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