Chapter 378: The Phenomenal Success of Sauerkraut-Flavored Instant Noodles
December 31, 1963 — The top floor meeting room of Changxing Group.
A savory, tantalizing aroma filled the room. Yang Wendong took a deep breath and smiled. "This smells really good."
The room was filled with the familiar scent of a flavor that had once dominated the instant noodle market in his previous life—sauerkraut.
Zhou Haoran said, "Mr. Yang, please have a taste and let us know what you think."
"Alright." Yang Wendong took the chopsticks, picked up a bite, and after chewing thoughtfully, nodded. "Not bad. This is great. How did you manage to get the sauerkraut flavor just right?"
The first instant noodle flavor launched by the Unified brand had been a safe, standard chicken flavor. That had been a strategic move to get the product to market and refine the production process. After that, Yang Wendong, being a time traveler, had suggested developing red-braised, spicy, sauerkraut, seafood, and other flavors.
This was the first successful new flavor: sauerkraut.
Zhou Haoran laughed. "We sourced the base sauerkraut from China Resources. They have a division that sells it directly. Our R&D team took that and adjusted the taste slightly, and this is the result."
"I see." Yang Wendong thought for a moment. "Can we apply for a patent on the seasoning packet?"
Zhou Haoran nodded. "Yes, we've already filed the application. But to be honest, even if someone copies it, it'll be hard to sue. The ingredients are so similar that a minor tweak in the ratios can result in a slightly different taste. It's difficult to enforce."
"Mhm, food patents are never perfect," Yang Wendong nodded. "But in the food industry, what matters most is branding. Once the brand has recognition, that's what really protects you."
Take potato chips, for example. Most brands taste pretty much the same. But Lay's sells the most and at the highest price, purely because of its brand recognition.
Of course, patents are still necessary—they protect you. But in the food and beverage sector, brand awareness and marketing matter more.
Zhou Haoran nodded. "Understood. Thanks to our herbal tea, the Unified brand is already gaining traction in Hong Kong. The chicken flavor has sold decently—enough to gain a foothold.
Now that we're launching the sauerkraut flavor, we'll need Changxing Media's full support for advertising."
"Alright, coordinate directly with Qin Zhiye. He'll work with you," Yang Wendong said. "And once TVB launches, we'll give you even more support."
The chicken-flavored noodles hadn't been heavily marketed—they were just a stepping stone to refine manufacturing. But being a locally-produced product, with partial control over the supply chain, they cost less than Japanese imports and had become moderately popular.
Now, with the unique sauerkraut flavor and full-on advertising, it was time to create a hit.
Zhou Haoran nodded. "Got it. We're planning to launch it in just a few days. That way, with enough promotional momentum and shelf stocking, Hong Kong consumers can buy it in time for Lunar New Year."
"You're planning to have people eat instant noodles for New Year's?" Yang Wendong chuckled.
Zhou Haoran grinned. "Yes. We did some focus group testing. A lot of people—especially kids—really love it. Once they try it, they can't stop asking for more.
We also tested the sauerkraut flavor specifically. It got much better reviews than chicken."
"Good. Then go ahead with your plan," Yang Wendong nodded. "But food safety and hygiene must be strictly controlled. If we can manufacture it ourselves, we should. That also helps with cost."
Even in the well-fed 21st century, Yang Wendong occasionally craved instant noodles. Sauerkraut was always his go-to flavor—even as late as 2022.
Now that he was producing them himself, quality control was paramount.
Zhou Haoran replied, "Understood. We're building a seasoning production plant. Soon, apart from basic raw materials, we'll be making everything in-house. For now, though, we'll still import the sauerkraut from China Resources, since it's hard to estimate market size this early."
The noodle base was standard for all flavors. But the seasoning was flavor-specific—meaning they couldn't afford to overproduce before demand was clear.
"Fair enough," Yang Wendong said. "China Resources has been selling that sauerkraut in Hong Kong for years without issue. Should be fine."
The real concern was "tech-heavy food" filled with harmful additives. Poorly sanitized ingredients, while not ideal, weren't nearly as dangerous.
Of course, best practices should always be followed. If you couldn't oversee the supplier, then you had to make sure everything else was airtight.
"Exactly," Zhou Haoran said. "China Resources has been a trusted supplier for over a decade."
Yang Wendong added, "Since we're in the food business now, we need to invest in advanced microbial testing equipment—preferably imported from the West. This way, we can test our drinks and other food products.
Also, Carrefour should begin random checks on all suppliers. If anything goes wrong, there will be shared liability."
