Kinchan Noodle: A Must-Try Instant Ramen from Tokushima
Like House Foods’ Umaka-chan (うまかっちゃん), some Japanese instant noodles are mainly available in Western Japan, and here in Niigata, they are hard to get unless bought online.
The Kinchan Noodle (金ちゃんヌードル) that Tokushima Seifun/Milling (徳島製粉) started to sell in 1973 is among them, but fortunately, I can buy it at a nearby supermarket and sometimes enjoy it.
Kinchan Noodle (金ちゃんヌードル) from Tokushima Seifun (徳島製粉)
Even though the sales of Kinchan Noodle are almost limited to West Japan (because Tokushima Seifun is headquartered on Shikoku Island and considering costs), this ramen has lots of fans, widely loved for its delicious taste.
The nickname Kinchan (金ちゃん: literally, Gold-chan) derives from the maker’s wheat flour product called Kintsuru (金鶴: meaning golden crane), and its first instant ramen released in 1965 had the name Kintsuru Ramen (金鶴ラーメン).
Contents
Unlike most counterparts, the cup of Kinchan Noodle consists of polypropylene-filmed polystyrene with a reclosable lid. Besides, the wheat noodles hardly get soggy, accompanying two packets.
The red one contains dehydrated garnishes such as seasoned shrimp, seasoned pork, seasoned eggs, green onions, and seasoned Shiitake mushrooms, while the blue one has a soup base powder.
Cooking
Nonetheless, the cooking of this ramen is so simple, as shown below.
| 1 |  |
First, remove the lid and put the dehydrated garnishes into the cup. |
|---|---|---|
| 2 |  |
At the same time, add the soup base powder. |
| 3 |  |
Pour boiling water until it reaches the upper line inside the cup. |
| 4 |  |
Then, close the lid and wait for 3 minutes. |
| 5 |  |
3 minutes later, stir well, and it’s ready to eat. |
Taste
The Kinchan noodles are light soy sauce based but packed with clear, rich umami (mainly from chicken and pork) distinct from Nissin Cup Noodle Shoyu Flavor.
Each ingredient of this cup has a pleasantly chewy texture, favorably asserting itself. Considering all, the instant ramen from Tokushima Prefecture is undoubtedly a must-try!
Ingredients/Nutrition Facts
| Oil-fried noodles (Wheat flour, Lard, Vegetable oil/fat, Salt, Soy sauce, Protein hydrolysate), Soup (Salt, Powdered soy sauce, Spice, Sugars, Yeast extract, Chicken extract, Pork extract, Shiitake extract, Seafood extract, Vegetable extract, Vegetable oil/fat), Toppings (Seasoned shrimp, Seasoned pork, Seasoned egg, Green onion, Seasoned Shiitake mushroom), Modified starch, Seasoning (including Amino acid), Calcium carbonate, Kansui alkaline solution, Thickeners (Guar gum, Casein sodium), Colors (Caramel, Carotenoid), Trehalose, pH adjuster, Antioxidant (Vitamin E, Vitamin C), Acidifier, Sweeteners (Licorice, Stevia), Vitamin B2, Vitamin B1 (Partially including Wheat, Egg, Milk component, Shrimp, Soybean, Chicken, Pork, and Sesame) |
Nutritional Values
| Calories | 388 kcal |
| Protein | 9.6 g |
| Fat | 15.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 52.9 g |
| Salt equivalents | 4.6 g |
| – Noodles & Garnishes | 1.6 g |
| – Broth | 3.0 g |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.24 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.28 mg |
| Calcium | 155 mg |
(Reference Page: Kinchan.co.jp )
