Momofuku Ando

Momofuku Ando(Japanese:安藤 百福,Hepburn:Andō Momofuku, March 5, 1910 – January 5, 2007), bornGo Pek-Hok(Chinese:吳百福;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:Gô͘ Pek-hok), was the Taiwanese-born Japanese inventor and businessman who foundedNissin Food Products Co., Ltd.He is known as the inventor ofNissin Chikin Ramen(instant noodles) and the creator of the brandsTop RamenandCup Noodles.
Ando was bornGo Pek-Hok(Chinese:吳百福;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:Gô͘ Pek-hok) in 1910 into a wealthy family ofHokloethnicity inKagi, whenTaiwanwas underJapanese colonial rule. He was raised by his grandparents within the city walls ofTainanfollowing the deaths of his parents.His grandparents owned a small textiles store, which inspired him, at the age of 22, to start his own textiles company, using 190,000 yuan, inDaitōtei,Taihoku. In 1933, he traveled toOsaka, where he established a clothing company while studying economics atRitsumeikan University.
Ando was convicted of tax evasion in 1948 and served two years in jail. In his biography, Ando said he had provided scholarships for students, which at the time was a form of tax evasion. After he lost his company due to a chain-reaction bankruptcy, Ando founded what was to become Nissin inIkeda,Osaka, Japan, starting off as a small family-run company producing salt.
With Japan still suffering from a shortage of food in thepost-war era, theMinistry of Healthtried to encourage people to eatbreadmade fromwheatflourthat was supplied by the United States. Ando wondered why bread was recommended instead of noodles, which were more familiar to the Japanese. The Ministry's response was that noodle companies were too small and unstable to satisfy supply needs, so Ando decided to develop the production of noodles by himself. The experience convinced him that "Peace will come to the world when the people have enough to eat."
On August 25, 1958, at the age of 48, and after months oftrial and errorexperimentation to perfect his flash-frying method, Ando marketed the first package of precookedinstant noodles. The original chicken flavor is calledChikin Ramen. It was originally considered a luxury item with its price of¥35 (US$0.10 in 1958 under the then exchange rate of 360 yen to the dollarbut equivalent to ¥608 by 2021 or US$5.69 under the current exchange rate of US$1 =¥106.775 inaround six times that of traditionaludonandsobanoodles at the time. As of 2016, Chicken Ramen is still sold in Japan and now retails for around ¥120 (US$1.12), or approximately one-third the price of the cheapest bowl of noodles in a Japanese restaurant.
According toThe Financial Times, Ando's invention of Cup Noodles in 1971, at the age of 61, helped spark the popularity of instant noodles overseas. He had observed that Americans ate noodles by breaking the noodles in half, putting them into a paper cup, and pouring hot water over the noodles. They also ate them with a fork instead of chopsticks. Ando was inspired, and felt that aStyrofoamcup—with a narrower bottom than the top—would be the ideal vessel for holding noodles and keeping them warm. Eating the noodles would then be as easy as opening the lid, adding hot water and waiting. This simplicity, efficiency and low price of Cup Noodles went on to transform Nissin's fortunes.
Ando began the sales of his most famous product, Cup Noodle(カップヌードル,Kappu Nūdoru), on September 18, 1971, with the idea of providing a waterproof polystyrene container.As prices dropped, instantramensoon became a booming business. Worldwide demand reached 98 billion servings in 2009.
In 1972, theAsama-Sansō hostage standofftook place inNagano Prefecture, Japan. Widespread coverage of the event, which included repeated images of the prefecturalRiot Police Uniteating the noodles on national television, have been conjectured as boosting awareness of the brand.
In 1964, seeking a way to promote the instant noodle industry, Ando founded the Instant Food Industry Association, which set guidelines for fair competition and product quality, introducing several industry standards such as the inclusion of production dates on packaging and the "fill to" line.
Ando also founded and became chairman of theInternational Ramen Manufacturers Association(IRMA) in 1997, later renamed to the World Instant Noodles Association (WINA), after seeing the need for greater oversight on instant noodles through a regulatory body.
When Taiwan was handed over to theRepublic of Chinaafter the end ofWorld War II, Ando had to choose between becoming its citizen or remaining a Japanese subject. Ando chose the former in order to keep his ancestral properties on the island, as all Japanese nationals had to forfeit their properties in Taiwan.
Nevertheless, in 1966, Ando naturalized through marriage and became a Japanese citizen. "Momofuku" is the Japanese reading of his Taiwanese given name (百福;Pek-hok), whileAndō(安藤)is thesurname of his Japanese wife.
Ando died ofheart failureon January 5, 2007, at a hospital inIkeda,Osaka Prefecture, at the age of 96.
Ando was survived by his wife Masako, two sons and a daughter. Ando claimed that the secret of his long life was playing golf and eating chicken ramen almost every day. He was said to have eaten instant ramen until the day he died.
On April 8, 2008, a ramen summit was held in Osaka and a bronze statue of Ando was unveiled at theMomofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museumin Ikeda, Osaka PrefectureThe statue depicts Ando standing atop a base resembling a noodle container while holding a noodle cup container in his right hand.Yasuhiro Nakasone(former Prime Minister of Japan) and Masako Ando (Ando's wife) attended the unveiling ceremony.
On October 1, 2008, the company's name was changed to "NISSIN FOODS HOLDINGS". At the same time, Nissin Foods Products Co., Ltd was founded. In the same year, Project Hyakufukusi was started.
On March 5, 2015,Googleplaced adoodlecreated by Google artist Sophie Diao on itsmain web pagecommemorating Ando's birthday.
The name of theMomofuku restaurantsin the United States alludes to Momofuku Ando.
Ando was repeatedly honored with medals by the Japanese government and the emperor—includingThe Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, Second Class—in 2002, which is the second-most prestigious Japanese decoration for Japanese civilians.