Easily Hack Your Ramen And Make Poutine

If you've ever been a hungry college student, chances are you've had your fair share of instant ramen noodle dinners. The deliciously salty dried noodles were first invented out of necessity during Japan's post-World War II food shortage, using wheat flour that had been donated to the country from the U.S. (via Tokyo Ramen Tours). In the decade that followed, Japanese-Taiwanese food entrepreneur Momofuku Ando set out to create an instant version of the popular street food that diners could easily cook at home. Ando's invention soon became the main product of his company Nissin Foods, which is still one of largest instant ramen retailers in the world (via IMARC Group).  

Nissin's instant ramen Cup Noodles first hit the U.S. market in the early 1970s. Since then, the noodles have become a staple of American college life and cheap at-home eats. The noodles' popularity have earned them something of cult following, with a number of chefs and home cooks dreaming up creative ways to give instant ramen a gourmet twist — some more unexpected than others.

If you're looking for a way to spice up (or cool down) your ramen experience, consider using a hack inspired by a favorite dish from the land of the Great White North: poutine. Originally from the Canadian province of Quebec, the beloved snack consists of a hearty mix of french fries, brown gravy, and cheese curds. Both poutine and ramen noodles share a salty, savory, comforting taste, making a food remix between the two a no-brainer. 

While you could approach a ramen-poutine mashup in a number of ways, Serious Eats suggests toasting the dried noodles in a skillet to give them a crunchier and more french fry-like texture. Once the noodles are sufficiently crisp, a drizzle of your favorite gravy — along with cheese curds or shredded mozzarella cheese, melted over the top in the broiler — will transform your packaged ramen into a Canadian-inspired culinary masterpiece. Prepping your noodles in an oiled skillet might be the best move here, as The Ramen Guy tried cheese curds and gravy on boiled ramen noodles and found they were missing that salty, crispy element.

For those wanting to add another layer of fusion to this cheesy combo, Egg Farmers of Canada suggests adding some Korean flair to your ramen poutine with the addition of kimchi and few strips of dried seaweed. This take uses fries as the base, though the noodles couldn't possibly be bad, either. No matter how you choose to enjoy this particular ramen hack, its stick-to-your-ribs, hangover-friendly nature is fit for any college menu.