Cup Noodles Gets "Souper-Sized"

Diner A had brought this BUCKET-sized version of Cup Noodle for lunch recently, and taken aback by it’s unusually large size, I was like “Whoah, what the heck is that?!”

Made by Nissin, the same folks who make ‘Cup Noodles’, they’ve decided to badge this product with the very Americanized name “Souper Meal”. This is new to me.

Yet showing my lack of awareness in the instant ramen industry, apparently the ‘Souper Meal’ has been on the market for years now, as The Impulsive Buy did a thorough review of this product way back in 2005. which back then they had the ‘Cup Noodle’ name on the label.

Which has us  wondering why they didn’t simply name it “Tub Noodle” or “Bucket Noodle”.  Sound too “janitorial” perhaps? I suppose “Souper Meal”, an obvious play on “soup”, has broader market appeal, especially in the states.

Looking at the photo of the “Souper Meal” on the label, it does indeed look more like a western soup than Japanese ramen; the former of which I’m guessing they’re hoping U.S. consumers will think it is and throw it in the shopping cart. Especially at the bargain price these things sell for, which Diner A picked them up at Walmart for just a $1 each.

Yet for the non-observant impulse shopper, the label does in fact say ‘RAMEN NOODLE’ in small black print on the bottom. Gotcha’!

Just like any other instant ramen, they come in various flavors, including what we have here with Shrimp and Chicken. The shrimp version is especially funky, having a tomato and garlic flavored broth, which is unheard of with traditional Japanese Ramen.

Helping to provide some scale as to how big this super-sized ‘Souper Meal’ is, here’s a side-by-side comparison with its much, much older, yet half-sized brother and “college grub” staple, Nissin Cup Noodles…

2.5 oz. for the Cup Noodles versus 4.3 oz. for the Souper Meal to be exact. You know that “ginormous” tub of margarine you can buy at Costco or Sam’s? Well, the ‘Souper Meal’ container isn’t much smaller than that.

Great, just what American needs. As if instant ramen weren’t already bad enough with its high sodium soup base and deep-fried noodles packing plenty of saturated fat, now their marketing geniuses have decided we need nearly twice the amount in “one serving”.

Looking at the NUTRITION FACTS, here’s the breakdown:

Souper Meal Shrimp flavor
Serving Size: 1/2 container (61g)
Serving per Container: 2
Net wt. 4.3 oz. (122 g)

Amount Per Serving
Calories	280
Calories From Fat	110
		% Daily Value
Total Fat	12 g	18 %
Saturated Fat	6 g	30 %
Trans Fat	0 g	0 %
Cholesterol	5 mg	2 %
Sodium	1020 mg	43 %
Total Carbohydrate	38 g	13 %
Dietary Fiber	2 g	8 %
Sugar	1 g
Protein	6 g
Vitamin A		30 %
Vitamin C		0 %
Calcium		4 %
Iron		8 %

Cup Noodles Shrimp flavor
Serving Size: 2.25 oz (64 g)
Serving per Container: 1
Net wt. 2.25 oz (64 g)

Amount Per Serving
Calories	300
Calories From Fat	120
		% Daily Value
Total Fat	13 g	20 %
Saturated Fat	7 g	35 %
Trans Fat	0 g	0 %
Cholesterol	5 mg	2 %
Sodium	1180 mg	49 %
Total Carbohydrate	38 g	13 %
Dietary Fiber	1 g	6 %
Sugar	1 g
Protein	7 g
Vitamin A		6 %
Vitamin C		0 %
Calcium		4 %
Iron		2

Notice they try to trick us with the Souper Meal by giving the nutritional facts for a 1/2  serving, yet we all know this is intended to be eaten entirely by one person in one sitting. So adding it up, you’re getting a whopping 26 grams of fat and 2040 milligrams of sodium if you whack an entire Souper Meal yourself. Which makes the Souper Meal no less “evil” than KFC’s new and notorious ‘Double Down’.

