
Instant ramen company blends special ingredients to create the “strongest Buff Meshi” for gamers.
Back in 1958, Nissin invented Chicken Ramen, the world’s first instant ramen, and in 1971 they wowed the world with Cup Noodle, the world’s first instant ramen sold in a cup. Despite these glowing accolades, or perhaps because of them, the company has refused to rest on its laurels, adding more and more innovative products to its range throughout the years, and now we’re at another pivotal moment in the company’s history, with the introduction of the world’s first Gaming Cup Noodle and the world’s first Gaming Curry Meshi.
While everyone may be familiar with the Cup Noodle, which contains instant noodles, broth and toppings, Curry Meshi is a relatively new product from Nissin. Made by pouring boiling water over and waiting five minutes instead of Cup Noodle’s three, it contains a rice-based meal instead of noodles.
▼ Nissin’s wonderfully weird commercial for Curry Meshi, released in March.
▼ In case you were wondering, the Curry Meshi Family has since expanded to include other interesting members.
Now, Nissin is catering to both the noodle-loving and rice-loving members of the gaming community, with the Gaming Cup Noodle Energy Garlic & Black Pepper Yakisoba and the Gaming Curry Meshi Energy Ginger Keema Curry.
As the names suggest, these new items are big on energy, delivering what Nissin calls the “strongest buff meshi” (“buff meal”) for gamers. “Buff Meshi” is a phrase coined by Nissin specifically for this product, as the word “buff” in the gaming world refers to the improvement of a gamer’s strength in terms of attack power, defense power, resilience, and movement speed within a game.
Just as a buff will provide in-game characters with an advantage, so too will these new gaming meals, with special ingredients to increase the strength and energy levels of gamers in the real world. The Energy Garlic & Black Pepper Yakisoba contains mystery meat (seasoned minced pork), shrimp, egg, and cabbage, and is said to be characterised by its addictive taste, which is made by adding garlic and black pepper to a peppery soy sauce-based sauce. The Curry Meshi Energy Ginger Keema Curry features a fragrant and spicy roux with a hint of ginger and a base made with onions, tomato and pork.
▼ Gaming Cup Noodle (left), Gaming Curry Meshi (right)
Instead of serving up its usual ramen in the new Cup Noodle, Nissin has chosen to serve up yakisoba (fried noodles), which means there’s sauce instead of broth in the mix. Likewise, the curry is a sauce-based meal, and Nissin says this is so gamers won’t have to worry about getting their hands or peripherals dirty, making both meals perfect for eating between games.
▼ The Gaming Curry Meshi (“ゲーミングカレーメシ”)
Both packages feature unique designs that’ll transport you into the digital world before you even eat them, and the three main ingredients that’ll give you the buff you need are listed at the bottom of the packs.
▼ カフェイン、アルギニン、ナイアシン (“caffeine, arginine, niacin”)
The Nissin Gaming Cup Noodle Energy Garlic & Black Pepper Yakisoba and the Nissin Gaming Curry Meshi Energy Ginger Keema Curry will be released at stores around Japan at the recommended retail price of 280 yen (US$1.91) from 18 September.
If you’re hungry for more Cup Noodle, don’t forget to check out these whacky Cup Noodle Tomica cars!
Source, images: Press release
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