The first Nissin instant-noodle flavor, sold as Chicken Ramen, was chicken.
Momofuku Ando launched Chicken Ramen in Japan in 1958. The noodles were pre-cooked, seasoned, and dehydrated by flash-frying, allowing them to be prepared quickly with boiling water.
The original product was packaged in a sealed bag rather than a cup. Its chicken seasoning gave the product its name and helped distinguish it from plain dried noodles and fresh noodle dishes.
Later instant-noodle ranges expanded into seafood, beef, curry, spicy, and regional flavors. The original chicken flavor is therefore a specific historical product detail, not a claim that all instant noodles use chicken seasoning.