The idea for instant noodles was born from Momofuku Ando's desire to create a meal that could be cooked easily and quickly. Thus, in 1958, he introduced Chicken Ramen, the world's first instant noodles. It was a revolutionary idea that combined convenience with long shelf life, making them ideal for quick meals at home.

Ando's next major innovation came in 1971, when he launched Cup Noodles. This idea came to him after noticing that Americans were trying his noodles in coffee cups. This inspired him to design a product where the noodles would come packaged in a container that could be used for both cooking and eating.

Thus, Cup Noodles became extremely popular, as they offered even greater convenience: all you needed to do was add boiling water.