I had just returned from Singapore and was going through my emails, thrilled to be in front of my trusty desk top after a month long absence, when a letter popped out from my in-box, informing me of a blogging event on 5th December at the ITC Grand Central. It was an exercise in building brands and busting myths , specifically relating to instant noodles that had taken a beating after the Maggi brouhaha.

The ‘ITC Foods You Ask We Answer’, was aimed to introduce us to what all goes behind building successful food brands as well as provide an open platform to answer questions related to packed foods.

I was intrigued because like all mothers, I have always looked at instant food with a modicum of suspicion. After all can slaving over a stove for hours on end , stirring the pot of nourishing food with generous amounts of TLC ever be substituted by a snip of a scissors and a 2 minute boil? Common sense strongly supports the old fashioned way of cooking but VL Rajesh, Divisional Chief Executive, ITC Ltd. Foods Division,  and Kavita Chaturvedi,   ‎Head of Marketing & Executive Committee Member at ITC Limited, Foods Division (Mother of the Yippee brand as she likes to call herself) busted certain myths associated with instant noodles.

The Journey

Mr. Rajesh took us through the ITC Foods Division brand which is the youngest division in ITC more famously known for its luxury hotels and cigarettes and I for one was surprised when I heard that it had so many products that I was unwittingly using in my life. For instance, the soap that I often buy is  Vivel, the atta that I always buy is Ashirwad, the fragrance wafting from my Pooja room is Mangaldeep and the goodies that I long to eat are the creamy biscuits from ITC.

But what surprised me most was the amazing facts that he rolled out before us, chief of them being that ITC is a responsible manufacturer which is “creating enduring value for India”

Unlike several food companies, ITC entered the field of packaged food with their own home grown brands manufactured with local ingredients and developed for the Indian consumer and in Mr Rajesh’s words, despite being a young business, it has emerged as the “fastest growing food business in the country.” and last month, YIPPEE sold its 100 millionth pack!!!

The Meet

Starting promptly at 11, we bloggers were treated to some of ITC’s legendary hospitality of tea and sandwiches, before getting down to business. After the introduction by Mr. Rajesh, Kavita explained how YIPPEE which was a noodle brand in 2010 has now become a case study itself in brand building!

Starting out with a quick quiz to sharpen our minds (which yours truly won by the way), Kavita unravelled a fascinating BackStory  that held us spell bound.

Did you know for instance that YIPPEE is

• The only Noodle block in the market that is round?
  • And that this is the only noodle block that is round because all the pots that noodle blocks are cooked in are round and very often to accommodate the block, the block is cut into pieces
• The only Noodle block that doesn’t become gooey and lumpy when cooked? 
  • And this is because these noodles are made from the best wheat wheat
• The only Noodle with taste maker that is actually tasty and wholesome?
  • And this is because the tastemaker is made with spices and vegetables making it more healthy and nutritious.

The Great YiPPEE Cook Off

When there’s food involved there’s got to be a cook off so it didn’t come as a surprise when the bloggers were asked to divvy up and make four teams and cook something yummy and unique out of YiPPEE noodles. What came as a surprise was the the male bloggers despite being foodies absolutely refused to apron up. So it was left to the women to don the chefs’ caps.

 

I always thought a noodle was just a noodle was just a noodle but these ladies cooked up some amazing concoctions.

Taking just a few moments to decide which ingredients to use, the ladies quickly went to the four stations at the back and began noodling away.

Surprisingly there was only one non-vegetarian dish which was a variation of the noodles and meat balls – spiced up with some Magic Masala.

The YiPPEE Bombay sandwich which was made up of crispy noodle “buns” was pretty innovative as was the Upside Down Noodle Pie. (Sorry ladies, I didn’t get down the actual names of the dishes you had made and am inventing my own to describe what you had made)

But what really blew me was the out of the box use of YiPPEE – making it a chaat filling. It was simply mind blowing to see the traditional puris taking on a completely different twist!

I wasn’t in the least shocked that they were the winners – Ashirwad Achievers ( starring the amazing Geetha Sridhar) with their Fusion chaat . 

By this time we were all quite hungry and quickly went to the Coffee Shop at ITC’s Hotel where the event was being hosted and sat down to some yummy grub – Once again, Sunfeast’s YiPPEE, and other delectables were used in the food ( YiPPEE Khow Suey) showing us how instant noodles can effectively be used in regular kitchens.

All in all it was an afternoon well spent

• informative
• enjoyable
• fun

Mr. Rajesh and Kavita took all our questions and answered them to our satisfaction. What particularly reassured my was Mr. Rajesh’s admission that his own family eats YiPPEE and Sunfeast and all those goodies and if he can trust his own near and dear with that, he can assure every consumer that packaged foods aren’t bad. Of course, he did add, that like everything else in life, things have to be used in balance.

Incidentally, YIPPEE and ITC are going all out to clear the air regarding the myths associated with the Evils of Noodle Eating. They have launched a website dedicated to answering questions of ordinary consumers 

I came home with a hamper of goodies which my grandson attacked with glee. He devoured the biscuits and kept away the Bingo.

As for the YiPPEE noodles ?

Well, I still have to try them , so look out for my verdict in my next post.