Vegetarian or Not?
There has been alot of discussion and emails to me as to whether ramen is vegetarian. I am sensitive to this issue since I am married to a vegetarian (from Texas no less).
In general, the noodles are safe to eat for vegetarians. However, read the labels carefully, some brands use animal fat in the noodles or to cook them.
In general, the flavor packet will contain animal by-products, so be wary here.
If you find a brand of ramen that is animal by-product free (in regards to the noodles), try that and add some veggies!
I have anecdotal evidence that Top Ramen Oriental Flavor is vegetarian (includng the seasoning), but I don’t have the ingredients in front of me. If you know otherwise, or know brands that are vegetarian or vegan, please let me know.
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April 23rd, 2006 at 5:28 pm
The Top Ramen Oriental flavor packet containes beef extract I think. Last time I was in the store I checked it out I may be wrong but I’m fairly certain that’s the one I was looking at.
April 24th, 2006 at 8:25 pm
The Maruchan Ramen oriental flavor has beef extract. We’re mostly a vegetarian family and I’ve never noticed that before. We as a rule never eat beef and my kids love the oriental flavor Maruchan Ramen so I may just have to switch. Thanks for bringing this topic up, I’d like to know if there are any others that are vegetarian.
April 26th, 2006 at 12:35 pm
The Maruchan has beef extract but the Top Ramen does not. As far as I’ve checked, all of the Maruchan stuff has some sort of meat-like substance in it including things like the Chili variety. All the other Top Ramen flavors have some meat in the name so they’re out.
There are other brands of ramen that are fully vegetarian. For lunch today, I had a packet of curry ramen that said right on the front it was 100% vegetarian. I wish I hadn’t thrown the packet out now that it’s come up but I recall it was made by Nestle India and really delcious. I might have another packet at home to check.
April 27th, 2006 at 11:30 am
Maruchan used to be vegan, but they changed the recipe on us =\
i use top ramen, wasnt as good as the old maruchan, but its cheap and it works.
April 29th, 2006 at 2:59 pm
Hi,
I’m italian.
I’ve red in one of your post that italian fresh pasta is very similar to fresh rame.
Do you mean this?
http://www.barillaus.com/Thin_Spaghetti.aspx
in italian this:
http://it.primopiatto.barilla.com/ilmondodellapasta/lapastabarilla/lapastasemola/htm/prod_1.htm
I’ve look in a lot of web pages but i cant’t find the recipe for the fresh ramen pasta, can you help me?
Thanks,
Maurizio
April 29th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
I’ve done a mistake,
the english url for this pasta is this:
http://www.barillaus.com/Angel_Hair.aspx
April 30th, 2006 at 6:15 pm
Mmmmmmmmmm, meat products…
May 2nd, 2006 at 1:50 am
Ramen is made with eggs. So I guess it’s vegetarian, but not vegan.
It’s the soup you need to worry about. All ramen stock that I’ve ever heard of was made using meat and/or poultry.
May 3rd, 2006 at 5:29 am
What ramen are available that have the the least sodium, very little sodium or no sodium?… What ramen are available that have the better nutritious ingredients?…
May 4th, 2006 at 12:55 am
I’ve been eating your nmoodles for about a year now. I decided to start counting the peas, carrots and shrimp inmy cups of noodles.
They average 7 Peas, 9 Pieces of Carrot and 1 and a half shrimp
The box always shows three whole shimp. Are these little things really shrimp?
May 5th, 2006 at 9:08 pm
The nissin cup noodles souper meal dosen’t list any chicken or beef in the ingredients. I’m assuming its vegetarian.
May 9th, 2006 at 10:33 pm
I’ve read the ingredients for Top Ramen Oriental flavor and I never seen any meat or meat products on the ingredients list. It does say, however, that the product is made in a factory that also processes seafood.
Frank,
A local gas station where I live also sells Oriental Flavor Ramen by Maggi, a subsidiary of Nestlé India. I bought one package once, but it said it was already expired. I tried it and it was all right, but not THAT good.
May 10th, 2006 at 12:33 am
Eat meat. Humans are omnivorous for a reason.
Omnivore
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. An omnivore (from Latin: omne all, everything; vorare to devour) is a species of animals the members of which regularly eat both plants and meat. Omnivores lack the specialist behaviour of carnivores and herbivores , searching widely for food sources, and are thus better able to withstand changes within their ecological niche. The digestive systems of omnivores reflect their versatility: they are able to digest the components of plants in the manner of herbivores but also readily assimilate nutrients from meat.
May 15th, 2006 at 11:21 am
Top Ramen Oriental is vegan, save the warning about it being manufactured in a facility that also processes shrimp and milk products. There are no eggs in the noodles. It’s not exactly the most flavorful thing you can eat, but it will do in a pinch.
Rob: people are vegetarian for a variety of reasons. Why not just let them be and worry about yourself?
May 22nd, 2006 at 10:54 am
the oriental flavoring has beef extract and im pretty sure its not vegetarian, i would like to eat some soup but i can’t this sucks
June 1st, 2006 at 11:02 am
I have an oriental flavored Top Ramen right in front of me, and the ingredients are as follows:
Ramen Noodles: enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil), contains less than 2% of salt, sodium tripolyphosphate, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, tocopherols, t-bhq.
