Sapporo Ichiban facts for kids

Sapporo Ichiban (サッポロ一番) is a very popular brand of instant noodles, especially ramen, made by a Japanese company called Sanyo Foods. These noodles are enjoyed by many people around the world, not just in Japan! You might have seen them in stores in places like Hong Kong, the United States, Mexico, Argentina, and Canada.

The name "Sapporo Ichiban" actually means "Sapporo's number one [noodle]". It was chosen because the company's future president, Takeshi Ida, was really impressed by the delicious ramen he found in Sapporo, a city in Japan.

Where Sapporo Ichiban Noodles Are Made

Sanyo Foods, the company that makes Sapporo Ichiban, has its main office in Tokyo, Japan. They have factories in different parts of Japan, like Gunma, Chiba, Nara, and Fukuoka. These factories make noodles for people living in Japan.

If you live in the United States or North America, your Sapporo Ichiban noodles are likely made in Garden Grove, California. This helps the company share its tasty noodles with more people around the world.

Different Types of Sapporo Ichiban Noodles

Sapporo Ichiban makes several kinds of instant noodles. Most of them are ramen, which is a type of Japanese noodle soup. They also make other noodle dishes.

Popular Ramen Flavors

Here are some of the ramen flavors you might find:

• Original (Red package): This is a mild soy sauce flavor. It was one of the first flavors, coming out in 1966.
• Miso (Orange package): This flavor uses miso, a traditional Japanese seasoning made from fermented soybeans. It first appeared in 1968.
• Shio (Salt) (Black and Red package): This is a lighter, salty flavor, introduced in 1971.
• Tonkotsu (Gold package): This ramen has a rich, pork-based broth flavor.
• Chicken (Green package): A classic and comforting chicken flavor.
• Beef (Brown package): A savory beef-flavored ramen.
• Shrimp (Pink package): This flavor offers a taste of shrimp.
• Hot & Spicy Chicken (Green and Red package): For those who like a bit of a kick!

Sapporo Ichiban also makes some of these flavors in convenient cup noodle versions, like Original Cup, Chicken Cup, Beef Cup, and Shrimp Cup.

Other Noodle Products

Besides ramen, Sapporo Ichiban also makes other types of noodles:

• Yakisoba / Chow Mein (Yellow, orange, and white package): This isn't a soup! These ramen noodles are meant to be cooked and then stir-fried with a special flavor packet. People often add ground beef and Chinese cabbage to it. A small packet of seaweed is included to sprinkle on top, which is traditional for yakisoba.
• Kitsune – Kitsune udon (Blue and white package): This package contains dehydrated udon noodles, which are thicker than ramen noodles. It also comes with a square of tofu that rehydrates when cooked. This product is no longer sold in the United States, even though many people enjoyed it.

See Also

• List of instant noodle brands
• Cup noodles
• Koka noodles
• Maggi noodles
• Shin Ramyun
• Wai-Wai (food)