What was Cup Noodles known as in the United States until 1993?

In the United States, Cup Noodles was known as Cup O' Noodles until 1993.

Nissin introduced the cup version of its instant noodles in the United States in 1972, adapting the product for consumers who were less accustomed to eating noodles from a bowl with chopsticks. The disposable foam cup served as packaging, cooking vessel, and serving bowl: customers simply added boiling water and waited.

The original American product used the name Cup O' Noodles. Nissin changed it to Cup Noodles in 1993, but the older name remained familiar and is still sometimes used informally. The original U.S. flavors included beef, chicken, and shrimp; pork was added later, in 1976.

The Japanese product had debuted in 1971, one year before its U.S. introduction. It was inspired partly by Momofuku Ando’s observations of Americans breaking noodle blocks into paper cups and eating them with forks. Competitors later included Maruchan’s Instant Lunch, but that was never the former name of Nissin’s product.