Because just one type of murky meat isn’t mysterious enough anymore.
The decision makers at Nissin, the company behind the iconic Cup Noodle brand of instant ramen, are equal parts crazy and talented. How crazy are they? They’ve purposely decided to market one of their Cup Noodle lines as being packed with “mystery meat” (their words).
And how talented are they? Talented enough that Cup Noodle Mystery Meat has become one of Nissin’s most popular products, with so many eager customers that the company has occasionally sold out of it. The people have spoken, and the message is, clearly, that they love mystery meat, and so Nissin is about to give us even more of it.
Going on sale this week is the Cup Noodle Big Third-Generation Mystery Meat Festival (yes, “Festival” is part of the product name). Like other instant ramen bearing Nissin’s Big designation, it’s an extra-large portion, but the real draw isn’t the quantity of the ingredients, but their variety.
The Third-Generation Mystery Meat Cup Noodle has no fewer than three different kinds of meat with obscured identities. First, and obviously, is the standard Nissin mystery meat, but it’s joined by white mystery meat and chili mystery meat. The broth is also a pepper-packed, more flavorful version of the standard Cup Noodle broth, and Nissin says the taste blends enticingly with the juices from the mysterious meat trio.
Now, if you’re wondering if it’s legal for Nissin to sell meat (even as part of a bundle of ingredient) without disclosing what animal it comes from, no, it’s not. If you read the fine print (or call Nissin on the phone), they’ll tell you that the regular mystery meat is actually a mixture of diced pork, soybeans, and vegetables, and the white mystery meat simple swaps chicken for pork. Finally, the chili mystery meat is also pork-based, much like the Rare Species Mystery Meat that we tried back in June.
▼ Rare Species Mystery Meat
But even though the meat isn’t quite as mysterious as its name makes it sound, the Cup Noodle Big Third-Generation Mystery Meat Festival promises to be a satisfyingly meaty way to enjoy three different types of mystery meat at once, and Nissin promises a “special harmony” between them that will dance on your taste buds. The new Cup Noodle flavor goes on sale September 17, priced at 205 yen (US$1.85) and will be available for a limited time.
Source: Nissin via Entabe
Top image: Nissin
Insert images: Nissin, SoraNews24