【2018 Edition】Take a Look at These Cup Noodle Trends with 7 Select Cup Noodles

1. Nissin Cup Noodles Cheese Pizza Potato Flavor Big

This is a version of the most popular cup noodles, Nissin Foods\' Cup Noodles, with a flavor reminiscent of pizza with a variety of toppings. The rich flavor of cheese is added to a soup with the bright taste of basil and acidity of tomato. Toppings include cheese-flavored cubes, bacon-flavored bits, cabbage, potato and tomato. This is the jumbo 80g size (regular size is 65g).

Price: 205 JPY (excl. tax)

2. Seven Premium Mouko Tanmen with Medium Straight Noodles

Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto is a popular chain serving super-spicy ramen noodles, primarily in the Tokyo area. This is instant noodles in a cup that recreates its Karauma Miso Tanmen. The soup is a "karauma soup" that has umami (savory Japanese) flavors that come through the spiciness and goes perfectly with the chewy noodles. It is a supremely satisfying dish. It is available at Seven & i group stores such as 7-Eleven and Ito-Yokado.

Price: 204 JPY (incl. tax)

3. Ace Cook Wakame Abura-soba

This is a variation on the Wakame Ramen, which is a long-seller that has been popular for more than 30 years. Unlike ramen, which is noodles in soup, abura-soba is enjoyed by mixing a sauce with soba noodles. The sauce is made with sesame oil that whets the appetite and is flavored with seafood and soy sauce. There is a spice pack that includes sesame and white pepper that adds a kick and keeps the flavors interesting. Toppings include aromatic wakame and menma bamboo shoots with just the right flavoring.

Price: 220 JPY (excl. tax)

4. Myojo Chisomen Mamiana Rayu Nikusoba

This is a cup noodle product created with the supervision of Chisomen Mamiana, a restaurant that has constant lines despite its location in the ramen battleground of Ikebukuro, Tokyo. The soup has a rich and sweet flavor achieved by adding the umami of chicken to an aromatic bonito-based stock. Roasted chili sauce with the flavors of Sichuan pepper adds a kick. The noodles are substantial thick noodles and the toppings include sweet and savory pork chips, negi scallions, and sesame.

Price: 205 JPY (excl. tax)

Nissin Cup Noodles Nice

The Cup Noodles Nice series retains the rich flavors of Cup Noodles but reduces the fat content by 50% *1, sugars by 40% *2 and only has 178kcal. The noodles are newly developed noodles that are not fried and include tons of natural fibers.

*1: Based on a comparison of the fat content of one serving of Cup Noodles sold as of March 13th, 2017 *2 Based on a comparison of the sugar content of one serving of Cup Noodles sold as of March 13th, 2017

Price: 180 JPY (excl. tax)

5. Rich! Creamy Seafood

The creamy soup has the deep and rich flavors of seafood. Toppings include eggs, cabbage, squid, crab-flavored kamaboko and negi scallions.

6. Rich! Pork Shoyu

A rich soup of soy-based stock with peppers and pork extract. Toppings include cabbage, flavored minced pork, eggs, negi scallions and red bell peppers.

7. Myojo RIZAP Noko Miso Ramen

This is an instant ramen in a bowl with low sugar content that was developed in collaboration with the popular bodybuilding gym, RIZAP. The per-serving sugar content is less than 50% of a typical ramen in a cup*. The noodles are made with natural fibers and are not fried and the rich, miso-flavored soup has the added aroma of ginger. Toppings include steamed chicken and flavored minced chicken. Limited quantities are on sale at FamilyMart and Circle K Sunkus.

*Based on a per 100g comparison with Chinese-style instant cup noodles (non-fried) in the 2015 standard tables of food composition in Japan​ (ver. 7)

Price: 268 JPY (incl. tax)

The cup noodles introduced can be purchased at convenience stores, drugstores and supermarkets. They are recommended as a light meal when feeling peckish at a hotel, as well as for gifts to take home.