Cup Noodle mystery meat instant rice returns to Japanese stores after a seven-year absence

2 days ago 8

When you start scarfing down on Cup Noodles, obviously you’re in the mood for ramen. However, there’s something other than the noodles in that cup that also get fans really excited: the mystery meat.

Mystery meat is what Cup Noodle maker Nissin calls those little meaty cubes that you’ll find floating in the broth of Japan’s most popular brand of instant ramen. So strong is the love for mystery meat that in 2018, after Nissin tweeted a photo of a mystery meat-topped rice bowl, the public immediately responded with cries for the company to actually release such a product.

To appease the masses, Nissin whipped up a limited-quantity batch of Mystery Meat Bowls for its Cup Meshi instant rice line, which it made available for order through its online store…and the entire stock, all 10,000 units sold out in 1.6 seconds.

▼ Nissin’s mystery meat

Image: Nissin

Clearly, the people were hungry for more Mystery Meat Bowls, and now Nissin is finally ready to fulfil that desire. This month, not only has mystery meat returned to the Cup Meshi lineup, it is no longer an online-exclusive item, and is instead being sold in supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide.

You prepare the new Cup Noodle Kanzen Meshi Mystery Meat Bowl similarly to how you’d prepare instant ramen. First, you boil some water and pour it into the cup. Give everything a stir, wait five minutes for it to cook, add in the seasoning packet’s contents, and you’re all set. Rather than a dry rice bowl, the result has broth, like a hearty soup, and the flavor of the Kanzen Meshi Mystery Meat Bowl broth is similar to that of Cup Noodle ramen broth, with strong pepper and soy sauce stock notes, plus the extra meatiness that comes from the large portion of mystery meat.

Oh, and if you’re wondering how Japan, a country that prides itself on the high quality of its ingredients, can be so enthusiastic about gobbling up something called “mystery meat,” the true identity of the substance is an open secret, and perfectly palatable, as we confirmed by contacting Nissin and asking.

The Kanzen Meshi Mystery Meat Bowl is priced at 398 yen. Nissin hasn’t said anything about limited quantity this time around, but considering that there’s seven years of pent-up demand, individual stores will probably be selling out of stock very quickly.

Source: Nissin