Textured Tuesday ... Not

Okay, I promised I'd try dried ramen noodles. I did. 

I've now  been there, returned, and do not plan to go back.

First off, I bought this package at Walmart

for the grand sum of 28 cents. People always say

they shop at that place because they save 

so much money. I can buy a similar product at my

neighborhood Kroger for 25 cents, or 5 packages for $1.

This package was, as you can see "shrimp flavor."

I followed the instructions which said to bring 2 cups of 

water to the boil then drop in noodles and cook,

stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Then turn off the heat,

stir in contents of the flavoring packet, AKA

"shrimp flavor," and allow to set for 1 minute.

The dried noodles before cooking resembled a section 

of badly knit Shetland sweater, afterwards they looked like 

sections of unwoven chain link fencing (I forgot to take 

their "after" picture) in chicken broth. They tasted 

like chicken noodle soup, too, albeit the dried Lipton Soups 

version of chicken noodle soup I knew from childhood.

The contents of the package was intended to produce 

2 one-cup servings. I measured out 1 cup then put 

the remainder into the garbage. The taste 

was inoffensive and tasted nothing at all like shrimp. 

It was very filling, so I can completely understand 

why so many people on limited incomes eat the 

ramen noodles; they are cheap and filling, but not 

very nutritional. The noodles are made from 

"enriched wheat flour" with not a trace of rice. 

Of the soup base ingredients, the first 

one listed was salt, then 16 ingredients later 

there appeared "lobster and shrimp flavors."

One cup of noodles and broth have 190 calories,

less than 1 gram of fiber, and 790 mg of salt 

(approximately 1/3 of one's daily allotment.)

Japanese Queasene?

I visited two neighborhood grocers this morning 

to get pictures of their offerings of ramen noodles.

I've known of them since the early 80's, when they seemed

to become a staple in the larder of college students.

The top photo is from a store which has a wider range

of food of all kinds, good and bad. Frankly,

its clientele is probably more international 

and poorer than at the other store.

On a different, but related matter, I recently bumped into

a man with a selection of items from the sushi kiosk.

I'd thought I was the only one buying the stuff, but he 

pronounced the kiosk's offerings as "the best."

I did ask the sushi makers about the squid and both men,

who could speak very little "hoosier,"

told me they do not eat the squid.

Consequently, I will leave the little brown

squiggleys alone, too.