National Noodle Day – October 6, 2022, history significance
National Noodle Day is on October 6 and we are getting ready to celebrate by doing the best thing possible with noodles… eating them! Can you believe that noodles have been around for over 4,000 years? Noodles are popular all over the world and range in shape from flat, to round, to twisted, to sheets, to tubes, and many more. They can be made from rice, buckwheat, wheat, with or without eggs and even now from zucchini.
History of National Noodle Day
It is estimated that the origin of noodles dates back as far as two thousand years, or possibly even further. The first mention of noodles in historical records is in a book from the Eastern Han period that dates from between 25 and 220 BC. This unleavened dough has been prepared in many ways, throughout many cultures, using many different ingredients. But one thing remains the same–noodles are almost always delicious!
Noodles–inexpensive, simple, and rather filling–has been a mainstay of the working class for many years. The instant cup of noodles heated quickly in the microwave during a short lunch period. The mainstay of the poor and college-bound, pre-packaged Ramen noodles are often the foundation of a person’s first culinary ventures, as they try to turn the only meal they can afford into something akin to food.
But noodles aren’t only cheap and filling! Now, consider the rich and flavorful bowl of mom’s chicken noodle soup, full of the rich flavors of chicken and carrots, and floating among them are the obligatory egg noodles, which somehow are just the thing to tie this delicious bowl of nutrition together.
For anyone who was born into Italian family, chances are they’ve experienced every kind of noodle the mind can imagine and a few to boot! Rigatoni noodles, spaghetti noodles served with a rich red sauce exploding with flavor, Asian Rice Noodles, or even Fettuccine noodles coated in a thick heavy Alfredo sauce interspersed with bits of chicken.
Noodles have been with mankind in nearly every culture out of history, and National Noodle Day reminds us that this basic and staple food is still the best way to fill a hungry belly at the end of the day.
NATIONAL NOODLE DAY TIMELINE
2000 BC
Chinese Noodles
Noodles were invented in China.
1200’s
European Noodles
Noodles become popular in Europe, especially Italy. Some now credit Marco Polo with bringing them back from China, though he was not the first. Arab traders may have brought them first.
1789
American Noodles
Thomas Jefferson returns to the US after several years in France and brings back two cases of pasta.
1958
Instant Noodles
Instant ramen was invented in Japan, where it initially was considered a luxury food and was priced at 6x fresh noodles!
HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL NOODLE DAY
Try making your own noodles
Making noodles is not nearly as hard as it seems. Water, flour, salt, and an egg is all you need… mix the dough, roll it out flat then into a ‘jellyroll’ shape, and cut into strips. Now get to it!
Go out for noodles
As a much simpler alternative to making your own noodles or pasta, go try out that new restaurant that serves noodles. Search for Noodles on Yelp and see where your noodle adventure takes you, whether it is to Italian, Korean, Chinese, American or Japanese, the choices are endless.
Take a noodle-making class
Search out your local cooking school and sign up for pasta making class. You’ll learn so much about making noodles and pasta that you’ll have spaghetti coming out of your ears.
5 FACTS ABOUT INSTANT RAMEN THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND
It was first a luxury food
Because of its convenience, instant ramen was initially 6 times as expensive as fresh noodles.
Japan invented it
Many Japanese consider instant ramen their contribution to the world and a source of national pride.
China is obsessed with it
Citizens of China consume more than 46 billion packets of ramen each year.
It is super popular in prison
It consistently ranks on the top of lists of food items sold to inmates.
It is even cheaper than you thought
At 13 cents per package, it would only cost about $140 a year to eat ramen noodles for every meal.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL NOODLE DAY
Every culture has its own noodle tradition
Every area of the world has its own traditions and history surrounding noodles. In Italy, in China, in Vietnam, everyone has different techniques and ingredients to make their traditional noodles right.
Noodles can be healthy
If you’re health conscious or on a low-carb or no gluten diet, there are still a ton of noodles out there for you! People love noodles so much that they are now made of such things as, black beans, Mung beans, Quinoa, Shikitaki, Kelp, and even zucchini. So don’t limit yourself! You can still join in the fun of National Noodle Day.
Noodles are fun
Eating noodles is super fun, whether you eat them with a spoon and a fork, chopsticks or by slurping them up like in “Lady and the Tramp” a noodle date can be a blast with friends or your significant other. Invite your friends out for a noodle night at any place you can get noodles.
