David Chang Demonstrates Instant Ramen Hangover Cure On 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon' (VIDEO)

In a Late Night Eats segment for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Momofuku chef and ramen aficionado David Chang demonstrated how to make the perfect hangover cure: instant ramen. Chang explains that ramen is great after a night of heavy drinking because it is high in sodium, which your body craves since it is dehydrated.

Chang's cooking method -- boiling water and adding the instant ramen mix and noodles -- is obvious. (He has "no problem with" the MSG included in the powdered stock mix.) But he also suggests adding an egg, as well as various other extras, such as bamboo shoots and meat, if you're feeling ambitious. Sriracha sauce is a must.

Chang explains, "if you cannot cook instant ramen, something is wrong with you." He's clearly had some practice; Chang's Lucky Peach magazine devotes 174 pages to the subject.

WATCH:

Comments

[hbloxsolution]

10:34 AM on 08/26/2011

Ramen would work by providing sodium, water (if you don't drain it out after cooking), and some protein (with the egg or meat) but it fails at providing vitamins. After drinking a lot, you're missing some essential vitamins that if you don't replace, you're going to have a hangover.
---
James
www.hblox.com

[Targetdog]

10:30 PM on 08/16/2011

Sexy intern Steve can cook me ramen anytime he wants to!

[jayquintana]

10:10 PM on 08/16/2011

Where do you get the bamboo shoots?

[Targetdog]

10:32 PM on 08/16/2011

You can find them in a small can (the size of a can of tuna) in the ethnic aisle of any grocery store.

[theborg]

05:23 PM on 08/16/2011

Here my personal recipes for Ramen:
1. Shrimp Ramen - 3 packs of Ramen (Shrimp flavored), one pound of muscles; one pound of little neck clams; 1 pound of fresh, not frozen, shrimp, fresh broccoli, cut up a fresh onion, and about half a pound of fresh green snap peas and one lobster tail.
2. Chicken Ramen - what else? That left over chicken or turkey.

It's all good...

[Ayla McIntosh]

11:55 AM on 08/15/2011

Ewwwwww

[blee8810]

11:46 AM on 08/15/2011

I don't understand. When you are dehydrated your body craves sodium? Doesn't that just dehydrate your body more? Not going to lie, ramen works, but sodium for dehydration?!

[captainspirou]

02:46 PM on 08/15/2011

Dehydration is more about the imbalance of electrolytes rather then just the loss of water. On top of that you retain more water when you consume salt. If you just drink water without accompanying electrolytes then you'll end up urinating it out because your body feels an imbalance and needs to get rid of water to balance it out.

[plazmaorb]

04:45 PM on 08/15/2011

sodium helps retain water

[queenjulia]

10:20 AM on 08/15/2011

Ramen Noodles suck! They are the unhealthiest foods you can eat! Try not to drink so much that you need this stupid remedy.

[EatMeSF]

11:53 AM on 08/15/2011

Not all Ramen Noodles are the same. You could not be more wrong, they can also be the most healthie­st foods you can eat! (as you say)

You need to learn a more about food...

[SimonBao]

01:01 PM on 08/15/2011

That's an inaccurate generalization, and a largely irrelevant comment on ramen as a remedy.

Ramen noodles are like beef. They can be low-grade, nasty, and disgusting, or they can be very high quality, tasty, and entirely satisfying.

IF the only ramen you are familiar with are Cup o Noodles or cheap packets of Maruchan noodles, I might understand your claim that they suck.

But IF those are the only ramen you are familiar with, that's a reflection on you, not on ramen. There is a vast range of ramen designed to appeal to Korean tastes, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, etc., and quite a range of prices as well. American college students may make them with just water, noodles and the seasoning packet, but it's probably more typical that other consumers add garnishes, condiments, veggies, proteins, exactly as Change discusses.