Seasoning Mix: salt, soy sauce powder (wheat, soybeans, malodestrin, salt) (likely MSG), monosodium glutamate (MSG), spices, hydrolyzed soy, corn and wheat protein (MSG, MSG, MSG), garlic powder, caramel color, onion powder, rice oil, citric acid, disodium succinate, dehydrated leek, calcium silicate (anticaking agent), disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate.
Manuractured in a facility that also processes milk, egg, peanuts, fish and shrimp products.
According to Nissin’s website, “Our Oriental flavor of Top Ramen contains no animal products.” http://www.nissinfoods.com/faq.htm
I guess they’re ok with sparing you the animal products as long as they get to pump you full of MSG
some random googled sites..
Orietnal Ramen nutritional analysis: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-B00001-01c20KX.html
Why do they disguise MSG in the labels? http://shop.sixwise.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=175
MSG killing your brain: http://www.joyfulaging.com/Excitotoxins.htm
The defenders of MSG say it’s found in natural foods (like tomatoes, milk, and mushrooms), so it must not be harmful. But it occurs in almost ALL of the processed foods, and we americans consume a lot of those.. I guess my point is that a lot of things are unharmful in small doses, but too much of anything is usually bad. Just a warning to those who haven’t done their research yet
June 1st, 2006 at 1:35 pm
I have found that it is just easier to stay away from ramen products because they somehow contain meat byproducts. The only ramen product that I have found without an animal product is Vegetarian Soup which I think is vegetable soup. Note that I do not have nor have ever came across Top Ramen in the store near where I live.
June 3rd, 2006 at 8:42 am
I remember which is vegetarian by telling myself “Top Ramen is tops!”
Silly but helpful.
June 19th, 2006 at 12:39 pm
I believe Tradition Brand Ramen is Kosher Parve which is vegetarian. Unfortunately, they cost about 99 cents a pack.
Here is a link that shows the packaging:
http://www.traditionfoods.com/kosher_foods.htm
June 19th, 2006 at 7:45 pm
I am a vegetarian and I can’t find the Nissin Cup Noodles Vegetarian Vegetable anywhere. I called the company and they said that it is not sold in California..does anyone know of a website where I can order veg. soup by the case? I am desperate!!
thanks
June 21st, 2006 at 8:56 pm
So, I need a favor for all of us Ramen lovers. I was wondering if anybody knows the caloric content for Ramen Noodles without the flavor packet? I love the Maruchan noodles, but the sodium levels are insane. I have tried to switch out the packets with sauces or other toppings that have a lot less sodium.
August 6th, 2006 at 7:14 pm
I make ramen noodles and use a different seasoning that I pick up at the local “green market” store. The seasoning is Vegan.
http://www.rapunzel.com/products/rapunzel/rapunzel_soups_bouillon.html
Loads of sodium, but I think it is great.
August 28th, 2006 at 11:45 pm
I’m reading all these great comments on the product Ramen noodle soups, that it does not contain animal products – or is it Kosher Parve? But let’s examine where it is made. It is manufactured in a facility that processes shellfish and fish products. I know that the veggasaureses or (vegetarian) poeple believe that fish and shellfish aren’t animals. But to Kosher Parve community, do you know for sure that the machines they use to process the fish and shellfish aren’t the same ones used to process the noodle soups? That would be my question to the manufacturers.
Does anyone know if they use the same machines and area to make noodle soups as they use to make the shellfish and fish products? If they do it would not be Kosher for our community. We don’t eat pork or shellfish.
If the flavor packets are the only thing processed with shellfish and fish and the noodles are made in a different part of the building, but are not made on the same machines, then I will only use the noodles and throw away the flavor packet.
September 1st, 2006 at 6:02 pm
I am also looking out for the “Nissin Cup Noodles Vegetarian Vegetable “. I am in the chicago area and for the life of me cannot find any Cup O Noodles with NO MEAT. I looked all over for Nissan, maruchan, ramen and could not find any at all. I emailed Nissing Corp but they never respond to me. any help will be greatly appreciated. pyaare1@hotmail.com
October 22nd, 2006 at 9:16 pm
I remember to get the top ramen oriental (vs marchurian or whatever), by looking at the photo on the front of the package. Both oriental ones are blue, but, ne has meat slices in the picture, and the other doesn’t. The oriental one without meat slices, is vegetarian. Easy =)
November 4th, 2006 at 5:53 pm
Are traditionfoods soups vegetarian?
November 29th, 2006 at 9:37 pm
Where can you buy Ramen Top Oriental Flavor Noodles in Iowa?
Let me know.
December 1st, 2006 at 3:05 pm
Top Ramen is not vegetarian. Don’t fool yourselves its not vegetarian and it sure as hell isn’t vegan.
Don’t eat it. It is not vegetarian.
- Neil
December 11th, 2006 at 8:43 pm
I know you’re probably not here anymore, but:
I know that the veggasaureses or (vegetarian) poeple believe that fish and shellfish aren’t animals.
Not true. The wider vegetarian community does not see fish or shellfish as vegetarian.
