September 8, 2023
TOKYO – Night owls looking for an alternative to energy drinks can soon turn to caffeinated noodles and rice by Japanese noodle maker Nissin.
The products are being rolled out in a bid to appeal to a burgeoning video-gaming crowd in Japan, which has been growing annually, the international food giant announced in a statement on Monday.
The number of gamers in the land of the rising sun is said to have exceeded 50 million, according to the company. That is roughly 40 per cent of the country’s population in 2022.
The caffeine-infused foods are set to hit the streets of Japan on Sept 18. They will be available in two flavors: garlic and black pepper yakisoba and ginger keema curry rice.
Both products contain ingredients present in energy drinks. These are caffeine, arginine – a type of amino acid that helps the body produce proteins – and niacin, also known as Vitamin B3.
Both products are soupless so gamers will not need to fret about getting their hands or surroundings dirty, Nissin said.
They are expected to deliver copious amounts of energy, with Nissin touting the snacks as “buff meshi”, or buff meal.
In the gaming world, a buff gives in-game characters an advantage by improving their strength, according to Tokyo-based news site SoraNews24.
The yakisoba will be sold at the recommended retail price of 280 yen (S$2.59) while the curry rice will cost 298 yen.
3000RT：【ゲーマー向け】新商品「日清ゲーミングカップヌードル」「日清ゲーミングカレーメシ」18日より登場https://t.co/vjbt7ccd61
それぞれ「エナジーガーリック&黒胡椒焼そば」 「エナジージンジャーキーマカレー」となり、エナジードリンクと同じ成分も含まれる。なお、虹色には光らない。 pic.twitter.com/Eo1mcIN2NA
— ライブドアニュース (@livedoornews) September 4, 2023
So far, the products have drawn a mixture of curiosity, excitement and trepidation, with one user on X, formerly known as Twitter, describing the rainbow packaging as “dangerous”.
Another X user wrote: “I don’t play that hard, but I want to eat it!”
Nissin is synonymous with instant noodles to some, with its founder credited for inventing the snack in 1958.
Over the years, the company has diversified to produce various quirky products, including mystery cup noodles in 2016 and instant ramen for consumption in space in 2020.