Wikipedia Trail: From Ramen to Winterization

 Article 1: Ramen

I just revised my microfictions about ramen, which got me thinking more about traditional Japanese ramen origins. The most interesting thing that I learned is that most of Japan's regions have their own specialized ramen dish. 

Shoyu ramen from Guilhem Vellut (source: Wikimedia).

Article 2: Instant Noodles 

The ramen article led me, naturally, to the topic of instant noodles, which were created by Taiwanese-Japanese inventor Momofuku Ando. The United States was the 6th largest consumer of instant noodles in 2018, with 4.40 billion servings eaten. China was the largest consumer, with 40.25 billion servings eaten. 

Article 3: Cottonseed Oil

One of the oils involved in instant noodle production is cottonseed oil, which I know little about. This article showed me that it's high in both saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and has a relatively high smoke point (420ºF).

Article 4: Winterization 

   One of the final stages of cottonseed oil refinement is a process called winterization. I learned that this process involves separating oils from wax, for consumption. This helps prevent the crystallization of many refrigerated oil-containing food products.