Indomie is a brand of instant noodle produced by the Indonesian company Indofood. Indofood itself is the largest instant noodle producer in the world with 16 factories. Over 15 billion packets of Indomie are produced annually, and the brand is also exported to more than 90 countries around the world. Indomie has been produced mainly in Indonesia since it was first introduced in June 1972; it has also been produced in Nigeria since 1995. Indomie has become increasingly popular in Nigeria and other African countries since its introduction there in the 1980s.
Background
Etymology
Indomie's name is derived from "indo" for "Indonesia" and "mie", the Indonesian word for "noodles".
History
Instant noodles were introduced into the Indonesian market in 1969. Indofood is one of Indonesia's largest pre-packaged food companies which was founded in 1982 by Sudono Salim (1916–2012), an Indonesian tycoon who also owned Bogasari Flour Mills.
The Indomie instant noodle brand was first produced in June 1972 by PT Sanmaru Food Manufacturing Co. Ltd. with the Indomie Kuah Rasa Kaldu Ayam (chicken broth) flavour and followed by the Indomie Kuah Rasa Kari Ayam (chicken curry) flavour in 1980. In 1982, PT Sanmaru Food launched its first dry variant (served without soup), Indomie Mi Goreng (fried noodle), which quickly became popular in the Indonesian market.
In 1984, PT Sanmaru Food was acquired by PT Sarimi Asli Jaya, which was owned by Bogasari flour mills, before they merged into PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk in 1994. Indomie accounted for around 70 per cent of the instant noodle market in Indonesia in 2010.
Indomie won several awards including the Lausanne Index Prize (L.I.P.), Indonesia Best Brand Award (IBBA), the Most Effective Ad award, the Indonesia Consumer Satisfaction Award (ICSA), and the Indonesia Best Packaging Award.
Varieties
Indomie noodles come in a variety of brands and flavours. The brand is divided into five product categories: Indomie goreng (fried noodle served without soup), Indomie kuah (with soup), Kuliner Indonesia (Indonesian cuisine), Mi Keriting (premium curly noodle), and Hype Abis (unique spicy flavours). Many of the Indomie flavours were created by Nunuk Nuraini, an employee in the instant noodle division of Indofood.
Indomie noodle soup flavours include Rasa Ayam Bawang (onion chicken flavour), Rasa Ayam Spesial (special chicken flavour), Rasa Kaldu Ayam (chicken broth flavour), Rasa Kaldu Udang (shrimp flavour), Rasa Kari Ayam (chicken curry flavour, also available with fried onion in Java and Bali islands of Indonesia), Rasa Soto Mie (Soto mie or vegetable flavour), and Rasa Soto Spesial (Special Soto flavour with Koya powder). There is also Beef and Vegetables (vegetarian) noodle soup flavours in some export markets.
Mi Goreng
The Mi Goreng (stir fry) line of instant noodles is based on the Indonesian dish mie goreng (fried noodles). It entered the market in 1983 and is distributed in North America, Europe, Africa, Australasia, and various regions in Asia. The brand flavours are sold in varying weight packets of around 85 grams (3 oz) and contain two sachets of flavourings. The first sachet has three segments containing sweet soy sauce, chili sauce, and seasoning oil. The other sachet has two segments for dry seasoning powder and fried shallot flakes. In some regions, Mi Goreng is also available in Jumbo (large) packs, a larger variant with a net weight of 127–129 grams (4.48–4.55 oz).