Ramen Is A Billion Dollar Business, And It’s In A New Phase

You may find yourself in a do it yourself ramen cafe

Hello, CulinaryWoman readers! Happy first weekend of March. I told you that February was going to be a short month. At least, it was short if tumultuous.

A special welcome to everyone reading CulinaryWoman for the first time. I’m delighted to see more people become subscribers, and I’m especially grateful to our paid subscribers. Since we don’t take ads or have sponsors, subscription revenue is the way the newsletter keeps going.

This week, I’m sharing an interesting new direction for a dish that might have fueled you during college and your early career years: ramen.

The Big Shift In Ramen Eating

I’m from the era of college students who kept themselves fueled with Kraft macaroni and cheese, which our Canadian friends call Kraft dinner. By the time I was a young career person, ramen was just becoming popular and I tried it for the first time at a sidewalk stand in Tokyo.

Back then, I went for what seemed like an ideal combination: a big bowl of noodles in flavorful broth, topped with shrimp tempura.

That was a memorable experience, but when I got home, I found that the ramen available then basically came in two forms: cup noodles, which are noodles in a styrofoam cup, and blocks of basic ramen, often selling for less than $1.

Fast forward a few decades, and ramen has become a huge global business. About $57 billion in noodles are sold annually, including $1.2 billion in the U.S. That translates to about 121 billion servings a year.

According to the World Instant Noodles Association (no, I’m not making that up), China now the leading customer for quick noodles, followed by Indonesia, India, Vietnam and Japan. The U.S. ranks sixth.

Now, you no longer have to have someone make ramen for you at a ramen stand, nor do you have to skulk home to your microwave.

The evolution of instant ramen shops

Instant ramen shops, already popular in Asia, have popped up across the United States. I know of at least two in Ann Arbor, and one of the best known in Los Angeles is Sit and Slurp.

The process is pretty simple. You choose a type of ramen from a display, pay for it, and take it over to a machine.

You open the package, place the contents in a bowl, and then push a button to dispense hot water. Once the noodles cook, you add seasoning and any other ingredients, such as raw or hard boiled eggs, vegetables and protein. Some shops have salad bar type displays where you can pick out your extras.

The main flavors

Since the selections can seem endless, let me tell you about the four main types of Japanese ramen. These are shio, shoyu, miso, and tonkotsu, which are categorized by the flavor of their base broth.

• Shio has a simple, clear broth that highlights other ingredients like yuzu or pickled plum.

• Shoyu features a salty broth made with soy sauce, chicken and pork bones, sake, and mirin.

• Miso has a rich broth that features miso, or soybean paste. It’s especially popular in the northern part of Japan. (This is my favorite.)

• Tonkotsu has a creamy, thick broth, and it’s popular in western Japan, especially on the island of Kyshu.

The biggest global brand names are Nissin and Maruchan, both from Japan, Maggi, which is owed by Nestle, and Prima Taste from Singapore. There are dozens of others, many tailored to country-specific tastes. For instance, you can purchase instant Pho, the Vietnamese dish, and ramen flavored with kimchi, a Korean staple.

So many choices

As it has grown in popularity, countless varieties are available. Weee! an online market for Asian food, is currently celebrating a Ramen Festival, offering more than 100 kinds. In this video, you can get a look at one of the world’s biggest instant ramen shops.

Analysts see enormous growth potential for the ramen market. Globally, it is expected to grow to $94 billion by 2033, or about 6% a year. Consumers’ interest in all things Asian is driving the market’s expansion.

Along with convenience, fans view ramen as a reasonably priced dish that can be prepared quickly and offers a combination of textures. As prices continue to rise, ramen seems like an affordable pantry staple.

You can still find packages for less than $1, but better quality ramen sells for between $3 and $10. Beyond the instant ramen market, you will find bowls of ramen selling in restaurants for $15 and up, especially if noodles are made in house. Almost every college town and many big cities have ramen-focused restaurants.

If you come across an instant ramen cafe, don’t hesitate to ask for help in choosing a flavor and making up your bowl. It could be a fun family outing, or just some inexpensive entertainment.

James Beard Chooses Its American Classics

Each year, ahead of its annual awards, the James Beard Foundation chooses a set of restaurants that it dubs American Classics. They come from six regions of the country, and are generally places that have stood the test of time.

This year, the group includes Lem’s Bar-B-Que in Chicago, the Pioneer Saloon in Ketchum, Idaho, Sullivan’s Castle Island in Boston, Lucky Wishbone in Anchorage, Gaido’s in Galveston, Texas and Dooky Chase in New Orleans.

Of the group, I’ve been to Sully’s and to Dooky Chase.

Sully’s started as a hot dog stand in 1951, and morphed into a quick service restaurant, specializing in burgers, fries, lobster roll and fried seafood. The Castle Island location is seasonal, and a great visit in the summer, and there’s also a year-around branch in Hanover. That’s Boston Mayor Michelle Wu with her new baby at Sully’s on Saturday.

Dooky Chase is legendary in New Orleans and was instrumental as a place where civil rights leaders could gather to plot strategy. Founded by the late Leah Chase and named for her husband, the restaurant recently renovated its upstairs banquet room where those historic sessions took place. If you’ve never been to New Orleans, it should be one of your first stops.

Consumer Confidence Is Shaky

You can’t blame people if they aren’t comfortable spending. According to the Associated Press, Americans cut their spending by 0.2% in January compared with December, the Commerce Department said Friday. Some of the drop is probably because of the cold snap that reached deep into the country.

But, there are also signs that consumer confidence is shaky. Last week, consumer confidence recorded its biggest drop since early in the pandemic. The Conference Board’s confidence index has fallen for three months in a row.

“The roller coaster of news headlines emanating from Washington D.C. is likely going to push businesses to the sidelines for a time and even appears to be impacting consumers,” said Stephen Stanley, chief U.S. economist at Santander, in an email to AP.

Economists say that it’s unwise to make predictions based on a month of data. However, it will be smart to keep an eye on the spending and confidence number, especially in light of inflation.

Denver Reports Fewer Restaurant Licenses

All these factors could be a reason why the number of restaurant licenses in Denver has dropped during that past two years.

In July 2023, there were 2,356 active or recently expired business licenses for Denver restaurants, according to estimates from city officials that were reported by Denverite.

By February 2025, less than two years later, there were 1,780 active or recently active licenses, down 24%, according to the Department of Excise and Licenses.

The city only grants a license when a business has passed its inspections for safety and welfare. Some of the decline could be due to timing: restaurants that planned to launch, but decided to sit tight, waiting for the right moment to open.

Denver has been one of the country’s emerging restaurant markets. In 2023, Michelin launched the Michelin Guide Colorado. Last year, it awarded stars to six restaurants, and included 46 restaurants in the guide.

Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman

I had a busy week. For Food & Wine, I wrote about the likelihood that prices at farmers’ markets will go up this spring. Growers are facing higher costs for seeds, seedlings, plastic trays, fertilizer and all kinds of associated products.

It was flattering to be included in Sara Silver’s article for Columbia Journalism Review about the challenges that business journalists are facing in getting accurate information.

The Lions, Towers & Shields podcast looked at one of Katharine Hepburn’s more controversial movies: Sylvia Scarlett. Listen to the episode before you decide whether to spend time watching it. However, the coats are good.

I’d be delighted to hear from you and have you follow me on social media. Here’s where to find me.

• Website: www.michelinemaynard.com

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Tomorrow, I’ll be back with Red Beans & Advice for our paid subscribers. Here in Michigan, Tuesday is Paczki Day. I’ve already picked out the one I plan to eat. But, like everything else, prices are going up.

See you next week.