The WINA has been seeing a dramatic increase in instant noodle consumption in the US and Mexico since 2020|Elsie Hui|CC BY 2.0
With inflation driving up food prices, people all over, including in the US, have sought low-cost foods like instant noodles, which experienced an all-time high of 121.2 billion servings in 2022.
The World Instant Noodles Association (WINA) ranked China as leading in the demand for instant ramen, followed by Indonesia, India, Vietnam and Japan.
While noodles are a dish culturally associated with Asian countries, WINA saw a dramatic increase in its consumption over the past few years in America and Mexico (where demand soared 17.2% in 2021).
Major instant noodle makers Nissin Foods and Toyo Suisan have seen their profit from overseas sales skyrocket recently. It plans to set up production facilities in the US by 2025.