January 13th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Hi,
SOKEN makes “top ramen” style noodles without MSG, and it’s not fried (baked instead) so fat content is much, much lower, and sodium is lower (but definitely not LOW). Interesting flavors, including Brown Rice, Spinach, Miso, & “Spicy Dragon.” Not bad, but lacks that “zip” that MSG unfortunately provides so well. Only available, I’ve found, at Whole Foods market (in S. California). And last time I checked (very recently), couldn’t find them at all!!! I’ve read that Westbrae makes ramen w/out MSG, as well.
January 13th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Ooops, I should add that the Soken noodles are vegetarian! Here’s the website w/ the info:
http://www.sokensha.co.jp/company/e_pamphlet.html
January 24th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
The westbrea ones are not tasty at all. Really bad actually. Generally speaking non-fried ramen is not good packaged, only fresh.
And Blue Top Ramen is veggie. It’s tasty too. It’s just not healthy so I only eat it occasionally.
February 12th, 2007 at 11:38 pm
Cha-ya in SF and berkeley are vegan japanese food resturants.
February 13th, 2007 at 11:30 am
Anyone have any ideas to lower the sodium in Ramen noodles? I love them, but I eat the whole package, even though it says it’s two servings. So, I get the double amount of sodium, and I don’t want to eat all of that salt!
Help Me!!!
July 11th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
i’ve bought these top ramen noodles before that are called like “vegetarian vegetable” and they’re reallly good. i can’t find them anywhere though. =/
July 18th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
i used to buy Top Ramen Oriental Flavor from the Albertsons right by where i live. It actually says, “NO MSG” on the pachaging. Somehow, they stopped carrying it. I don’t know why.
July 19th, 2007 at 6:50 am
I think Top Ramen is discontinuing their Oriental flavor which is a big disappointment since there are broke vegetarians and vegans everywhere.
I think we should start writing to Nissin(?) and boycott their products (which will be easy to do if you are vegetarian- but they don’t need to know that).
July 21st, 2007 at 8:28 am
I used to be a big fan of Vegetarian Vegetable until it was discontinued in April 07, and every once in a while I still get huge cravings that lead to hours of fruitless internet searches.
I still havent found the oriental flavour, thats a shame if they are canceling it too.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:00 am
The oriental Top Ramen noodles and seasoning are veg, I used to buy them all the time, but I can’t find them ANYWHERE any more! Makes me mad, cause I loved those things. Also, the WalMart brand oriental ramen noodles were veg when they were available, but they aren’t even made anymore, I think.
If anyone knows where I can get some, please let me know! AIM: kmh2006
July 28th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
Vegans–BS “can’t drink milk or eat cheease” but you can ….drive a car! Oil is an “animal biproduct,” too, trust kid.
o live in West Africa and you’ll learn what hunger really is, spoiled mallkid. STFU.
August 2nd, 2007 at 1:09 am
Attention Vegetarians! You are in luck with your love of Ramen, find an Indian Grocery as Top Ramen makes a style of ramen for India called Curry Smoodles. Not only that, Maggi makes a host of vegetarian ramen. I’ve been reading the ingrediants and I can almost assure you they are vegan. From Maggi the flavors include, Curry, Veg Chowmein (Indian Style), Vegetable Atta Noodles (Masala Style), Chatpata flavor, and Tomato. My favorites are the Maggi Masala and the Top Ramen Curry, mind you that besides the Tomato and Chowmein, some people might find these a bit spicy, but so very yummy compared to any of the east Asian varieties.
August 8th, 2007 at 11:21 am
I’ve been looking for the tomato flavored ramen noodles, have not had any luck now for quite some time????? They were great tasting… does anyone know of where they can be purchased???????
August 30th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
NISSIN ORIENTAL is vegan.
MARUCHAN ORIENTAL is not. it has meat in the season packet.
September 12th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
Soken is a brand that sells pretty decent ramen. Evey one of their ramen flavors is vegetarian, it says so on the front of the package.
Most importantly is had NO MSG!!!, which most ramen vegan or not usually contain.
http://www.sokensha.co.jp/company/e_pamphlet.html
September 19th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
From Tim: “Vegans–BS “can’t drink milk or eat cheease” but you can ….drive a car! Oil is an “animal biproduct,” too, trust kid.
o live in West Africa and you’ll learn what hunger really is, spoiled mallkid. STFU.”
Wow, your articulate words and lovely spelling technique have convinced me to start eating dead animals again! Thank you so much!
</SARCASM>
September 20th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Sapporo Ichiban Miso is vegetarian.
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:11 pm
haha the envious demons can’t handle the fact that we don’t eat meat. Why should they care? And you can tell that their reasoning is highly sophisticated. One guy is quoting the definition of “omnivore” from Wikipedia, and the other one says that oil is an animal byproduct, which is patently false. This is based on the old myth that oil comes from decomposed dinosaur carcasses. It is not even agreed upon that the source of petroleum is biotic, but even if it is, it could just as easily have come from a decomposed tree.
October 5th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Some Indian stores carry the “spicy vegetable” flavor Cup Noodles that is apparently marketed and sold exclusively in India by Nissin.
It is vegan for sure, tastes terrific and not as “spicy” as the name suggests.
Wonder why they don’t sell such stuff in regular supermarkets in the US.