While the Cup Noodles is as instant as it gets, with the soup base and dehydrated “accoutrements” already mixed in with the noodles, the Souper Meal requires “advanced ramen chef skills”, as it comes with 3 separate packets: 1) the soup base powder; 2) the dehyrated veggies; and 3) the “flavor enhancer”.  Sheesh. Sounds complicated. lol

Here we see a typical instant ramen’s fried, dehydrated brick — or in this case — disk-like uncooked state…

I suppose at this point, if I were about 20 years less my current age and had my own YouTube channel, I’d be doing all kinds of “shenanigans” with this thing  just for the sake of your entertainment, but I’m not, so we’ll just carry on as is. lol

Unlike the far superior nama (fresh) ramen products include a liquid soup base, instant ramen most commonly includes a mega-sodium, mega-MSG packed dehydrated (powered) soup base…

While the powdered soup bases bother me just because of what it is and how it tastes, I actually find the dehydrated toppings turn out quite fresh and tasty once they’re brought back to life…

I’m just not really cool with peas and carrots in ramen, even if it’s instant. That’s plain just WEIRD if you ask me. I mean, I’ll still eat it, but if I had a choice, I’d prefer they put in dehydrated kombu and egg or tofu. So if you see a guy in front of the Nissin factory holding up a sign that says “NO PEAS & CARROTS!”, that’d be me. lol

Here’s that Shrimp with Garlic & Tomato ‘Souper Meal’, all done cooking, or should I say “nuking”….

The powdered soup base and dehydrated veggies are added with the water at the beginning stage, where it then requires 4 minutes and 30 seconds in the nuker. Then you let it sit covered for a minute or so to “set”, and just prior to being served you stir in the “flavor enhancer”, which looks like oil mixed with some sort of MSG-based protein agent (see the orange stuff on the lid in the photo above).

Voila, a chicken-flavored “Souper Meal”…

Doesn’t that look oishii? lol Corn in ramen. Good grief. lol The green stuff is cabbage. I’m cool with that. But, oh, I keep forgetting, this isn’t really “ramen”, it’s a ‘Souper Meal’.

A freshly-brewed Cup Noodle compared with a partially consumed Chicken Souper Meal…

Let’s see how the noodles itself compares…

The fatter profile Souper Meal noodles were a little more al dente if you will, yet just like Cup Noodles — and most other instant ramen noodles for that matter – they both still have that “pastiness” about them. Also, can you even use the term “al dente” for instant ramen noodles?

As for the soup broth, I’ve never been a fan of Cup Noodles’, and the Souper Meal hasn’t really improved on it by much. If anything, being CHICKEN FLAVOR, all it really tasted like is the Cup Noodle broth with the addition of chicken bouillon cubes. It also has this very subtle curry flavor to it. Subtle, but there, making it taste just plain weird. At least for me anyway.

Summing it up, on basis of an initial tasting, I’ll give Nissin’s Chicken with Vegetable Medley ‘Souper Meal’ 1 SPAM Musubi.

Thankfully the superior fresh nama ramen can be found at most supermarkets around Hawaii today. I’ll stick with that, thank you very much.

Yamachan Shoyu Nama Ramen with Chicken Soup Base, Chashu, Menma and Negi

On a final note, earlier when we were looking over the nutritional numbers of the super-sized “why don’t we bastardize Japanese Ramen for all its worth” Souper Meal, KFC’s new and notorious ‘Double Down’ was brought up. Have any of you tried it yet?

KFC Double Down – Two KFC Original Recipe Boneless Fried Chicken Breast “buns” with Bacon, American Cheese and KFC Sauce sandwiched between them

Substituting the bun for meat isn’t the part that bothers me. It’s what they put in between it that does.

What is with fast food restaurants and their penchant for slamming our poor cardiovascular systems with more, more and MORE bacon and cheese? I mean, enough already!

I think they should have been at least somewhat “responsible” and put either their Coleslaw in there, or better yet, fresh lettuce and tomato. Or you’d think they would have at least done that with the Grilled KFC Double Down, but NOOOOOO, even that one gets the Baco-Cheese-Inator treatment. Sheesh!

Yet even being “Baco-Cheese-Inated”, is the Double Down really the baddest guy to hit town? How about this “innocent” ‘Souper Meal’?

Let’s compare the important nutritional (or lack there of) numbers here:

KFC Double Down:
Serving size: 1 “sandwich”
540 Calories
32 grams of fat
1,380 milligrams of sodium

Nissin Souper Meal:
Serving size: 1 container (4.3 oz.)
560 Calories
24 grams of fat
2040 milligrams of sodium

Take your pick.