North Korea claims to have invented anti-hunger noodles

A North Korean propaganda release claims that the hunger-stricken country has developed a "hunger-delaying" soy-protein noodle that doesn't induce the same carb-based hunger pangs that starch-based noodles cause:

According to the newspaper, which is seen as closely linked to the Pyongyang leadership, the new noodles have twice as much protein and fives times as much fat as ordinary noodles.

"When you consume ordinary noodles (made from wheat or corn), you may soon feel your stomach empty. But this soybean noodle delays such a feeling of hunger," it said on its website.

The noodles would be available soon across North Korea, the newspaper said.

An estimated one million people starved to death in North Korea in the late 1990s after natural disasters and government mismanagement devastated the country's economy.

N Korea 'develops special noodle' (Thanks, Marilyn!)

• [Bevatron Repairman]

  Maybe if they didn’t expend so many calories doing those giant flip-card rallies, hunger wouldn’t be a problem.

• [clueless in brooklyn]

  ah, yes, expanding plumber’s foam-based noodles. one bite expands to 30 times its size inside your belly. enjoy.

• [BBNinja]

  I’d think given whats not in short supply in North Korea that they might be headlining with Soylent Green.

• [Peter S. Conrad]

  Isn’t this just soy-based noodles, like the ones I buy at my local 99 Ranch Market all the time? Where’s the news story here?

• [mark_at_flickeringpictures]

  Twice as much protein and five times as much fat sounds like a lot, but a serving of regular rice noodles only contains about one gram of protein and zero grams of fat to begin with…

• [Landowner]

  Thank goodness. I was beginning to worry about that country. I’m glad that’s all over.

• [angryhippo]

  So they will feel full while still malnurished? Stay classy North Korea!

• [Viadd]

  In other news, North Korean scientists are working day and night to find a cure for sleepiness.

• [Takuan]

  if only there were some way to decapitate the junta with one strike….

  Pay close attention to North Korea, Americans. It is where you are all headed if the Cheney gang keeps power.

• [Anonymous]

  Everyone’s so fond of bombing each other, I have a solution.

  Why not “bomb” the NK countryside with food?

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    North Korea has been fed by it’s neighbors for years. If China, South Korea, etc. didn’t feed them, they’d have died out. The deal was ‘food for no nukes’ or ‘food for don’t mass migrate into China’. NK reneged on the deal.

• [the specialist]

  mmm… delay the “feeling” of hunger.
  the NK regime is limited – dictators eventually die; new regime is coming; but hunger=chaos. the NK people are just too weak from hunger to revolt right now.

• [Keeper of the Lantern]

  No 6:
  It’s almost worse than that…hunger is our evolutionary adaptation that tells us we need to eat in order not to die. Shutting off the hunger signal is not a very good idea, particularly when there’s not a whole lot of food around.

• [Absent]

  So they’re just made with Soy flour rather than wheat flour?

• [Super Nate]

  I guess the giant rabbits didn’t do the trick.

• [timquinn]

  This will be an excellent test of the placebo effect.

• [raisinlove]

  Wow, imagine if they exported this amazing product! They would save millions from hunger and make millions in the process, thus bringing prosperity to their country while being admired across the globe for ending world hunger! They would achieve the respect they so crave without even needing to deploy their nuclear weapons!

• [Kieran O’Neill]

  #2: Not at all. Proteins and fat have very different (and more pronounced?) effects on satiation than carbs. If they’ve made soy noodles with more fat/protein, then yes, it’ll make people hit satiation sooner (and maybe feel less hungry as they starve).

• [Evan Rappaport]

  Food as a cure for hunger? What will the think of next?

  Still no cure for cancer.

• [Æ’low]

  “and fives times as much fat as ordinary noodles”

  Jesus – send them over to the US! We need more fatties!

• [nanuq]

  So people will still starve, they just won’t be as hungry? It’s good to know that innovation is alive and well in North Korea.

• [acb]

  This isn’t the first North Korean culinary innovation; about five years ago, they also invented the computer drink.

• [Anonymous]

  There are millions of people starving in North Korea right now. This blog has blow-by-blow daily updates if you’re interested:

  http://www.goodfriendsusa.blogspot.com/

  An exerpt from friday’s entry:

  “In Eunduk County, North Hamgyong Province, 10-day rations of potatoes were distributed to teachers and doctors. When it comes to the villagers not in a professional field, they have not received any rations since April. Only the munitions workshop of the July 7th public enterprise (7ì›”7일기업소) distributed 7-day rations of 50 MT of polished wheat to its workers. Any food remaining after the distribution has been used at the factory cafeteria. Since the middle of August, noodles made from the mixed corn and wheat has been served to workers at lunch in the factory cafeteria. Meanwhile, due to the continuing food shortage, this year has seen a striking increase in the number of women leaving their homes to go to work. In addition, North Hamgyong Province reported a record high number of people trying to pass the national border by crossing the river.”

  Four months without rations.

• [Halloween Jack]

  Here’s an idea: let’s liposuction off excess fat from Americans and ship it to North Korea. We don’t need to know what they do with it. Perhaps they’ll make soap.

• [pduggie]

  Soylent Noodles are people!

• [cassius chaerea]

  North Korea has reinvented Rice-A-Roni?