The ramyeon craze

Made In Korea, Slurped Lovingly In India

Jia Rajput, AIS Vasundhara 1, IX A

Once upon a time in India, it would have been unimaginable to think that anything could top our two-minute Maggi noodles. Emphasis on ‘once upon a time’. Meet the villain in Maggi’s story but a love interest in Indians’ tale, the Korean ramyeon. The noodle soup, comprising a rich-flavoured broth with savoury seasonings and condiments, has steadily gained popularity throughout the country.
The Korean culture has taken the world by storm, all thanks to BTS and the following hallyu wave. Indians, too, were on board, especially when the k-craze came with its own mouth-watering instant noodles – ramyeon. The proof of our love? Korikart, an online Indian store selling Korean food, has witnessed a 300% growth in its sale since March 2020, and still reports 40-50% month-to-month growth. And their best seller? Of course, ramyeon. Urban Platter, a food delivery platform in Mumbai, saw so much demand for ramyeon that they ran out of stock much earlier than planned, even after selling over 2,000 units of it monthly. The demand for ramyeon has grown ten-fold, resulting in South Korea’s export to India for the noodle being increased from 10.44 crore INR in 2020 to 30.63 crore INR in 2021. Even those who don’t speak Korean now find themselves asking their friends – Do you want to have ramyeon with me?
But what makes the dish so celebrated when the instant noodle market in the country was already jampacked? Many credit the popularity of this dish to its fulfilling nature. Add to that a tempering of affordability, taste, and convenience, and you have the recipe of a star dish.
Ramyeon, a dish originating in Japan and redesigned by Korea, is today an Indian staple, and surely has come a long way to reach us. It traces its roots to a war and disaster-struck Japan as the country struggled with a severe rice shortfall. Switching to wheat seemed like the only plausible option to feed the hungry populace, and it was then that a Japanese entrepreneur named Momofuku Ando came up with the idea of making noodles from wheat. And when Japan colonised the Korean peninsula, the dish souped itself in the culture of the country.
The ramyeon we know today represents various things – from cultural loss that came with choosing wheat over rice to preservation that came with the invention of these noodles; from being a result of labour for construction workers to being the leisure of late night carbs; from its inspiration that stems from Chinese influence to inspiring the modern day culture; from the speed of instant noodles to the indolence of artisanal soup. The dish has a lot to offer us, and we accept it with both hands (and chopsticks). So, wanna join us for a bowl of rameyon?

Laughter heals

It’s not without reason one says that laughter is the best medicine. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free and easy to use. We all know the joys of a good hearty laughter when we share a silly joke with friends, or the relief we get when we find humour even in life’s most stressful situations. Haasya rasa, or humour and comedy, is therefore, an important emotion or navarasa which not only heals oneself but also brings together people to share moments of happiness and compassion. For instance, when a new-born baby smiles and laughs without any reason, we all chuckle along. For a child, humour doesn’t depend on any external situation, it comes from deep within for no apparent reason. However, as we grow up, life tends to become more serious and laughter becomes infrequent because of the difficult situations we encounter in our mundane lives. But, this child-like quality is what one must retain even as adults.
The ability to laugh at life, both when it is good or adverse, strengthens the immune system, boosts our mental health, diminishes pain, and protects us from the damaging effects of stress. For, humour lightens our burdens, inspires hope, connects us to others, and keeps us grounded. It also helps us release anger and forgive sooner. The important thing to remember, however, is that one must laugh with people and not at them. Making fun of someone’s problems, disability or weakness is not what this emotion is about.
Finally, this week has again brought us some great news. Three Amitians made it big at the Pramerica Emerging Visionaries Award 2023. This award recognises students for their innovative financial and social solutions. Sparsh Sahini and Aayush Garg of AIS Gur 46 and Ananya Pareek of AIS Noida, all students of Class XII, were selected amongst the top 25 national finalists in the ‘Societal Solution Challenge’ category and made their alma mater proud by winning a silver medal and a certificate.

Metamorphosis

“If you do not like the road you are walking on, start paving another one.”
As a human, you have the power to be the best version of yourself. The most courageous thing you can do is identify yourself, what you believe in, and where you want to go. Open more avenues for handling situations efficiently, and you will metamorphose into stronger beings. Our revered Chairperson, Dr (Mrs) Amita Chauhan and Founder President, Dr Ashok K Chauhan, inspire students to grow through adversities. With the blessings of Chairperson , Amitians have carved a niche for themselves in every arena.
One of their determined successes is the creative splendour of The Global Times, a crowning glory which serves as a forum for the expression of the literary and artistic skills of the students. It’s a delight to see the edition, which holds a universe of ideas, coming out with the harmonic vision flowing across its length.
I am sure the time the editorial team spent working on this endeavour has been a fulfilling experience. This contest has been an opportunity for them to derive lifetime education out of the whole process. Amity has instilled these values so beautifully that these students are now ready to become responsible citizens of tomorrow.

Kaleidoscope of talent

A piece of writing is a portal; it can take you wherever you want to go, even beyond the passage of time. It was with this ideology that the team of AIS Vasundhara 1 worked in sync to encapsulate their experiences. In the originality of its conception, in the excellence of its presentation, and in its commitment to accuracy, The Global Times endeavours to bring out the artist in each student. For the editorial team, the making of the newspaper has been an exhilarating experience. It has been a coherence of digital and traditional effort. The edition as such serves as a forum for the expression of the artistic skills. It reflects the kaleidoscope of learning, creativity, and positive approach of the young minds through writing, illustrations, graphics and photography. As the journey began, the editorial team surged with ideas which glimmered in creativity. Through stimulating discussions, these ideas glued into this artistic endeavour. The newspaper will definitely evoke in the readers the themes they explored and the writing flair they already have. Capturing the imagination of students, in the grasp of your palm, we are proud to present the contest edition of AIS Vasundhara 1.