History of Noodles: Ancient Times to the Ramen Craze.
From ancient China to the global Ramen craze, the history of noodles is a riveting tale that crosses cultures and continents. Known as Ramen, goreng, pho, and spaghetti, noodles are a global staple, especially in Southeast Asia. Made from diverse grains like wheat, rice, and sorghum, they’ve been part of Chinese cuisine for over 4,000 years, according to carbon-dated archaeological findings. Let’s explore the enduring popularity and rich history of this universally loved dish.
Ancient Roots: The Noodle in antiquity
As mentioned earlier, Chinese archaeologists discovered a 4000 year old cauldron of noodles. Archaeologists discovered this at the Lajia archaeological site. The written histories of the Han Dynasty circa 2nd century BCE contain one of the first mentions of noodles. Safe then to assume that noodles originated in China. The earliest noodles found at Laija were made from millet. It’s no surprise, as mankind first cultivated millet on a staple scale among grains. In subsequent centuries rice, buckwheat and wheat replaced millet as the grains of choice for making noodles.
Noodle Export: How the rest of the world began slurping their way to noodles
Like any budding civilisation, the Chinese were also avid seafarers and whether for trade or conquest. The Han, Qing and Manchu dynasties all had seaworthy vessels that traveled far and wide across Asia. One of the food staples that these navies relied upon were noodles. Noodles are by some length, one of the world’s first processed foods. By ancient standards, they had a relatively long shelf life, were easy to cook and were nutritious. It is very likely then that the Chinese spread their noodle culture across South Asia, through their interactions with people through trade and conquest. Another way noodles may have traveled westwards was with the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan. The Mongol warriors were said to have carried dried noodles as a part of their rations. We’ll revisit this theory a little later in this article.
From China to the land of the rising sun
Apart from China, one of the world’s most noodle obsessed countries is Japan. Ramen is definitely Japan’s greatest culinary gift to the world. And this is how Japan first adopted the noodle. There has long been a history of both bilateral trade and war between China and Japan. The noodle is a part of both of these. You could literally call them the food for war and peace. The earliest mention of noodles in Japan is in the 9th century. This was an adaptation of a Chinese recipe of noodles. The Japanese used the grain which was most abundant to them, i.e. wheat to fashion Udon noodles. It is said that a Buiddhist monk of Indian origin, Bodhisena (credited with introducing Japan to Buddhism) was the person who also introduced this culinary staple to the land of the rising sun.
How did the Italians say ‘Mangiamo’ to spaghetti?
Italians adore spaghetti, but how did this Asian staple reach Europe? There are three key theories. First, the Roman Empire’s trade with China might have included noodles. Second, the Mongol invasions led by Genghis Khan could have introduced them as they reached Venice. Finally, although likely a myth, many credit Venetian explorer Marco Polo for bringing noodles from Kublai Khan’s court. Regardless of the route, spaghetti has found a permanent home in Italy, and for that, Bolognese fans worldwide owe a nod to China.
How to save lives by slurping noodles…
World War II absolutely ravaged. After its surrender it faced a long road to recovery. Mass shortages of food and resources plagued the Japanese population. The food shortage in particular would have been catastrophic if not for the ingenuity of the Japanese people. And of course the lifesaving noodle. Inventor Momofuku Ando used wheat flour and produced the world’s first instant noodle. The pre-cooked, processed noodle, with flavouring and flavoured oil was an inexpensive treat which was adopted with gusto by the Japanese public. In fact, some economists say that instant noodles saved Japan, and proved to be the fuel that propelled the great Japanese economic restoration.
We hope this article has both entertained and informed you, and maybe even left you hankering for a quick noodle fix. Check out our range of premium noodles here.
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