# Survival > Primitive Skills & Technology >  Ramem Noodles

## Runs With Beer

Up untill last week I never tried these, And I have to admit there not bad, And you cant beat the price. Today for lunch I put a hand full of cabbage in a beef one and it was great. Im sure this is old news to most of you. Just was woundering what yall thought about them? :chair:

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## laughingbeetle

They are great for hiking/camping.  They are very light and don't take up too much room in the pack.  The taste isn't bad either.

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## marylp

You can do so much with them, many people shun them because of the high sodium. The thing to do is use only half the packet of seasoning or ditch it altogether and use your own. I just boil them, then stir fry them with fresh veggies and low sodium soy sauce.

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## vthompson

I have never tried them, because I was told that they were to salty.

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## Beans

They are a quick meal.  I have some stocked in the pantry. They are light to pack and carry.

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## crashdive123

I don't eat them so much anymore.  I did pick up a couple of cases a while back when they were on sale to add to my supplies.  Tony - as far as the salt, Marylp is exactly right.  Don't use the entire seasoning packet or make your own if you are concerned with the salt content (I never have).  When I lived in Hawaii they were a diet staple.  They were even on the menu at McDonalds.

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## Stairman

I keep some in my BOB.At 3oz. and 390 calories and the fact that they are dirt cheap,you cant go wrong.The flavor packet has zero calories and is simply beef boulion crushed up.That is where all the sodium and msg is too.Not everyone is sensitive to sodium and blood pressure and it is a vital electrolyte.These can even be eaten as trail mix without adding water.Ive tried it and prefer em cooked but with low water supply or no time to stop and cook your still getting the calories.

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## laughingbeetle

Wow!! Gotta have pretty strong teeth to eat that stuff raw...

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## Stairman

Well a little coffee might soften it up for ya!

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## laughingbeetle

ya know...that just might work... :Lol:

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## doren

I lived on them for six months when I was going through my divorce. They're great for what they are, but I can't eat them anymore without turning my stomach. 

Strange, I lived on MREs for almost two years, and I still crave them. Maybe I overdosed on the ramen noodles.

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## laughingbeetle

Uh yeah...I lived on ramen when I was in college.  That was over 10 years ago.  Only over the past fall was I able to look at the cooked product without going a bit green about the gills... I gotta try dumping some in some coffee, just to see...

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## Alpine_Sapper

I still make them the way we used to get them in korea...with a little beef or chicken and a slice of american cheese melted into the broth. But I eat Ramen with tuna, tuna and cheese, jalapeno's, they're very versatile. As for the salt, if you're cooking them at home, a tablespoon of butter goes a long way to reducing the sodium while still providing the full flavor of the seasoning packet. I don't put the butter and cheese at the same time. Too much fat. There have been times when I'm totally burnt out on Ramen, but it's a diet staple now because they are cheap and they can prettty much be stashed anywhere. And whoever was talking about the jailhouse chips, yeah, you can crush the noodles in the bag and just sprinkle the packet over the noodles, but then you REALLY notices the sodium eating them raw.

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## Stairman

Ahhhh sodium! in a homer simpson voice.

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## Beans

> I lived on them for six months when I was going through my divorce. They're great for what they are, but I can't eat them anymore without turning my stomach. 
> 
> Strange, I lived on MREs for almost two years, and I still crave them. Maybe I overdosed on the ramen noodles.


Maybe it was the environment, Besides Ramen noodles are a divorce requirment. LOL

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## Rick

A couple of cases on the shelf. Good stuff. Sort of like Spam.

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## Ken

> .......Ramen noodles are a divorce requirment. LOL


Yep.  Just like eggs and Kraft Mac & Cheese.

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## RangerXanatos

I really like them.  I'm a big eater, so when I make them, I make 2 packs at a time.  I also like to add cheyenne pepper and bbq spice to mine.  I like the strong flavor, so I boil and then pour out the water, and then I add the packet of flavor.  Yep, I'm not in need of sodium for a while.

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## RunsWithDeer

Love Ramen noodles.  At home I like to stir fry after cooking the noodles, and add fresh veggies and sometimes chicken or venison.  I add my own seasoning with much less salt and msg.  At work I like to use the cup-a-soup version.

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## Tony uk

> I don't eat them so much anymore.  I did pick up a couple of cases a while back when they were on sale to add to my supplies.  _Tony_ - as far as the salt, Marylp is exactly right.  Don't use the entire seasoning packet or make your own if you are concerned with the salt content (I never have).  When I lived in Hawaii they were a diet staple.  They were even on the menu at McDonalds.


