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From The MÉLANGE
Occasional Journal of Cuisine
r/ramen • 1 mo. ago
[deleted]
Expired ramen
Question
Sorry, this post was deleted by the person who originally posted it.
CACHED ORIGINAL POST:
TOP REPLY: J. L. Yocum
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I had a ramen craving out of the blue. I found six of these packages in the back of the pantry, leftovers from the start of quarantine. I hate food waste, I was curious if they would be any good, and I kind of don’t want to go into work tomorrow — so I wouldn’t hate to have an excuse, should it make me sick. I was in the right mindset to take risks, is what I’m getting at, so it was time for a gastronomic science experiment.
After finishing the bowl, quite sated and happy with my decisions in life thus far, it occurred to me that the rest of the ramen-eating world might well benefit from my daring, so I logged onto Reddit and searched “Expired Ramen,” hoping to find someone to share my experience with.
And here I find your post, dear [deleted], which went public an opportune mere 43 minutes ago! Thank you for giving me a space to record my findings. For posterity, and what not.
I boiled the noodles, noticing that they seemed to take a lot longer to become disentagled from one another than usual. While they cooked for some six or seven minutes, I mixed the ramen packet with about a tablespoon of Kewpie Mayo and a raw egg, as per instructions from some TikTok or other that my wife happened across and later told me about. (I don’t use the site or the app, personally, but I see no reason to dismiss good advice out of hand just because of where it came from.)
When the noodles were ready, I poured them — broth and all — into the same bowl where I’d mixed the seasoning packet with the raw egg and Kewpie Mayo. I sprinkled in a few pinches of asafoetida (itself several years old), and while I was at it, I dropped in about a teaspoon of Kadoya Hot Sesame oil, as well as a healthy squeeze of O’Food Gochujang, then set about to consuming the creamy opalescent concoction before me. Damn, it was delicious. Couldn’t recommend it enough.
I will report back in a day or two’s time to let you know if I’ve suffered any gastrointestinal ill effects. I beg you wish me godspeed.
Until then!
Likely a result of cowardly handwringing over potential liability due to some hypothetical Redditor who may opt to eat expired ramen and then file a civil suit for damages — or, even worse, they struck down this curious mind’s extended seeking hand out of some public health-crusader sense of martyrdom whereby they will not be caught dispensing potentially harmful advice that may sicken even one soul!
Dear Fellow Redditors and Expired Food Aficionados: I suffer neither from such prudishness nor auto-agrandissement. I am merely here in the pursuit of, and desire to share, scientific truths and hard evidence.
And here it is: I am fine. The ramen was delicious. It has been ten days since I ate it, and I have felt no disturbances beyond excruciating deliciousness, and the memory of a good meal eaten.
Naturally, caveat emptor, Your Mileage May Vary, and Don’t Come Suing Me if you Get the Shits. I’m merely a man who ate expired ramen more than two years after it’s best-by date — and has no regrets.
