The Japanese voted instant noodles their most important 20th-century invention, Sony Walkmans notwithstanding.

ECONOMIST: Momofuku Ando

Their teacher, Alice Lee, hopes the experience will encourage the students to think twice about the food they waste - many of them throw away their school lunches and eat instant noodles from the tuck shop instead, she says.

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After Tingyi Holding, the maker of Master Kong instant noodles, signaled price increases, there also were reports of scrambling for noodles.

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The noodles were an instant hit and before long were being exported to the Middle East and India, where the group has two factories.

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In 1958 instant noodles went on the market, yellowish wormy bricks in cellophane bags, and were laughed at by fresh-noodle makers all over Japan.

ECONOMIST: Momofuku Ando

In 2005, 86 billion servings of instant noodles were eaten around the world.

ECONOMIST: Momofuku Ando

Since the mill produced more flour than the biscuit factory needed, they moved into instant noodles, a popular fast-food item in Nepal, procuring know-how from a Thai firm (hence the name Wai Wai).

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The busy road is lined with shops selling garish synthetic saris and mobile phone sim cards, and signs advertise instant noodles, cough syrup and skin lightening creams.

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