Is Cup Noodle in Japan Halal? What about Seafood flavor?

Japanese invention, Cup Noodle.

Cup Noodle is the name of a product from NISSHIN, a Japanese company. They are the first company that has invented this convenient food, and their products are selling so well even in overseas.

A lot of Muslims coming to Japan may wonder, if the same flavor Cup Noodle is sold as Halal food in their country, then shouldn’t the ones that we get in Japan also be Halal? The answer is unfortunately no. Let’s find out the reason why.

Flavors of NISSHIN products in Japan.

Since its introduction, NISSHIN has sold more than 51 billion cup noodles! Currently, there are more than 40 flavors available to buy in Japan, and it is not limited to noodle; There are Soba, Somen, and even “Rice”!

We used to think that Cup Noodle is something like “snack” that substitutes a meal, but thanks to the effort of the company, now many of them are eaten as a proper meal.

According to a survey done in Japan, the most popular flavor is original soy sauce, followed by seafood and curry. There are so many local limited flavors in each country, but the most common flavor that we can find both in Japan and oversea will be “seafood”.

So, is the Seafood Cup Noodle in Japan Halal?

Seafood flavor is sold in many countries, including Malaysia or Singapore, where many Muslims live. In these countries, Seafood noodle is made as Halal, which is not even a question.

However, the seafood flavor that we can get in Japan is obviously not Halal unfortunately.

Let’s take a look at the ingredients.

It says that the noodle contains chicken, pork meat and extract, even Gelatin.

Now many of our readers may wonder why seafood flavor needs to have ingredients from animal, especially pork, because it is not used in the Halal one. This is to make the soup thicker to meet the palate of Japanese.

What should Muslims choose then?

Not only Cup Noodles but also whatever is called “instant food” in Japan contain a lot of food additives.

These food additives may originate from animal or alcoholic products, so if you would like to have only Halal food, we cannot recommend you having instant food from Japan.

Luckly, with the increasing popularity of vegetarian and products for health-conscious person, there are some products that are made as “vegan” and “no food additives”.

Some of them clearly mention that there is no alcohol used, too. If a product is meeting all of these standards, then most probably the product can be Halal or Muslim-friendly. It may not be sold in the normal supermarket, so that buying them online could be an easiest way to get Muslim-friendly instant food.

Take Halal Japanese Ramen for your souvenir! Samurai Ramen Umami

Are you looking for a Halaa Japanese Ramen? Then Samurai Noodle Umami is definitely what you have to get! Secret of their yummy soup and noodle.

paulonia.tokyo

2023.04.25

What can we do at “Cup Noodle Factory”?

There is a popular touristic attraction called “Cup Noodle Factory” in Osaka and Yokohama, where you can learn the history of the company. You can also enjoy making your favorite noodle by choosing your own flavor and ingredients!

This factory is so popular that many tourists want to go, however, we are sorry to say that even though you avoid taking meat product, the soup or food additive may be originating from pork.

If you choose to go to the factory, simply avoid this experience. You can still see and learn many things at the factory.

In conclusion.

Even though you can get the same product as Halal in your country, let us remind you that the product in Japan is not made so.

They are perhaps made in different factories with different recipes and/or ingredients. This standard applies to all other products.

The quality of instant foods in Japan is so high and it is a very convenient choice for travelers. Still, we would like to say that ingredients should be carefully checked before consuming.