October 7th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Our local supermarket in California has Top Ramen but they haven’t had the Oriental flavor recently. As a vegetarian, I’m bummed.
October 7th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
You could ask them to continue the Top Ramen Oriental flavor here: http://www.nissinfoods.com/company/contactus.php
It would also be great if they sold that variety by the six pack like they do the other flavors.
It says here that it’s vegetarian:
http://www.nissinfoods.com/faqs.php
October 8th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
missed to clarify in my earlier post that some Indian stores in the US do carry the vegetarian spicy vegetable flavor if Nissin cup noodles.
Also try the Maggi brand of instant noodles (again from Indian stores) – they have quite a few vegetarian flavors. Pretty good stuff.
October 8th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
missed to clarify in my earlier post that some Indian stores in the US do carry the vegetarian spicy vegetable flavor of Nissin cup noodles.
Also try the Maggi brand of instant noodles (again from Indian stores) – they have quite a few vegetarian flavors. Pretty good stuff.
October 9th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
hey, if the noodles themselves are at least vegetarian, is there something out there that can be used as seasoning for the noodles
id rather play it safe and steer clear of the oriental flavor so if anyone knows something vegetarian that would be a great flavoring for the noodles, please post it
thanks!
October 28th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Old Bay
October 28th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
As much as I laughed reading these posts, I’ll help you some. If you don’t want so much sodium, don’t drink the broth. If you want to, use half a packet. Eat only half a ramen package at a time. Drink more water to offset the sodium a bit. If you want food that’s decent for you, don’t look for 12 cent noodles.
Any number of those could help. Also, being a Vegetarian is nice, but not needed. Animals need to be eaten or they wouldn’t taste so good, just don’t eat in excess.
October 28th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
Adam, I bet humans taste good too. Why don’t we eat each other?
November 16th, 2007 at 5:12 am
I have been a connoisseur of ramen for over 10 years now (since college). Maruchan is simply the tastiest for me, and because of that, I have accidentally memorized all their ingredients. All Maruchan noodles (regardless of what packaging they are in) are vegan. All seasoning packets are not vegetarian…EXCEPT FOR SHRIMP.
Yes, thats right; MARUCHAN SHRIMP FLAVORED RAMEN IS VEGETARIAN. I can’t for the life of me, remember if it is vegan or not (probably not)…but it IS VEGETARIAN.
Bizarre, isn’t it? Almost as bizarre as a grown man preferring ramen over any other food.
December 4th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
I’m looking at the Maruchan Ramen Shrimp Flavor right now, and though the noodles are vegetarian, the seasoning packet is NOT vegetarian. It says it contains “natural and artificial shrimp and lobster flavor”, and at the bottom, in bold, it says it “contains wheat, soy, shrimp, and lobster ingredients”. Sorry Adnan!
As far as I know, none of the Maruchan seasoning packets are vegetarian, just the noodles.
December 5th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
You can find Nissin Oriental Top Ramen at some Krogers still. I found it in Denver!
And btw, I looked up all the weird ingredients in it, like disodium inosinate (which gives it its “meaty” flavor) and it IS vegan, other than being “manufactured in a facility that processes milk, egg, fish and shrimp products.”
December 10th, 2007 at 9:24 am
Was top ramen oriental discontinued? Does anyone have confirmation of this from the company? It still shows up on Nissin’s homepage, where as the “vegetarian vegetable cup noodles” does not.
From Nissin FAQ http://www.nissinfoods.com/faqs.php :
“Do you have any vegetarian products?
Our Top Ramen Oriental and Cup Noodles Vegetarian Vegetable flavors contain no animal products.”
Ingredients from my Oriental Top Ramen Package:
ramen noodles: enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil)preserved by tocopherols and/or tbhq and/or ascorbyl palmitate, contains less than 2% of salt, sodium tripolyphosphate, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium alginate.
seasoning mix: salt, soy sauce powder (wheat, soybeans, malodextrin, salt), monosodium glutamate (MSG), spices, hydrolyzed soy, corn and wheat protein (MSG, MSG, MSG), garlic powder, caramel color, onion powder, rice oil, citric acid, disodium succinate, dehydrated leek, calcium silicate (anticaking agent), disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate.
Manuractured in a facility that also processes milk, egg, peanuts, tree nut, fish and shrimp products.
Koyo Brand are my favorite vegan ramen packets though. They’re a little hard to find. (I get mine at Earthfare.) They’re about $1, but taste much more “real” than cheap chemical ramen packets. (Soba Ramen is my favorite flavor.) They are made with organic noodles, and don’t have any chemical-sounding ingredients or MSG. I think there are 7 or so flavors that are all vegan. Koyo doesn’t have a website, but here’s a picture of some of the packages, so you know what to look for.
