Instant ramen — the cornerstone of the college diet. Take the following scenario, in a world where instant ramen was never invented, as an illustration:

A graduate student is trying to write a thesis on molecular physiological pathology. The student has done excellent research. If her thesis is published, there is an excellent chance she will get a grant to continue her work.

With a food budget of only $1 a day, her diet consists solely of rice cakes. As she approaches a critical stage in her writing, it occurs to her that she has definitely lost a lot of weight over the last couple weeks. She realizes this could have a huge effect on her reproductive health. What if she becomes barren from her rapid decrease of food intake? The unsettling image of herself as a lonely spinster stays in the student’s mind — plaguing her as she writes.

The thesis’ quality decreases rapidly as she worries. It doesn’t get published. She fails to graduate. No follow up research is done — research that could have led to the cure for malaria. Billions of lives could have been saved — if only instant ramen had been invented.

Few foods — nay, no other food — can be thanked so universally in America’s universities and colleges for staving off student starvation. With 380 calories per $.25 bag, the most gracious junk food gods have gave us ramen as a way to subsist (though still suffering from malnutrition) for only $1 a day.

A food as immensely important as ramen deserves much more than just one lousy recipe, wouldn’t you agree? That is why this week kicks off the multi-part RAMEN MARATHON.

Ramen Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:

1 package ramen noodles (any flavor)

Instructions:

Bring two cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Crack, scramble, and dump the egg into the boiling water (use just the egg white for a healthier soup). Add noodles to the boiling water, and stir for three minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in flavor packet. You’re Done.