By Kitty Lim

Did you know that instant noodle – or Malaysians prefer to call it Maggie Mee – is so popular that there’s a world summit for it? Yes, in fact Malaysia is hosting the 7th World Instant Noodle Summit this year in Kuala Lumpur from April 20th to 22nd. Little do we know about the origins of our all-time favorite snack that a World Instant Noodle Association (WINA) really exist and has been around since 1997.

This tangy noodle we loved so much is invented by Momofuku Ando 52 years ago and has become one of the world’s most consumed foods reaching 93.4 billions packets/cups last year. It is preposterous to tell someone you have not eaten instant noodle unless you are from the Stone Age. Health experts and dieticians are typically worried about the lack of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals in a packet of instant noodle. Not to forget the seasoning broth with MSG (monosodium glutamate); which is synonymous to bad word for parents. Everything aside, it all comes down to responsible eating habits: a balance and healthy diet.

With ‘Earth Food: Making it happens’ as the summit’s theme, WINA hopes to change the negative perceptions of public towards instant noodle intake. How to make a balance diet with instant noodle that is nutritious and tasty with just a packet of seasoning? Instead of treating instant noodle as a snack, prepare a bowl of Maggi Mee like how you would cook a proper meal. Chef Natalia Arbefeuille transforms a bowl of boring and plain noodle soup with her bit of magic to a 3-course gourmet meal. Stop giving the excuse of not knowing how to cook and with some creativity, instant noodles too can be yummy-licious like Chef Natalie’s ‘Noodles in Mushroom Broth Prawn Tempura’ and ‘Three-Peppers Chicken Breast Wok Vegetables Noodles and Yogurt Sauce.’

Why eat the noodles plain when you can have it ‘The Rainbow Diet’ way. You might not like broccoli but there are a variety of vegetables with so many different colours to add in as extra ingredients. And as dietician Ms. Gaiyal Balasubramaniam says, "Moderation and choosing the right cooking method is the key to a balance diet."

At the media event, TOKL manage to catch up with Mr. Izham Mohamed, WINA Governor representing Malaysia and Executive Director, Food for Nestle Products Sdn Bhd (Malaysia & Singapore). Here’s the excerpt:

Do you think instant noodle consumption has become an Asia culture?
Yes, instant noodle is now a staple food in some Asia countries, like for example Indonesians are starting to replace rice for noodles. Initially it was only consumed in Japan but now the market has grown globally spreading to Western countries like Europe.

And Southeast Asia?…
Definitely. For example in Thailand, instant noodles are used as an economy indicator. The idea is that the sale of instant noodle is correlated with how the country's economy situation. Because instant noodle has better value for money, people tend to buy and consume more when their pockets are tight.

If you were to introduce a new flavour, what would it be?
Haha. Usually the way we introduce new flavour to the market is through market research, and mamak stalls really is the best way to find out. What do you like best at mamak?

Mee goreng. Laughs.
See, then we have mee goreng. We recently held ‘Maggi Mee My Way’ contest and received more than 500 submissions, and shortlisted to 30. Contestants shared their unique ways to prepare a bowl of Maggi and there are really a lot of possibilities.

Talking about ‘Maggi Mee My Way,’ do you have your own secret recipe?
Okay, time to disclose my secret recipe. My favourite flavour is Curry and I like to create a Bandung flavour out of it with some extra tomato sauce, bean sprouts and fried shallots. And I don’t want to waste food, so leftovers too if they are any in the fridge.