Also, here is contact information from the back of one of the packages:
KOYO
P.O. Box 999
Dayville, CT 06241
December 10th, 2007 at 9:28 am
oops-I’m not good with code…
these are the pic links:
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4670/2333/1600/DSC03029.0.jpg
http://shop.deliciousorganics.com/images/products/sobaramennoodles100.jpg
December 12th, 2007 at 7:44 am
hey i havent eaten animals in bout 12 years or so. top ramen oriental and the walmart oriental are exactly the same product i used to buy the walmart 10 for a $1 then they stoped selling them. but the flaver packets in them had the exact same words and numbers on them. i just ate some top ramen and i decided to get on the internet and see if anyone else was hip.
guess so. also maruchan shrimp flaver never used to list that lobster ingredient ,i think they mustv changed the recipe a few years back…i was bummed when i saw it cause i used to like them.every once in a while at albertsons grocery store i get top ramen 10 for a$1..but u gotta use that nazi ass orwellian big brother friggin card to get anything for a decent price there…
December 12th, 2007 at 8:08 am
maruchan used to make a mushroom flaver to that was great but now they only have like chicken mushroom or somethin.
December 14th, 2007 at 12:51 am
humans are not soppost to be omnivores
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:45 pm
The seasoning packets almost always has MSG, which gives me a headache and makes me feel like I have the flu for several hours. But I love the noodles, so I make my own broth. Just add some soy sauce, maybe a tablespoon or so and then add lots of CUMIN, it adds a really nice richness. It’s also great to add some green onions if you have them. It’s tastes better and is better for you than the packet anyway. You’ll be surprised.
January 27th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I already left this post on another page of this web site, but it was probably not the BEST place for it, so I’m repeating it here. Sorry.
Hello. Amazon sells ramen in their grocery section, and they have Soken Low-Fat Ramen, Sea Vegetable, 3-Ounce Packets (Pack of 12) for under $20. That’s a little higher than what you get at the supermarket (they’re something like seven for a buck!), but these ARE vegetarian. I’m not sure about “vegan,” although there’s nothing listed on the label that implies egg or dairy.
They also sell a Dr. McDougall’s Ramen that’s “chicken” flavored, but the flavor comes from a non-meat source. I think all his products are vegan.
Oh, they also have the Sapporo Ichiban Miso Ramen that someone else mentioned, but that DOES contain gelatin, which isn’t a vegetarin ingredient. Odd they they didn’t just go with agar, since that’s a sea vegetable derivative.
Most of the ramen Amazon sells lists the package ingredients, and if you want to buy in bulk, it’s not a bad way to go!
Thanks for all the information. You’ve gotta love the Internet!
February 1st, 2008 at 10:32 am
I’ve given up on vegetarian ramen. Now I buy those blocks of ramen noodles with no seasons added. Instead of putting it in a cup of water, I use veggie broth and heat it up. Then when it’s done, I added salt, a small bit of pepper, and a generous amount of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. Sometimes I have some frozen corn and peas in the house, so I heat some up and put them in. It’s pretty good!
February 16th, 2008 at 1:15 am
Thanks for all the new Ramen-info you guys!
Have you heard about “Snack Noodles:Cup Ramen Hot And Spicy Flavor”
Its available here in Walmart. Its that cup noodle thing. and it says it only contains Wheat, Soy.
And of course msg
February 24th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
http://www.koamart.com/shop/1-ramen_bags.asp
Check it out! You will get all the noodles you want and all their ingredients listed in detail also.
Also i found that “Snack Noodles:Cup Ramen Hot And Spicy Flavor” has beef powder in it (which is also listed in the link).
But you can find a lot of oriental type ramen here and very cheap if you buy in bulk.
March 7th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
To set the record straight about vegetarians thinking that fish and shellfish aren’t animals, that is completely incorrect!! Most vegetarians are lacto-ovo-vegetarian. We believe in not eating living animals or creatures! There are other kinds of vegetarians but that is certainly not what vegetarian means!
I used to eat the mushroom maruchan but they discontinued it for the upper mid-west! My suggestion would be to either add vegetable stock or broth and add parsley, rosemary finely chopped and oregano(all spices dried or fresh). Or bouillon vegetable cubes(or orangic vegetable base, you just add water) with all the prior names spices and mushrooms!
March 15th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Put some chili oil in oriental flavor ramen. Any brand. It makes it taste so much better.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:19 am
I know that there is a brand that is produced in Singapore that is an entirely vegetarian cup of noodles. I cannot remember the name though for the life of me. I had it on a flight on Singapore Airlines. It is made with a cabbage base for the flavoured broth. I do believe the name started with a MA and it had a cute cartoon drawing of a girl eating her cup of noodles with black hair and big black eyes. It was extremely tastey. I wish I had the name for you though but maybe with some research you (and I) and any others will be able to find the brand and see if it is offered in your hometowns or possible to order it online.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
i eat top ramen plain uncooked right out of the pakage =]
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:36 am
WARNING!!!
Glutamate is present in many products even when they say NO MSG. It just comes under a different name, often ‘yeast extract’, see .
Rapunzel vegetable broth is full of yeast extract, so I stopped using it.
June 12th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I found (on PETAKIDS.com) that the oriental flavour is indeed vegan. They wouldn’t post it if they weren’t sure. PETA is kind of a strong advocate for the vegan/vegetarian lifestyle, so I reckon that it’s true that the oriental top ramen is safe for the vegans and vegetarians.
here’s the site if you want to look and check it out: Look under ‘staples’
Hope this helped?
June 25th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
my husband bought some maruchan ramen and one of the flavors was mushroom. i looked at the ingredients for the flavoring several times and did not find any meats. does everyone agree this flavor is okay for a vegetarian to eat then?
