Sales of instant noodles softening fast in China as consumer tastes evolve

BEIJING - With their tangy sauces and sachets of dried meat and vegetables, instant noodles were once the bedrock of China's convenience food, but their sales have declined drastically in recent years. For Geng Mei, an English teacher in Beijing, munching bowls full of steaming instant noodles was a highlight of her childhood.

"Cheap and delicious, instant noodles were so popular when I was a child," says Geng, who is in her thirties. "But now I cannot even remember the last time I had them."

Instant noodles were invented in Japan in the 1950s, spreading quickly throughout Asia, Europe and the rest of the world. They flourished in China in the 1980s and 1990s, with noodle bowls and packets ubiquitous in snack shops and supermarkets.