Slurp!: The noodle heard around the world! by Will

Slurp!: The noodle heard around the world! by Will - July 2017 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my years as a young man living in cities across the world from Nashville,TN to Aix-en-Provence, France, one fact has always remained steadfast. I love food! I always have, and I always will! However, among all the great and wondrous foods this world has to offer, I have a favorite: Ramen! The ramen noodle is one of the most beautiful and intricate noodles out there. Its long windy length is perfect for slurping, and its warm, hearty broth serves as the ideal dish for any time of the year. That is why for my TED talk, I would cover the ramen noodle in all of its glory from its inception to its place in every college student's dorm.
In the beginning, a little time would be spent detailing the history of the ramen noodle. Tracing its voyage from China to Japan thousands of years ago, audience members would be able to see how ramen started in the world and gain an understanding of how the noodle came to be known throughout Japan.
Moving forward, I would emphasize the noodle explosion in Japan following WWII, and how ramen went from being an ordinary household noodle to the international pop icon we all know today. In post-WWII Japan, noodles such as ramen, soba, and udon became a vital food source to the population as food rations provided by the US were often insufficient. These noodles took over the black market scene and became a form of culinary life support for the Japanese people.
Once ramen’s position as a vital food source in the mid-20th century was clear, I would posit that there became a market for at home, instant noodles. This led to the creation of instant ramen by the great Momofuku Ando. Being such an inexpensive, hearty meal that could be purchased in bulk and prepared in under three minutes, ramen went from being a Japanese noodle to a world noodle feeding million of people across the globe.
Finally, to push people’s understanding of the noodle we all know and love, I would suggest the possibilities ramen has moving forward. Given its low cost and convenience, I believe foods such as ramen could be a source of food relief in struggling parts of the world just as it was to a struggling Japan. I believe ramen has the power to help us all in more ways than one, and as people leave my TED talk, I would want them to understand not only the significance of ramen but also the possibilities of this unsuspecting noodle.
Ending here, I would leave the audience with a few words on ramen in the modern world. I would say, “Today, this noodle can be seen dominating pop and culinary culture all over the world. From a college dorm to a Michelin star winning restaurant, ramen is one of the most powerful noodles around and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.” Thank you.