The man who invented instant ramen reportedly ate it almost every day and lived to 96. This deep dive explores the life of Momofuku Ando, whose bankruptcies, reinventions and sharp eye for everyday problems transformed how the world eats.

We trace his birth in Taiwan under Japanese rule, his early textile business, a 1948 tax evasion conviction that left him ruined, and his response to post-war food shortages in Japan. Then we break down the flash-frying method behind Chicken Ramen at age 48, the observation that led to Cup Noodles at 61, and the standards he set for a new global industry.

• How flash frying creates a porous noodle that rehydrates in minutes
• Why Chicken Ramen launched in 1958 as a premium product priced above fresh noodles
• How watching American executives use paper cups and forks inspired Cup Noodles
• How the Asama-Sanso standoff turned Cup Noodles into a national sensation
• His citizenship shifts, name change and a legacy of 98 billion servings a year by 2009