July 6th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
(nissin oriental flavor)
ingredients: ramen noodles –enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid),vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil) preserved by tocopherols and/or tbhq and/or ascorbyl palmitate, contains less than 2% of salt, sodium tripolyphosphate, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium alginate.
seasoning mix–salt, soy sauce powder (wheat, soybeans, maltodextrin, salt), monosodium glutamate, spices, hydrolyzed soy, corn and wheat protein, garlic powder, caramel color, onion powder, rice oil, citric acid, disodium succinate, dehydrated leek, calcium silicate (anticaking agent), disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate.
manufactured in a facility that also processes milk, egg, peanuts, tree nut, fish and shrimp products.
umm…does that last part make this non-vegetarian? because this is the kind i eat…
August 20th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Susie… No, it does not mean your soup is non-vegetarian. This type of information is primarily an allergen disclaimer.
I found this website because I was upset about buying Maruchan Ramen. The packaging is very similar to Nissin Top Ramen and I wasn’t paying attention. I have been a vegetarian most of my life and have been eating Nissin Top Ramen Oriental flavor since I can remember. I noticed the beef extract in the flavor packet. Today’s lunch turned into ramen noodles with tofu and sweet and sour sauce.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Bob Bonanno: I buy Top Ramen at Hy-Vee in Iowa. The “Harding Hills” store in Des Moines sells the meat-free “Oriental” flavor, as well as Top’s newer, reduced-fat, reduced-sodium “Choice Ramen” products which I believe are also meat-free. I’m not sure if all Hy-Vees sell Top products, but it’s worth looking into.
September 26th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Rob, you’re a cunt. Just because we CAN eat animals doesn’t mean we need to.
September 29th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Great site!
Heres an update about NISSIN/ TOP RAMEN.
There site now only mentions the ORIENTAL as vegetarian. They may have discontinued the Vegetarian Vegetable mentioned here, because its no longer on their site and i have not ever seen it
FYI: I have THRIFTY MAID ramen in my home, turns out its just the private label name for Winn Dixie (south east grocery store) Made by Nissin!
Aside from the Oriental, theres a Hot & Spicy flavor with no meat anywhere in the ingredients. So look for this brand where available
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:54 am
disodium guanylate is often derived from fish.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disodium_guanylate
November 14th, 2008 at 2:24 am
nission oriental packets are vegetarian.
maruchan oriental contains beef extract.
November 18th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
I actually have reason to believe the Oriental flavor is not vegetarian, I distinctly recall reading a package having beef stock in it.
Also, I’d be wary about saying the noodles are okay for vegetarians, but not the seasoning. Most intelligent morally based vegetarians will not buy something with animal stock in it just to throw it away. I’d make 100% vegetarian friendly recommendations from now on to be a little more clear about it.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:37 am
I’m vegetarian and I love ramen noodle soup on occasion. I stock up on Knorr’s Vegetarian Vegetable bullion cubes. The cubes are big and are sold 6 in a box for a little over a dollar. I take the flavor packet out of the ramen noodles, then crunch them up. Cook with two cups of water as directed then add one Vegetarian Vegetable bullion cube. Make sure it dissolves completely (stir a lot). I always eat my noodles as soup and with the Knorr brand veggie bullion they are delicious!
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:58 am
Maruchan Mushroom flavor ramen is still vegan, as far as I can tell from the packet I bought last week.
December 15th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Eating Soken ramen right now. It’s pretty good. And as for decreasing sodium intake, just use as little of the soup base packet as possible to just get some flavor. quite expensive though… think i paid $1.60 per packet at whole foods.
December 15th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Eating Soken ramen right now. It’s pretty good. And as for decreasing sodium intake, just use as little of the soup base packet as possible to just get some flavor. quite expensive though… think i paid $1.60 per packet at whole foods. oh yeah, and it says VEGAN right on the packet.. seems like they made that update from what they show on the website, probably since the notion of ‘vegetarian’ is completely distorted in america.
January 13th, 2009 at 6:24 am
Hi everyone! Just to let you all know, there is a really good VEGAN bouillon you can add to your ramen noodles called .*ssel.IT is an Australian brand and is a bit hard to find. But -’m sure you can buy it online. There is a ‘beef’ style, ‘chicken’ style and ‘?egetable style. They sell it ia can in a poweder in a can or in cubes. Its the tastiest bouillon I’ve been able to find. By the way it is KOsher Parve to.
January 13th, 2009 at 6:35 am
Hi, just wanted to let you all know that there is an awesome vegan bouillon that tastes great with ramen noodles. It is called Massel and is an Australian brand. I’ve only found it at one store so far in my area. They make it in “beef” style, “chicken” style, and “vegetable” style. All do NOT contain any animal content and are Kosher parve. I’ve seen a powder in a can and in cubes in a little box. It’s the best vegetarian bouillon I’ve tried so far. I use the “chicken” style powder and add an onion, pepper, salt, garlic powder and it comes out delicious. Of course it takes longer to prepare and isn’t as convient as instant ramen noodles. But is completely vegan for sure.
