Photo courtesy of Elna Tulus
How did Indonesia, a country where wheat (the main ingredient in instant noodles) doesn’t grow, become the world’s second-largest consumer and one of the top five exporters of instant noodles?
Instant noodles are a familiar staple for many of us, whether enjoyed occasionally or kept on hand as a pantry essential. First developed in the aftermath of World War II, they have since become a fixture of modern food consumption. According to the World Instant Noodles Association, global consumption exceeded 124 billion servings in 2025.
In this episode, Dr Clara Siagian is joined by Dr Elna Tulus, a recent graduate of the University of Technology Sydney. Elna’s research traces the history of instant noodle production in Indonesia, which mapped onto the geopolitical turbulence and the aftermath of the 1965 violent purge of communism. During this period, food aid to Indonesia dropped almost to zero that year, then rose sharply from 1971, when the world’s largest wheat mill, Bogasari, opened in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta.
The episode also talks about the success of Indomie worldwide as part of what she calls as gastro-capitalism: a system where we labour for the food system and are also its market for corporate profits. She argues that instant noodles should be seen as an ultra-processed food: designed to be irresistible, super convenient, high in calories and low in nutrition. Their consumption can mask food insecurity where communities are continued to be blamed for eating them while overlooking the power of large corporations over what food is produced and available to buy.
Is cutting our own consumption enough? Listen in to hear why Elna points instead to local food and food sovereignty.
Elna Tulus is passionate about the public health implications arising for the transformations of the global food system. Her doctorate research from the School of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Australia investigates the interconnections between the large-scale monocrop production of staple commodities and the growth of consumption of ultra-processed food using the case study on Australian wheat and Indonesian instant noodles.
In 2026, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Clara Siagian from the University of College London, Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, Dr Elisabeth Kramer from the University of New South Wales, Dr Jemma Purdey from the Australia-Indonesia Centre, and Dr Tito Ambyo from RMIT.
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