I think your getting me confused with vthompson.  :Stick Out Tongue: 




> I have never tried them, because I was told that they were to salty.

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## crashdive123

> I think your getting me confused with vthompson.


You're right.  My apologies.  Well...you two DO look alike.

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## SnipAR-10

I usually have four cases in the cupboard all the time. For some reason I can't find the "cajun" flavor here.  We do the stir-fried noodle thing here too frozen/fresh veggies and chicken or pork.  Sometimes just the noodles, part of the seasoning pack, and a couple slices of sandwich ham sliced up and tossed in.
P.S. I thought ramen noodles were required in ones possession to register on any survival forum.  Thought I saw that in the TOS.

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## Tony uk

> You're right. My apologies. Well...you two DO look alike.


Only by avatar crash, Remember, his is smaller than mine.  :Shuriken: 

And besides. I thought you where a member of the 'Quality Control Depertment'  Looks like your slacking over there  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## crashdive123

> Only by avatar crash, Remember, his is smaller than mine. 
> 
> And besides. I thought you where a member of the 'Quality Control Depertment'  Looks like your slacking over there


...and as a member of the Quality Control Department it is my responsibility to evaluate said avatars.  Now keep in mind, it is not the size of the avatar, but rather how you post with it........I'm still evaluating.  :Smile:

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## hoosierarcher

> A couple of cases on the shelf. Good stuff. Sort of like Spam.


Odd you should say that because I have seen a stirfry made in Hawaii with spam AND Ramen noodles.
Rick have you ever tried the turkey Spam? I'm usually an adventurous eater but I've never been able to bring myself to buy a can.
I make my own "canned meat" from wild game. I grind wild boar or venison with garlic, onions, herbs and spices and put it in straight walled Mason jars and presure cooker can them. makes a spam like meatloaf that you can slice and fry just like Spam. I also can chunks of meat just seared and stirred into sauce or gravy. The canning process finishes the cooking without over cooking if you put fully cooked food into the jars.

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## Rick

I never have. Eating turkey Spam would be sort of like sacrilege in my book. Besides, I like regular Spam too much. 

Canned meat is canned meat. I don't know why but it all seems to have the same taste to me. I have commercially canned meat and home canned meat but I have it reserved for emergencies or running out of date, whichever.

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## Ken

> Odd you should say that because I have seen a stirfry made in Hawaii with spam AND Ramen noodles.


In Hawaii, many breakfasts are served with both Spam and our local Massachusetts delicacy, Chourico.  You can never get enough pork.

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## Rick

*Name:* Ramen Spam Doodles
*Category:* Quick and Easy
*Our rating:* Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.
*Difficulty:* Easy
*Ready in:* 15 minutes

*You will need:*
              - 2 packages of  ramen noodles
              - 4 cups of water
              - 1 can of spam
              - 1/2 cup of green peas
              - 1/2 cup of green onions (sliced)
              - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
              - 1 tablespoon sesame oil

              *You can cook the noodles and peas in the same water.
*How to cook:*
_The noodles:_*
              1.* Put 2 cups of water in a cooking pot and bring to a boil.
*2.* Once the water is boiling add your ramen   noodles.
*3.* Wait 2-3 minutes until the noodles are tender and separated.
*4.* Take off the water with the strainer.
_The recipe:_*
              5.* Cube the Spam.
*6.* In a skillet, lightly brown the Spam in the sesame oil.
*7.* Add the garlic powder and dry herb seasoning.
*8.* Enjoy!

*Conclusion:*
This is a pretty easy recipe with Spam and Ramen.. yes, it's probably the perfect meal! It will be ready in 15 minutes or less and might become a dinnertime favorite.

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## hoosierarcher

Haluski is a traditional Polish dish this variation is made with spam and ramen. I came up with this myself.
1 head of cabbage, cored and parboiled in salted water then cooled and julianne cut
1 medium to large yellow onion  julianne cut
Minced garlic to taste I like about 6 cloves but I realy love garlic.
1 can of spam cut into match stick like pieces
3 packages of pork ramen (which can be cooked in the same water as the cabbage after cabbage is done.
1/2 stick or butter
1 tablespoon basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cups of your favorite cheese shredded.
 Parboil the cabbage then cut all the vegetables and the spam 
then in a large pan melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions and cook until transluscent and softened. Add the garlic, the basil, the cabbage and the spam.lower the heat and saute slowly until the onions and cabbage have carmelized slightly and then add the cooked noodles and stir until everything is combined well and cook 2 -3 minutes longer and season to taste serve on a platter and top with shredded cheese.

