Instant rāmen of the future

Most of the instant rāmen comes in plastic wrappers. A big portion of plastic that ends up in the ocean comes from these one-time usage types of packaging. To solve this, a college graduate student named Holly Grounds developed packaging that consists of a flavorless biofilm, which is made from ingredients like potato starch, glycerin, and water. As soon as it comes into contact with boiling water, the biofilm dissolves in under a minute. Herbs and flavorings are embedded into the packaging itself and effectively act as the sauce. Convenience has become an inevitable part of everyday life but it often comes at a cost to the environment. [Cf] This new type of packaging also allows for quicker cooking, one minute less, to be exact, thus resulting in more convenience while being mindful of the environment. Perhaps this new packaging will be the future for instant rāmen.

While rāmen is a dish of Chinese origins, it is its Japanese reincarnation - whether fresh or instant - that gained global recognition. Let’s hope that solutions will be found to the waste problem that its plastic packaging continues to cause.