January 18th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
I am convinced that Ramen is the most underrated food source currently extant. I survived on them, and stayed skinny and healthy, all though college; I still eat them every now and then, and just like my red wine and my anchovies, they have not harmed me, rather the opposite. Mithridates died old! But of course, he never attended a single USA “Buffet.” There is a lesson in that. Viva le vive. Visit me on the Web!
January 21st, 2009 at 7:23 pm
i wouldn’t worry about the last part saying it’s manufactured in the same factory as fish and eggs, unless its for health reasons, no animals are hurt purposfully in the creation of the ramen, if we all (perfect world) go to being herbivores (blablah we are omnivores, but human nature lets us be herbivores so we choose) then our are problemos are solved
January 28th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
hey i was just on the nissin official website and it said that the oriental top raman was the only type of top ramen that didn’t contain meat. that makes me very sad, i only liked chicken and beef. being a vegitarian is really hard sometimes
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:27 am
I am excited to read this. Ive steered clear off most Ramen because I just couldnt be sure, but now I have some new brands to check out. Hopefully the Whole Foods or the Vegan store by my house will have some varieties there.
As for the people posting soley to tell us to eat animals or abrade us into eating meat, or to simply attempt to use wit and ignorance to make fun of the topic of this thread… seriously, you’re grasping at air here.
People are posting on here to look for veg ramen. Without msg? Better! Lower sodium? Perfect.
If they were looking for advice on healthier options or recipies for steak, they’d look on threads about that. Making fun of vegetarians looking for Ramen on a thread dedicated to Vegetarians looking for Ramen is futile, and quite frankly… hilarious.
thanks for the laughs.
February 24th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
…don’t come on here to bash vegetarianism.
if you could give me a real reason to eat meat
(or stop torturing the animals)
i would
April 20th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
apparently the oriental flavoring was discontinued. but before that It was vegetarian! and now it seems that they have started making it again, except now it contains beef extract. yuck. i want to know who the brilliant corporate mind was who made this decision? did they even realize how many vegetarians were eating their oriental soup? i am so bummed.
May 8th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
I enjoy ramen on occasion, but always throw the packet away and make my own broth, or just season the noodles without broth. Good when waiting for your next pay check! But Top Ramen has almost trippled in prices… dissappointing.
I’ve also come to realize that somen noodles are just as quick and much more satisfying.
May 16th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
@Dave: Just because something is Kosher-Pareve does not mean that is is vegetarian. Pareve only means that a food is Kosher and okay to eat with either milk or meat (remember that under the rules of keeping Kosher, things that are considered meat or dairy can’t be eaten together). Fish that are considered Kosher (e.g. most of them) are Pareve and may be eaten with either milk or dairy. Shellfish is never Kosher under any circumstances.
May 20th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
also, some “animal flavor” ramen noodle packets from Asian super~markets do NOT contain actual meat! I am considering for instance “Doll arftificial chicken flavor” ramen noodles, that come in traiditional packets and taste very good but do not have meat in the seasoning or noodles!
May 20th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
also, some “animal flavor” ramen noodle packets from Asian super~markets do NOT contain actual meat! I am considering for instance “Mama arftificial chicken flavor” ramen noodles, that come in traiditional packets and taste very good but do not have meat in the seasoning or noodles!
June 4th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
how is babby formed
June 6th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Rob,
Some well respected osteologists and other fancy people say that the structure of our skulls and our mouths actually show that we aren’t omnivores… Our canines are dull and straight and the canines of omnivores and carnivores are long and curved back… Proportionately our mouth size to the overall size of our head is not the same as carnivores and most omnivores… Our saliva composition is like herbivores… Our gastric juice is like herbivores… Unlike a carnivorous animal, we do not have a very short digestive tract… I’ve seen humans classified as two things… Multi gastric herbivores… And scavengers… Our bodies have evolved to be able to handle meat… But not made to eat it…
June 9th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
I am with a lot of you! I have been eating the blue packaged oriental top ramen (with the cabbage on the front – not the one with the ham on the front) for years and they all of a sudden took it off all the shelves! I have written to the company a few times and they have been very short saying they don’t sell bulk directly to customers. I have searched stores in AZ and CA and I’m unable to find it. If you all know where to get it let me know please. My daughter loves it!
June 21st, 2009 at 1:57 pm
The chili flavor appears to have NO animal products in them. Also most of the animal products in the seasoning packet. The noodles are fine and just add your own seasonings. I use onion soup (dry albertson’s brand) there isn’t any animal products in it. Also dry albertson’s ranch mix’s tend to be vegan. Double check the packages, though.
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:10 am
I have emailed NISSIN, the maker of Oriental flavor Top Ramen to ask who still sells it as I havent seen it in stores in a year or two. Be careful of the KOYO brand mentioned here, it is made in China. We bought it anyway, thinking how bad could it really be… ironically, there was a tiny piece of metal in the noodles, about the size of a staple opened flat. We are returning this to the manufacturer and reporting them to the BBB. You might want to double check your ramen’s… even though its distributed out of CT, its made in China.
August 26th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Eric, you’re stupid. It is made with BEEF extract. Duh.
December 5th, 2009 at 5:19 am
I found a vegetarian ramen in an Asian food store, it was vietnamese and onion mushroom flavored. It was very good actually and I was so happy to find a ramen that I could eat. I cannot remember the name but it was in a red and yellow packet.