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## LudwigVan

To those who mention stir fry:

You drain the broth/liquid off before you throw it in the pan, right?

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## dscrick

We can fresh venison, which makes a great "Beef & Noodles" dish with ramen. I just dump a jar of the venison in a saucepan, add a little onion and season to taste (just pepper and some parsley works for me). Bring to a simmer and add the ramen, the broth will thicken  up into a nice gravy for the dish. I chuck the flavor packet.

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## tennecedar

Two packs ramen noodles, toss the packets
one can of chicken
one pack of peanuts
half an onion chopped
two tablespoons of soy sauce
one hot pepper(whatever you got) chopped
one clove of garlic crushed
boil until onions are clear and drain water
stir in one tablespoon of lemon juice and two tablespoons of honey.
(prison recipe)

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## crashdive123

> To those who mention stir fry:
> 
> You drain the broth/liquid off before you throw it in the pan, right?


For stir fry - yes.

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## Alpine_Sapper

> Two packs ramen noodles, toss the packets
> one can of chicken
> one pack of peanuts
> half an onion chopped
> two tablespoons of soy sauce
> one hot pepper(whatever you got) chopped
> one clove of garlic crushed
> boil until onions are clear and drain water
> stir in one tablespoon of lemon juice and two tablespoons of honey.
> (prison recipe)


I don't know what prison you were in, but you can't get all that stuff on commisary, at least in the Texas citadels. Shpreads are more common in prison than elaborate Ramen dishes. Usually ramen is either consumed crushed and dry with the seasoning packet, or cooked in the bag with a stinger.

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## lucznik

> I like the strong flavor, so I boil and then pour out the water, and then I add the packet of flavor.  Yep, I'm not in need of sodium for a while.


This is how I prepare them too.  I must just be a salt-aholic - but it's not a problem.  I can stop anytime I want to.

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## tennecedar

Federal in Texas. And yeah, cooked with a stinger. The lemon juice, onion, garlic was bought with postage stamps out of the kitchen. Thr rest we could purchase. It's still a tasty recipe...

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## bulrush

Here's my recipe for a noodle dish: 
- Cook rice noodles, or any type of noodle. 
- Add Thai Peanut sauce and 1/4 cup cashews. 
- Add cooked potatoes, peppers, onions, or meat to taste. 

Um-hm good.

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## Alpine_Sapper

> Federal in Texas. And yeah, cooked with a stinger. The lemon juice, onion, garlic was bought with postage stamps out of the kitchen. Thr rest we could purchase. It's still a tasty recipe...


absolutely. didn't mean to disparage the quality of the recipe at all. Was just surprised when I saw the list of ingredients, and remembered what was available. Sounds like you had it good.  :Smile:

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## tennecedar

You are correct Alpine i was alot better off than others were. I could afford to buy what i needed. Even if it was just ramen

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## Aurelius95

I had a Korean roommate for a while, and he got me hooked on a spicy ramen packet that you could buy at the international farmer's market or Asian grocery store.  We'd cut up spam or chicken, if we had it.  Once everything is boiling, you can add an egg.  Let it cook for about 45 seconds, and then stir it up with chopsticks or a fork and it will cook quickly.  It's very tasty.

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## Runs With Beer

Here lately, Ive been putting hand full of cabbage in water and boil for 10 min. with the spice pack, crush up the noddles, add and boil for 3 more min. Yummmmmmmmmm :Drool:

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## canid

in college i pretty much lived on beer, ramen and kale and spiced rum.

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## Rick

And now your mom knows.

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## LudwigVan

> Federal in Texas. And yeah, cooked with a stinger.


Never been in the can, WTF is a stinger?

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## Alpine_Sapper

here's some guys rant;
http://www.prisoners.com/stingeri.html

But basically (from the same page) - 
"In jailhouse argot a  "stinger"  is a little, homemade water heater. Metal fragments are connected to electric current and immersed in water causing the water to boil. Stingers are harmless except that they occasionally short out the power causing a breaker to open."

