Korean noodles "Doshirak" with chicken and other flavors appeared on the shelves of Russian stores in the dashing 90s and took root. Today it is a lunch for students in need, and not so long ago a pack of instant noodles was not disdained not only by students, but also by working mothers who did not want to spend the rest of their free evening at the stove. They ate noodles on trains, on shifts, and in dormitories. What is the secret to the popularity of Doshirak?
From Japan Around the World
The ancestor of modern instant noodles is Japanese Momofuku Ando. In 1958, he founded Nissin Food Production and launched the world's first chicken-style ramen on the Japanese market. Since then, noodles with boiling water began their victorious march around the world.
The turning point in the history of the company was 1971, when marketers placed a briquette of noodles and spices in a plastic sealed plate with a fork, thereby relieving the consumer of the need to use dishes.
Over time, dried vegetables and soy meat began to be added to the cup. And after 10 years, in addition to noodles, instant potatoes and all kinds of soups appeared.
Entering the Russian market
At that time, when Japanese noodles with leaps and bounds conquered first the Asian, and then the world market, there was a gap in the Russian segment of instant products. Until the 90s, people did not hear and did not know about such food.
Everything changed in 1995, when the Korean company Korea Yakult entered the Russian market with its product. The first appearance of noodles in Russia was the worst marketing move in the history of the company - it was called ... "Dosirak".
Later it was renamed "Dosilak", and only after that the modern name "Doshirak" was approved, which has become a household name for noodles of all brands.
Noodles for every taste
12 types of different flavors are produced on the Russian market: Doshirak with chicken, spicy chicken, kimchi, veal, mushrooms, pork, beef, bacon, cheese, tomatoes, seafood, and sauerkraut, a special product for Russia.
Other unthinkable tastes can be found abroad, for example, with seaweed, crab meat, teriyaki sauce, mirin sauce and many others.
Noodle Market Competitors
When Doshirak with chicken and other glutamate additives was just starting to conquer the market, he was a pioneer, but as they say, a holy place does not happen empty. Competition entered the instant noodle market almost instantly.
The Chinese Kanshifu, the Russian-Ukrainian Rollton, the Big Bon, and Anacom tried to compete with Doshirak. Each of these brands tried to find its own segment in the Russian market, but none of them became the number one brand. And the ratings of Doshirak are still impressive.
Noodles are not as harmful as they are painted.
The most popular flavor in the whole line is Doshirak noodles with chicken. Both adults and children love her, she smells like all Russian long-distance trains, shift shifts and student rented apartments. Why are there adults! All children of the 90s remember how they gnawed dry noodles until they saw mom.
Here are the last - parents and adherents of proper nutrition - and time ganged up against all kinds of five-minute dishes. Let's look at what is included in the “Doshirak” with chicken, and is this noodle so scary?
The standard set includes a dry briquette, a bag of oil, a package of dried herbs and a small packet of spices. Noodles are ordinary egg or wheat vermicelli, which is part of the popular Japanese ramen. Without spices and salt, it can hardly be distinguished from that which caring housewives put in the soup.
Soy meat, although it has a mild taste, but in itself is completely safe for both adults and children. Dried herbs and oil also pose no danger.
The secret of Korean noodles is in the third bag of unknown spices. It includes monosodium glutamate - among Russians known as a flavor enhancer, and for Asians - ordinary seasoning, which occupies an honorable place next to salt and pepper. And a mixture of different spices in different proportions.
If you take into account that there is no more glutamate in noodles than in a regular hamburger, and the treasured bag that gives the noodles piquancy and taste can not be poured at all, then Doshirak with chicken is no worse than any pasta on the shelves of the supermarket.
Three steps from noodles to excess weight
If we take into account how much fast and junk food the average person consumes, remember that the chicken has antibiotics, the rest of the meat has hormones, and the potatoes are genetically modified, then we can conclude that the Doshirak noodles with chicken are not the most deadly delicacy waiting in a plastic box while you pour boiling water over it.
There is nothing dangerous to health in such food once or twice a month, in emergency situations such as a train or a hike. But will your waist say thanks?
In the finished form, the calorie content of the doshirak with chicken is 455 kilocalories. Four servings a day will block the energy needs of an adult man. One serving draws for a hearty, but unbalanced lunch - just 9 grams of protein per 62 grams of simple carbohydrates, which will make you look for a snack within an hour after eating.
The noodles with beef contain 440 calories, which is only 15 less than in Doshirak with chicken. How many calories are empty noodles? A little less - 412. That is, this product in any case is not at all suitable for losing weight. In addition, an excess of salt contained in the seasoning will hold water in the body, and it will also give an increase on the balance.
From a snack to a full meal
Since the mid-90s, the appearance of noodle packaging has not changed much, but the range of flavors and portions has expanded significantly. The weight of Doshirak noodles with chicken and other flavors ranges from 70 to 140 grams.
- “Whistles” is “Doshirak” in a bag, the smallest of all possible noodles: only 70 grams. In addition, this variation is considered the freshest of the entire line.
