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Tuesday, 10th July 2012
In General Japan News,
Japanese to chow down on iced noodle dish
Japanese consumers are set to sample their taste buds on an iced noodle dish being introduced to the market.
While iced tea tends to prove popular with American diners, it seems the Japanese could have a flair for a cooled savoury snack.
Nissin Foods Holdings, Japan's largest instant ramen noodle maker, are releasing the product to help the country combat its energy shortages, Reuters reported.
The green move will see people swap traditional heated noodle dishes for an ice-doused dish that comes in a low calorie option for health conscious consumers.
A spokesman for Nissin Foods Holdings told the news provider: "Our marketing department is constantly food-tasting to find new ways to enjoy our products."
He explained that last year when the country was trying to cut down its energy consumption, a staff member experimented by adding ice to the cup noodles.
The light option tastes even better with ice, he claimed, which is a soy-based dish made up of chicken and beef but containing less oil.
Although the noodles are prepared in the typical way, the cold version involves heaping a lot of ice on top to make a meal that is chewier than its original form.
People across the country aim to reduce energy usage during the warmer months by raising the temperature of air conditioners or turning them off altogether, as well as opting for cold food choices.
The reason for this is that there has been an energy shortage since the closure of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant, which was severely damaged in the tsunami of March 2011.
Figures from Nissin indicate that the cold noodle products have been going down a treat with consumers, with sales of its Cup Noodle Light more than doubling in May and June, compared to last year.
Ramen dishes tend to be soup-based and made up of meat or seafood. They are then flavoured with soy sauce or miso and include seaweed.
Posted by Mark Smith