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I don't know about harmless. Anything can be made into a weapon, and, realisticly, we are talking about a bunch of violent sociopaths who have had their liberty's stipped away and caged, but hey, you can make the call about what's harmless. The fact is, that's how just about everything in prison is "cooked", from your ramen to your coffee. To the point that you don't have to make them anymore, they sell the commercial ones on commisary now. It's a 110 plug/cord attached to a small device about 3-4 inches long, maybe 1-2 in diameter, with a little hook of molded plastic on the side. Fill up your coffee cup of water, place the stinger in side hanging on the edge of the cup, plug it in, and in ~5 minutes you have boiling or almost boiling water.

When all you get is slop from the kitchens, and you're still starving after being on work detail all day, and you couldn't eat that sh!t they serve, a pack of ramen and some tuna is a freakin gourmet treat.

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## crashdive123

Here's one made to plug into a cigarette lighter in your car.  The 110V plug-ins were popular years ago.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

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## Alpine_Sapper

Yep. the ones we had actually look more like the end made to go into the car lighter socket than the coil of metal, but, again, they were issued to convicts...

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## tennecedar

*we are talking about a bunch of violent sociopaths who have had their liberty's stipped away and caged*


Not all of them are. pm me and I'l tell ya bout how a *cop* does a year in the federal pen.

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## AVENGED

While I Belive The People In Prision Are There For A Very Good Reason.  I Think People In Prision Would Be Very Good At Survival, Just Due To The Fact That They Can Do Sooo Many Things In Lock Up With Very Little

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## tennecedar

Back on topic(my fault, sorry guys).  Here's one i really like when on an overnight trip.
one beef ramen half the pack of seasoning
diced summer sausage
onion powder
red pepper
string cheese
nothing to have to keep cool so it don't spoil by the next couple days
Just put the unused summer sausage in a zip lock bag

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## Alpine_Sapper

> *we are talking about a bunch of violent sociopaths who have had their liberty's stipped away and caged*
> 
> 
> Not all of them are. pm me and I'l tell ya bout how a *cop* does a year in the federal pen.


lol. yeah, I know. I'm usually the first one to defend against such generalizations as I know first hand they are not true (especially since NO body, except the crazy nutters, on the inside actually did it.  :Wink:  ) but it was the easiest way to make the point that in the right hands anything can be an instrument of death or torture.

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## doren

> ...in the right hands anything can be an instrument of death or torture.


Such as the Styrofoam cup made into a knife?

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## Gray Wolf

I can't and won't eat the Ramen noodles.
Can't because it has MSG... = Monster Headache
Won't because of the Styrofoam cup it comes in... = Cup will last forever, and that's a long time!

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## LudwigVan

> I can't and won't eat the Ramen noodles.
> Can't because it has MSG... = Monster Headache
> Won't because of the Styrofoam cup it comes in... = Cup will last forever, and that's a long time!


You can get them without a cup you know

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## crashdive123

While it's a little more effort, a handfull of pasta of your choice, a little seasoning of your choice and a zip lock bag.

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## Gray Wolf

> You can get them without a cup you know


But they still have MSG in it. That's one of the reasons I learned how to make my own Jerkey. Most store bought brands have MSG in them.

Besides crash is right!

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## Rick

Is the MSG in the noodles or in the packet of spices? I don't have an problems with MSG so I don't look at the labels I don't have any problems with MSG so I don't look at the labels I don't have any problems with MSG so I don't. Use the noodles without the spices. Or not.

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## Alpine_Sapper

Just checked. The MSG is in the seasoning packet.

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## Gray Wolf

> Just checked. The MSG is in the seasoning packet.


Yes it is, so I do it the same way crash said.

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## crashdive123

Speaking of MSG - in Hawaii it seemed like it was a condiment staple there.  It was on tables in a little shaker just like salt, peper and soy sauce.

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## Gray Wolf

If I'm not mistaken, Accent (if it's sold) major ingretient is MSG. You see big Co's (ie; Cambells, Progresso) advertising that they're taking MSG out of they're products. There are a lot of people that get "the Chinese Syndrome", bad headache's from it. You now also see many Chinese Restaurants advertising "No MSG". It's used as a flavor enhancer for quick cooked foods.

