We love trying new flavours, but sometimes you find yourself asking, is this safe? Much like the Coke plus Mentos scare, there was a rumour going around online some time ago that drinking fizzy drinks while eating instant noodles could cause your stomach to explode. Cup Noodle seems determined to challenge that myth head-on, now combining two of our favourite junk foods into what might be the most bizarre limited-edition snack ever.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Nissin Foods has launched a bold limited-edition range of cup noodle-themed sodas in Japan, available in Cup Noodle, Seafood Noodle, Curry and Chilli Tomato flavours. How mouthwatering that sounds will come down to the courage of individual tastebuds, but there's no denying that they're beautifully packaged, with the bottles faithfully replicating the packaging design of Cup Noodles products they're based on (for more packaging inspiration see our collection of standout packaging designs.)
And before you ask if the product is real - yes it is. Nissin is offering the drinks in a special assortment box with other products for ¥2,998 (about $27 / £20). The cup noodle flavour is reportedly a ginger ale with a salty, peppery taste, while the Seafood variety is a cream soda with a hint of fish and the Curry Soda adds notes of spice to a cola base. Nissin has even proposed a classy range of cocktail recipes to try with its concoctions. A Summer Seafood Highball anyone?
Amusingly, the brand's description is rather reticent about how pleasant the drinks taste, reading: "A surprising carbonated drink that tastes like 'Cup Noodles'. It is a taste that goes beyond your imagination, which you should try once." It adds: "Whether it's delicious or not is up to you!"
The perfect summer tipple? (Image credit: Nissin Foods)
Of course, the bizarre combination does have some raising questions about safety. "Is this safe to consume? Will it blow up?" one person asked on Twitter. "This is a weapon currently banned by the Geneva Convention," another person claims. Intriguingly, there are also comments from people saying that the product will save them from mixing their own Cup Noodle soda.
Pre-orders on the Nissin Foods website have already sold out and the pack's being sold on Amazon.jp for four times the price as fans rushing to place orders, but Nissin promises it will be available in select stores from September 17.
Inspired to unleash your own dream flavour combinations. See our guide to how to get started with food packaging design, and check out the best current prices on Adobe's Creative Cloud suite of creative apps below.
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Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.
