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Is Maruchan Ramen Vegan? It goes without saying that people from all over the world have different diet restrictions. Some of these are well known, and some are not so well known. One of the more common diet restrictions is whether or not a food product is vegan.
Veganism has become quite popular in the last few years. In fact, some surveys show that about 3.8 percent of the U.S. population is vegan. That’s why when buying Maruchan Ramen, many people think it is vegan or not.
But what exactly is in Maruchan Ramen? Is it vegan? It can be confusing because there are so many different flavors, each of which has a different ingredient list.
Is Maruchan Ramen Vegan?
Ramen is a Japanese dish that’s become popular in the United States and around the world. You can buy it in a variety of forms — such as cup ramen, instant Ramen, noodles, and more. The problem is that many people, especially vegans and those with food allergies, are often disappointed to find out that the contents of their favorite brand of Ramen isn’t as vegan-friendly as they’d like. In fact, many brands of Ramen contain chicken broth and other non-vegan ingredients. Luckily, there are plenty of vegan options on the market today.
What is it made with?
Instant Ramen contains two components: stock and noodles.
Components of Noodles:
The typical ingredients in any instant ramen noodle are
- Wheat-based flour
- Water
- Salt
- Kansui
- Cooking oil
- Potato starch
- Baking soda
Components of stock:
Ramen noodles come in little styrofoam cups with either powdered or liquid flavoring. Most flavoring packets contain some combination of the following ingredients:
- Dehydrated meat
- Yeast extract
- Onion powder, herbs, and spices
- Dried vegetables
- Dried soy sauce
- Salt, MSG & TBHQ
Vegan flavors of Ramen?
Maruchan Ramen is one of the most popular instant ramen brands in the world. It’s especially popular in the United States and Japan. In fact, it’s so popular that it’s one of the easiest brands to find in supermarkets or convenience stores. But it is a common misconception that all ramen noodles are made with pork or beef broth. This is often not the case. With over 2,500 different flavors of instant Ramen, some of them are bound to be vegan.
Here’s some Top Ramen flavors, whether they’re vegan or not:
| Top Ramen Flavor | All Non-Vegan Ingredients |
| Beef Flavor | Lactose, Egg White, Beef Fat |
| Chicken Flavor | Lactose, Egg White, Rendered Chicken Fat, Powdered Chicken, |
| Hot and Spicy Beef Flavor | Lactose, Egg White, Beef Fat |
| Shrimp Flavor | Egg White, Chicken Fat, Lactose, Shrimp Powder, Powdered Chicken, |
| Hot & Spicy Beef Flavor | Lactose, Beef Fat, Egg White, |
| Chili Flavor | [Vegan] |
| Soy Sauce Flavor | [Vegan] |
Nongshim’s SOON veggie ramen noodle soup is the healthiest, tasty, and certified vegan option. Moreover, their chili, oriental, and very veggie flavors are also vegan, and they’re available everywhere and online as well.
FAQs:
Are Maruchan Ramen Noodles Vegan Without adding Seasoning?
Here’s a fun fact: Maruchan Ramen noodles are vegan without adding the stock/seasoning. The non-vegan/animal ingredients are found in the flavoring added to the soup broth and not in the noodle itself.
Does Ramen Have Real Chicken?
The chicken-flavored Ramen in Maruchan Ramen is said to taste like real chicken but does not contain actual big chunks of intact chicken. However, they do contain Powdered Cooked Chicken and Chicken Broth, as well as Chicken Fat.
Does Maruchan Ramen Contain Dairy?
Not every flavor of Ramen contains dairy in it. But in most cases, the dairy ingredient is sodium caseinate (a derivative of cow’s milk). Almost all varieties contain lactose as well, but there are a few flavors that don’t.
Does Maruchan Ramen Contain Egg?
If you look at almost any package of Maruchan Ramen, it says that it does not contain egg in noodles or seasoning.
Does Maruchan Ramen have Meat?
Again not every flovor of Ramen contains meat or meat-derived ingredients. The meat flavors include Chicken Broth, Powdered Cooked Chicken, Dehydrated Pork Broth, Chicken Fat, Beef Extract, Beef Fat, Natural Lobster, and shrimp. So if you are vegan or vegetarian, these flavors are not for you.
But be careful! Don’t buy Maruchan Original flavor – it’s vegetarian but not vegan. If you want to be sure that your Top Ramen brand ramen is vegan, check the packaging for information about their ingredients.
