Google Doodle Celebrates Momofuku Ando, Instant Ramen Inventor

Momofuku Ando, the inventor of instant ramen, is at the center of today’s Google Doodle for what would have been his 105th birthday.

Momofuku Ando Google Doodle

Google’s Doodle for March 5 features an animated likeness of Ando with a cup of noodles in one hand and a fork in the other. The Google logo lettering has been redesigned with ramen noodles.

According to Ando, the idea for instant Ramen came to him while observing the long food lines in post World War II Japan. However, it wasn’t until the late 50s – when he was in his 40s – that he founded Nissen Food Products and made instant ramen available to the masses.

By 1971, Ando had taken his idea a step further, releasing the ever-popular Cup of Noodles.

Decades after Ando first turned his idea into a profitable business in which college students made instant ramen a dietary staple, ramen has gone gourmet. The noodle dish has inspired numerous trendy restaurants that feature ramen as its specialty and foodie must-have items like the ramen burger and ramen tacos.