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## Excalibur

I love ramen the boys kill for what they call ramen casserol (easy on the spelling)  1 pack beef or chicken flavor, Two strips of bacon, or ham.  Vegies, Cheese (Sharp chedder only) boiled together feeds 1/2 of a teenage boy speaking of which...dang it now im hungry

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## owl_girl

i dont eat ramen because of the MSG which can also be under the label "natural flavorings" it has been linked to cancer and other nasty stuff. ramen has no nutritional value so i think it sucks as a camp or survival food. to much gives me headaches and low energy kind of a sick feeling. even though its carbohydrates its white flower so like sugar its absorbed very fast into the blood stream and used up very fast causing insulin spikes. whole wheat gives you a more steady flow of energy and helps you feel fuller and dosnt cause those insulin spikes. quinoa noodles are a great food for camping or survival. its got lots of protein and nutrients and carbs. the Incas considered it highly valuable and took it with them during travel and used in when they were going to war.

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## vthompson

I tried the Ramen Noodles out for the first time last week, and I really liked them. I even fixed my grandson a package of them for lunch the other day and now I cannot keep him out of them. He comes to my house at least 3 times a week now wanting pappy to fix him a bowl of noodles. Needless to say, they are now a regular item on our grocery list.

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## Alpine_Sapper

> I tried the Ramen Noodles out for the first time last week, and I really liked them. I even fixed my grandson a package of them for lunch the other day and now I cannot keep him out of them. He comes to my house at least 3 times a week now wanting pappy to fix him a bowl of noodles. Needless to say, they are now a regular item on our grocery list.


yeah, I keep one of the flats (30 or so pkgs per flat) of each of like 8 different flavors cause my daughter eats them all the time. Not only are they calorie dense for the size and weight, if you put the seasoning in the water and make the broth it will make you fuller and help hydrate you (like there's not so much sodium in there you won't retain the water anyway). For like, $2, I can keep enough in the car to feed everybody for a week, ya know? While I understand the MSG causes cancer and stuff, if I worried about everything they said causes cancer nowadays I'd be sitting in a locked padded closet with no air conditioning, since the freon could be dangerous, and no water, since their may be BPA from the container or some other contaminant the bottled water manufacturer missed when they filtered the tap water, and no food, because it might not be organic free range, etc etc.  I just don't have time for all that crap.  Besides, some crazy lady could put arsenic in the curry and kill us all, or the PINK FLUFFY BUNNIES could attack...

Oh, the really great thing about ramen? In a desperate situation you can cook them right in the package (wouldn't suggest if unless you HAVE to) but I make them almost daily by just crushing the package (or not, sometimes) adding the seasoning, cover 1" or so over the top of the noodles, and if you have it, take something and put over the bowl (I usually completely unfold the package and lay it over to give it some insulation so the steam doesn't melt the book I cover it with) and wait 10 minutes while you drink the coffee you made at the same time. Noodles will be done by the time you finish the first cup.

EDIT: DO NOT USE BOILING WATER TO MAKE THEM IF YOU DO IT IN THE PACKAGE!!! I figured it would be common sense, but I'm not trying to have Ken contact me with a lawsuit because you burned yourself. Just open the package, crush the noodles, dump in the seasoning, and then cover with hot hot water. If the noodles aren't soft enough for you when the water is absorbed, add more water, fold the top of the package back down, and be wait a little longer.

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## Stairman

They are high in calories for the weight making them an easy meal on the trail. I figure theyre not very good for you as Owl Girl has stated but in moderation I think theyll be fine. As far as the cancer thing Im not convinced. If you eat your fruits and veggies like you should then most toxins will be binded and expelled naturally.

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## Excalibur

If i got rid of everything that was thought to cause cancer in my kitchen I would be a very hungy person

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## erunkiswldrnssurvival

> Up untill last week I never tried these, And I have to admit there not bad, And you cant beat the price. Today for lunch I put a hand full of cabbage in a beef one and it was great. Im sure this is old news to most of you. Just was woundering what yall thought about them?


ramen, is not the other food anymore,The pork, and the shrimp flavor are my favorites. they have a long shelf-life.for a 3 minute meal they are hard to pass up

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## Rick

For me, the down side of Quinoa outweighs it's upside. From a convenience standpoint for sure and the saponins contained in the Quinoa are somewhat toxic. It's a bit like poke weed in that you have go through several changes of water. I don't eat poke weed for the same reason. It certainly is a very healthy food otherwise but a bit hard to find around here. 

I only use half the seasoning in the Ramen package. I don't care for all the sodium a full package adds and the flavor is still there with half a package. Yeah, Ramen, by the case...or.....buy the case. Either way.

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