For the past decade, ramen has cemented itself as a culinary staple worldwide. Here, instant ramen sustains starving boarders, who always yearn for a flavorful alternative to SAGE kitchen’s bland offerings. Granted, the foam container (resembling more a cup than a bowl), a block of quick-fried noodles, and powder soup might not make ramen an obvious delicacy. However, this instant delight houses more complexity and cultural heritage than may be apparent. For an international student like me, the much-loved instant ramen ritual offers a welcomed reprieve during New England’s hottest days and coldest nights.

I’ve learned to take satisfaction from watching the noodles slowly unfurl, relenting their rigid, original shape in boiling water; powdered spices crowning the dish puffs up in the air and tickles my nose. After a few minutes of impatience, I indulge in the hearty broth and familiar melange of seasonings. I lift the noodles with chopsticks and inhale the strands whole –– for biting noodles, a symbol of longevity, is considered unlucky in Asian cultures. Wreathed in steam, spice, and slurping, ramen elicits in me a kind of nostalgia and longing for home. Cooking ramen thus becomes a cultural act: a way to feel better and more connected to my roots.

Before instant ramen took over the world by storm, the dish first made its way from China to neighboring Japan in the nineteenth century. Thus, the birth of ramen itself symbolizes a kind of cultural exchange and foreshadows a more interconnected world in the 21st century. While the pandemic suspended traveling and globalization, ramen is here to stay. In the thick of the pandemic lockdown, instant ramen –– dressed up with toppings ranging from avocado to butter –– trended on social media platforms. Kylie Jenner, a reality TV star and beauty mogul, famously shared her three-extra-ingredient ramen recipe that had since gone viral on Tiktok. Now that I’m thousands of miles away from home, I, too, attempted dorm cooking and figured out ways to approximate the creativity of a home kitchen with my ramen recipe. The secret ingredients for my comfort combo are one egg, a tiny scoop of mayo, and garlic powder, in addition to the pre-packaged soup base. First, stir the added ingredients into 2 1/2 cups of water before bringing the broth to a boil in the saucepan. Then, add the noodles and cook for 2 minutes. The additional egg and mayo bring forth a creamy quality that the original instant ramen lacked. I hope this elevated version of ramen brings you as much joy as it did for me.