


In terms of instant noodle(ramyun) consumption pattern, Korea, Japan, China and Indonesia are leading the global market, of which the staple food is noodle. On top of that, instant noodle is relatively cheap and localized in each region, which makes it more popular. In particular, it is very easy to cook, thus highly convenient for men to use.
| ( Unit : 100 millions ) | |||
| Category | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
| China | 149.0 | 148.0 | 159.1 |
| China | 80.0 | 84.0 | 92.7 |
| Japan | 52.0 | 54.0 | 51.7 |
| Korea | 36.0 | 37.8 | 37.7 |
| US |
26.0 | 27.2 | 27.2 |
| The Philippines | 14.4 | 15.6 | 16.6 |
| Thailand | 12.0 | 15.1 | 15.9 |
| Vietnam | 9.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 |
| Taiwan | 8.6 | 8.9 | 9.0 |
| Brazil | 7.9 | 8.1 | 8.6 |
| Source : IRMA Factbook, 2001 | |||