December 17th, 2009 at 6:12 am
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January 13th, 2010 at 8:18 am
Please tell me if your noodle packs contain MSG? Serious Question…Thanks
January 20th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
I have this vegan cookbook that says Top Ramen Oriental is vegan as it calls for it in many receipes. I haven’t seen anything that I would reconize as being an animal product or bi-product.
January 26th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
If you buy ramen with animal products in the seasoning and just eat the noodles, you’ve still contributed to animal harm by buying the stuff.
February 4th, 2010 at 5:41 am
I miss the Tomato Vegetable Top Ramen!!!!! It was soooo good and it was vegetarian! The oriental is too but it’s gross tasting.
February 14th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Amazon does sell the Maggi, Dr. McDougals, and Soken. I like Thai Kitchens rice noodle soup – it is very tasty, some are vegetarian (curry, onion, ginger), and ready to eat in a couple of minutes, but it’s not ramen. MSG and yeast extract are how they try to make the non-meat soup mixes taste good, but neither are good for your brain. Maggi has a tomato flavored recipe. Possible problem with Maggi is that it is sold in packs of 96. A couple of people have complained that it was stale so you might want to get the individual packets. The most reliably available brand is Dr. McDougals and it is more likely it wouldn’t have been laying around for a long time since it is sold in packs of 6.
Vegetarian = eating nothing with a nervous system. Fish are not eaten.
February 14th, 2010 at 11:59 am
http://www.ramenbox.com/order/Vegetarian
Don’t give ingredients so you will have to take their word that it is vegetarian.
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Hey guys. I just left the Kroger bt they did not have the Oriental or Mushroom flavor.. I stopped at Foodarama in Houston Tx and bought 5 for 1 buck Nissin Top Ramen Oriental flavor and Maruchan Ramen Mushroom Flavor and they had a couple of boxes full.I read and re-read the ingredients in both and read nothing indicating animal products. So I’m thinking maybe they do still make them but they are not shipped everywhere and I think the grocery store Foodarama might only be in Texas or Houston. Hope this helps some my fellow vegetarians!
March 26th, 2010 at 9:14 am
HELLO,
NISSIN REMEN AND SOUP….. MY FRIEND ASK ME THIS “SOUPER MEAL” HAVE LESS SODIUM ;D I TASTE BEEF FLAVER…. NOT BAD…. MAYBE I’LL BUY ONE SOON….. ALL REMEN , NOODLES ARE TOOOOO MUCH SODIUM UGH!!!!!!! I READ LABLE ON BACK….. IT NOT GOOD MY HEART …. THE SEASON OR LIQUID IN SALT ALOTS!!!!!!!!!!! EWW!
March 26th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Oriental Ramen Noodles seasoning contain egg. thus not vegan. If you want to eat those nasty noodles without seasoning, It would be vegan.. but at that point just make a healthier snack that doesnt have a gross ammount of sodium as isabel said.
April 17th, 2010 at 12:54 am
It is not mandatory that you have to use the entire seasoning packet. If you only use less than half of the packet and add some fresh or frozen veggies it is good in a pintch. Especially if you are a college student as myself.
July 1st, 2010 at 6:41 pm
Try paldo noodles!! http://www.amazon.com/Paldo-Hwa-Ramyun-Noodles-4-2-Ounce/dp/B001RNHITU
They have a LOT of vegetarian flavors- kimchi, hot and spicy. They are one of the few truly vegetarian brands I know of.
August 5th, 2010 at 8:59 am
I second Paldo ramen, which you can find at some Asian grocery stores. Safeway also carries 3-4 of the Maggi Indian varieties which are all vegetarian and yummy (curry, masala, chapata). The one thing I could never find was a vegetarian cup of noodles until last week…I was looking in the Kosher section of the grocery store and found Tradition brand cup of noodles. They’re actually marked as vegetarian, and you can get chicken or vegetable flavour. They’re even working on phasing out the styrofoam packaging. Oh, and on the subject of making Ramen tastier and more nutritious…only use part of the seasoning packet or your own seasoning blend (there’s a few veggie chicken soup mixes that are great), add veggies, and if you aren’t vegan, then mix up an egg and slowly add it to the boiling/hot soup. One of my friends from Korea said she grew up doing this, and it’s really tasty. If you aren’t into eggs, adding some tofu or a cut up veggie burger also works.
August 15th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
There is also a cheddar cheese flavored cup in case no one has mentioned the yet.
August 28th, 2010 at 6:11 am
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August 29th, 2010 at 10:54 am
The Top Ramen Oriental is confusing. If you by it in the single servings, there is no meat by-products. But if you by it in the Value 6-pack, it contains beef extract.
August 31st, 2010 at 6:57 am
Sapporo Ichiban Ramen Original Flavor is completely 100% vegetarian (however not vegan.)
I tried it last night and it’s pretty good. A little on the bland side, but spiced up with some veggies and garlic it’s wonderful. I found it in my local Dominick’s in Chicago.
Also, the packet is about 1 1/2 times larger than a regular Ramen packet…so it’s def a good full sized meal. Enjoy!