I caught this over at Boing Boing. It's funny this popped up recently because for the longest time, I've refused to go near any form of instant noodle due to the fact that they were pretty much all I ate through college and when I first lived on my own. I ate so much of it that it got to a point where I couldn't even stand the smell of it. My roommate couldn't even make it without me gagging. Recently, like within the last few weeks, my absolute hatred and disgust for the product seems to have diminished as I found myself considering purchasing the godawful foodstuffs as a quick, easy lunch for my step-kiddies on a busy weekend. I actually did bring a few packs home, Sapporo Ichiban to be specific, and the smell they gave off was actually pleasant! I was astounded and tried a pack myself and found that I no longer harbor such an emotional allergy to the wallet-and-time-friendly dish.

Check out Boing Boing's post and interview with Toshio Yamamoto, founder of  i-ramen.net:

Toshio Yamamoto's earliest memory of ramen goes back to when he was five years old. He was slurping down a bowl of instant noodles at home with his parents when he accidentally flipped it over and burnt himself. "I've been eating instant ramen ever since," he says. By his early elementary school years, Yamamoto had mastered the skill of cooking noodles in a pot, treating himself to a serving of Maruchan whenever hunger struck. It was the beginning of a lifelong passion that would eventually make him a pseudo web celebrity.

Yamamoto is the man behind i-ramen.net, a web site that meticulously chronicles and reviews thousands of different types of ramen from Japan and beyond. After we profiled his web site on Boing Boing, the 49-year old hardware engineer agreed to answer a few questions about his instant ramen obsession.

Confessions of a hardcore instant ramen lover - Boing Boing

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