Food production didn't require much in the way of R&D, but quality control expenses were non-negotiable. A single safety incident could destroy an entire brand.
"Got it. I'll coordinate with Mr. Liu at Carrefour and draft a plan," Zhou Haoran replied.
January 1, 1964 — New Year's Day
That morning, Yang Wendong sat down at an outdoor breakfast table and pulled out a paper-packaged instant noodle bowl.
Su Yiyi looked over and asked, "Is this the sauerkraut flavor you mentioned before?"
"Yes. Fresh off the production line in Shatin," Yang Wendong smiled. "Last month, they installed a paper-cup production line. They've been working around the clock ever since."
As he spoke, he prepared the noodles and weighed the lid down with a book.
Bai Yushan sniffed the air and said, "It smells better than the chicken flavor."
"Yeah, chicken's kind of plain," Yang Wendong said. "We'll eventually launch spicy, red-braised, and seafood flavors. Those stronger tastes are actually better suited for instant noodles."
Since they were already high in salt and fat, adding bold flavors wasn't a concern. If Hong Kong consumers hadn't preferred lighter tastes, he would've launched spicy or red-braised first.
"I don't eat spicy food," Bai Yushan said, shaking her head.
"Me neither," said little Yang Zhiwen as he munched on an egg white.
Everyone laughed.
Once the noodles were ready, the rich aroma completely overwhelmed the table. Everyone looked up, their appetites piqued.
Yang Wendong dished out portions for everyone. "Have a taste. If you like it, I'll bring out more. But don't eat too much—once in a while is fine."
In the Yang household, nutrition was never a concern. Instant noodles were fine as an occasional treat, but definitely not a staple.
"Okay," the family responded and started tasting. Even young Yang Zhiwen had a few bites.
As expected, everyone wanted more. The nanny quickly fetched additional bowls.
While they waited, Bai Yushan asked, "Brother Dong, is the paper packaging made in Taiwan?"
"No, this one's from Japan," Yang Wendong replied. "Taiwan's paper mills still rely on recycled materials. That works for office paper or tissues—but for food packaging? Absolutely not.
We'll only switch to Taiwanese suppliers when they can produce pulp-based paper."
When it came to food safety, the company had to draw a hard line. Chasing short-term profits by cutting corners would only lead to disaster.
"When will the sauerkraut flavor hit the market?" Su Yiyi asked.
"In a few days," Yang Wendong said with a grin. "And the media blitz will launch then too."
January 4
Both Oriental Daily and Kwahua Daily featured full-color ads for the sauerkraut-flavored noodles on their front pages.
"Sour cabbage noodles? That sounds weird."
"I don't know… but we like adding pickled stuff to our congee or noodles, right?"
"Yeah, but pickled cabbage instead of chicken?"
"What chicken? You ever get an actual chicken leg in chicken-flavored noodles? You're lucky to find a piece smaller than my kid's fingernail. I'll take tasty pickles any day."
"Let's go buy a pack."
"They're only at Carrefour. Might as well go—I haven't been to the supermarket in ages."
Carrefour, Tsim Sha Tsui
Dozens of customers crowded the snack aisle. Promotional signs greeted them at the entrance, and the strong aroma of the noodles filled half the store, drawing people in.
"Please don't rush. There's plenty for everyone!" staff members called out. "We have both instant and boiled samples. Just wait a moment—everyone will get a taste."
Carrefour had cleared an entire section of shelving for the promotion and brought in over twenty electric pots to cook noodles on-site. Still, it wasn't enough.
Once the noodles were ready, staff distributed small paper cups filled with samples.
People eagerly stepped aside after getting their portion, making room for those behind them.
"It's actually delicious!"
"Way better than the chicken flavor!"
"Better than the noodle shop downstairs from my place!"
"I need to buy some of these. Way easier than cooking. Just add hot water."
Soon, the shelves were empty—except for a few leftover packs of imported chicken-flavored noodles from Japan.
Employees rushed to restock, barely able to keep up with demand.
Not far away, Yang Wendong observed the crowd and smiled. "This flavor is selling way better than chicken."
"I heard the original chicken flavor caused a buying frenzy when it first launched in Japan," Zhou Haoran said. "But when it came to Hong Kong, the high price and low incomes kept it from catching on.
Now, with our new flavor and a much lower price, it's a different story."
"Can we keep up with demand?" Yang Wendong asked.
"No problem," Zhou Haoran grinned. "Production is fast, and our machines from Dongsheng are capable of scaling easily."
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10