you, and it will not disappear in your memory, just like those times.
So today, have you eaten instant noodles?
Author: Qiao Mu
