In 2015, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency gave people the green light to Maggi noodles, having found no health risks associated with consuming the product.
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A year later, noodles along with pasta and rice sales grew by 3%. How much of that was noodles and whether or not the 2015 declaration played any part in the growth of sales we can’t know.
But what we do know for certain is that Indian and Asian cuisine has been gaining popularity among Canadians for a few years now and it seems the trend will continue in the following years too. Just take a look at all the ethnic supermarkets and the eateries popping up here and there. They’ll be the ones to drive sales in the noodles department.
The difference between Maggi noodles and authentic ramen
Whereas you can buy Maggi noodles at your average grocery store, real ramen is something you can only expect to find in their country of origin, namely Japan. Thanks, however, to the many Japanese people who have come to Canada, now you can also find the food in many cities across the country.
Of course, you can’t compare traditional ramen with Maggi noodles because that would be similar to comparing a gold ring with a cheap replica. It doesn’t add up.
In Japanese tradition, ramen is considered soul food, very comforting and satisfying. It may not be the healthiest Japanese food, but it sure gets more positive reviews compared to Maggi brand noodles.
The ramen that ethnic eateries serve
What Japanese eateries or ramen houses serve is food entirely different to store bought noodles. Not only are authentic ramen cooked healthier, but the ingredients are also much better compared to Maggi 2-minute authentic Indian noodles.
Ramen houses carry fluffier noodles and the bowl of food can include some of ingredients starting with pork or chicken meat to milky soup, thin or thick noodles, seasoned egg, jalapeno paste, black fungus, green onion, mushrooms, and spicy garlic. Vegetarian options are usually available also.
But you will have to pay more for authentic ramen. Chances are you won’t find anything worth trying under $10, and the price may even go up to $16, but the average is $12.
Things to consider about ramen
Whether restaurant-served or store bought, consider that noodles aren’t exactly what nutritionists call nutritional food.
Ramen may be healthier, yes, but noodles are still made of flour that has been milled and refined, thus deprived of most nutritional benefits.
Also, both instant noodles and ramen served in restaurants are high in salt. Pre-packaged noodles can contain more than 2.50 grams of salt per serving, and a bowl of ramen can carry just as much. That is worrying considering that doctors recommend no more than 6 grams of salt a day.
It’s tricky to get to know just how much salt you are eating daily because so much of it is in processed foods, so the more processed you eat, the higher the salt and sodium intake.
Suffice to say, if you find yourself craving a big glass of water after ramen, you may have just ingested your salt for the day.