Momofuku Ando's company Nissin first sold instant noodles on 25 August 1958 under the name Chikin Ramen. Ando developed the full process, from making and steaming noodles to seasoning them and then flash-frying them in hot oil, which dried them and gave them a longer shelf life than frozen noodles. The noodles were ready in two minutes with boiling water, but at first they cost 35 yen, a luxury compared with fresh noodles. Before that, Yoshio Murata had invented a machine in 1953 that curled noodles into waves, which allowed mass production. Ando's cup noodles appeared in 1971 after he saw American customers break a block into a paper cup and add water in 1966. Today around 103 billion servings are eaten worldwide each year.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.