- Doshirak Plus is a standard quick-cooking noodle that comes with a bag of mayonnaise. Weight - 105 grams.
- "Doshirak big lunch" - a portion of noodles in a bucket, maxi-portion for those who are especially hungry. Weight -140 grams.
- Chan Ramen is an elite among Doshirak. The usual ramen requiring cooking, completed with a rather tasty sauce.
- "Doshirak. Mashed potatoes" - a novelty in the line of the company.
But dry weight gives a poor idea of the finished portion of the dish. How many grams are there in Doshirak with chicken or beef ready-made? If you consider that it is recommended to add a glass of boiling water to the packet, then the weight of the finished portion increases by about 200 grams - from 270 to 350, depending on the chosen noodles.
Pork ramen
And yet, if you move away from traditional prejudices and have a little time left, you can easily prepare a tasty and satisfying dish from instant noodles - Japanese ramen with pork.
For cooking you will need:
- pork tenderloin - 500 grams;
- two packs of dry noodles "Doshirak" 140 grams each without spices;
- 10 grams of salt;
- 10 grams of sugar;
- 100 grams of soy sauce;
- 15 grams of pork ghee;
- 10 grams of ginger;
- 1 gram of cinnamon;
- greens.
Cooking:
- Rinse the pork thoroughly and cut into small pieces.
- Put in a pan and cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove the meat, strain the broth.
- Put ginger and cinnamon on the bottom of a clean pan, add pork on top, add half the broth, add salt, sugar and soy sauce. Boil for 3 hours.
- In a separate pan, boil a liter of water, toss the noodles "Doshirak" without spices for three minutes, lay in a colander.
- Pour 500 milliliters of water into a clean pan, bring to a boil, add the remaining broth and pork fat.
- Arrange noodles on plates. Pour the resulting broth, add pork, garnish with herbs.
Ramen with Chicken and Doshirak
Photos of this ramen always look very appetizing: green onion arrows , a bright egg, fried chicken and crispy noodles. Nevertheless, the dish with poultry is not so popular in Asia because of the low percentage of fat in it. But for Europeans, this is more a plus than a minus.
To prepare, take:
- 500 grams of instant noodles;
- 500 grams of chicken seeds;
- 300 grams of chicken wings;
- 10 grams of salt;
- 100 grams of soy sauce;
- 20 grams of ginger;
- eggs by the number of servings (4 servings from the specified ingredients);
- green onions.
The chicken ramen recipe differs little from the more fatty pork:
- Pour two liters of water, salt, soy sauce and ginger into the pan. Add chicken bones and wings and boil for an hour.
- Remove the meat, strain the broth.
- Grease the wings with soy sauce and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 180 degrees until a crust appears
- Boil the noodles for three minutes, put them in a colander and arrange on plates.
- Boil eggs for 4 minutes, peel, cut in half.
- Pour the noodles with broth, add half the eggs and chicken wings. garnish with chopped green onions. Chicken ramen is ready!
Instant noodle salad
But not a single soup, as they say, a man is full. Russians are tricky, and they make salads worthy of a festive table from banal products like crackers or chips. The same thing happened with Korean-Chinese noodles. It is not known who the first thought occurred to throw the Doshirak package in a salad bowl, but it turned out to be interesting at least. So if you're tired of the traditional Olivier - go for it!
For cooking you will need:
- Korean carrots - 300 grams.
- Cooked sausage - 300 grams.
- Cheese - 200 grams.
- A pack of "Doshirak" or any other instant noodles without spices.
- Mayonnaise to taste.
Dice sausage and cheese. Finely chop the noodles. Mix all the ingredients, season with mayonnaise and let it brew for 30 minutes.
Favorite noodles for children and adults
One of the first advertisements for this product included the slogan “People love Doshirak.” Either the marketing was really good, or the idea was new and therefore attracted people, or the speed and convenience of cooking were well suited for long trips around our vast country, but noodles gained popularity almost instantly.
According to consumer reviews, “Doshirak” with chicken is the best noodle in its segment. Convenient foam box allows you not to burn your hands, a portion sufficient for an adult. Very often people complain that the food is too spicy or salty, but this problem is easily solved by reducing the number of spices.
Scientists have denied the danger of popular noodles
In October 2018, a detailed study of the composition of popular noodles was conducted at the Siberian State University of Science and Technology named after Reshetnev. No secret ingredients other than those indicated on the pack were found in Doshirak.
From the point of view of scientists, this is of little use, but completely safe food. Noodles made from wheat flour, salt, starch and palm oil. It is believed that the latter contributes to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques due to saturated fats, however, such a relationship has not yet been scientifically proven.
Sodium carbonate is a common baking soda that we use as a baking powder almost every day. A popular noodle broth contains water, starch, salt, palm oil, potassium sorbate or potassium salt of sorbic acid, sodium benzoate. All these are natural components that can be found even in berries and fruits.
Another unfamiliar and therefore frightening substance is maltodextrin. It is made from corn starch and used to make baby food and special sweets for people with diabetes.