Japan is making weird tubed ramen for gamers to “eat with one hand” 

Japan’s food processing giant Nippon Ham has announced an unusual, if not slightly abominable new product coming July 27. Boost Noodle is an instant ramen product targeted specifically at e-sports players, with the idea of providing them with a meal to eat with one hand while gaming (via The Sankei News). 

Packed in a pouch reminiscent of Japanese supplement jelly drinks, Boost Noodle is designed to come close to a proper meal in terms of nutrition – containing konjac noodles, chashu pork slices and other ramen toppings swimming in a jelly-like seafood and pork bone broth. This is meant to be consumed at room temperature. 

Apparently, the tubed ramen was the brainchild of a young employee in their 20s who has a passion for video games. It took them 2 years to develop and commercialize a product specifically aimed at catering to e-sports players. 

Interestingly, according to The Sankei, the popularity of mobile games in Japan has increased demand for food that can be consumed with one hand, so companies are hoping to fulfill this need with new products. 

Japan has seen other “gamer noodles” too, for example when instant food conglomerate Nissin launched two lines of caffeinated energy ramen last year.