Ramen pudding is a new trend that's allegedly taken Taiwan by soupy storm. The dish calls for instant ramen and a store-bought Japanese pudding.
拉面布丁据说兴起自台湾,是一种新的配汤潮流。这道小菜需要即食拉面和一只超市便可买到的日本布丁。

"What kind of pudding complements chicken bouillon?" is a question no one should have to ask. But we asked exactly that, and found that the answer (spoiler!) is a resounding "none."
“什么样的布丁能配鸡汤?”没有问这个问题的必要。但我们确实就这么问了,还发现人们的回答很响亮,(剧透啦!)“压根没有!”

Requesting a few brave taste-testers proved to be a stimulating task of its own. "I mean, I'll do it, but it does NOT sound good," said one honest reviewer.
我们邀请了一些勇敢的人试吃这道新菜。结果证明请人试吃这本身就是项很有挑战性的任务。有评论者就诚实地表示:“我愿意试吃,但这听上去并不好吃。”

To prepare the fare, we started with the average styrofoam container of Cup Noodles that can be purchased virtually anywhere.
做这道菜时,首先我们需要碗装方便面那样的普通泡沫塑料容器,碗装方便面几乎到处都有卖。

While the container instructs to pour boiling water to the cup's inside line, we left a bit more room to accommodate the additional volume of the pudding.
尽管方便面碗上的说明指导我们将烧开的水倒至杯内横线处,但我们要留出更多的空间,待会加入布丁。

Next came the flan-esque pudding.
接下来,加入一块布丁。

This gelatinous stuff was transferred straight from its plastic cup into the Cup Noodles, once the noodles were fully softened by the boiling water (about three minutes).
此胶状物原本是塑料杯那样的形状,大概三分钟后,待面条完全软化,布丁也直接融入汤汁中。

Then we attempted to mix.
然后我们试着搅拌下。

In a hopeful, unrealistic expectation, we crossed our fingers that the pudding would meld with the soup's bouillon broth and transform the dish into a cream-based broth delicacy.
我们殷切又不切实际地期望布丁能幸运地融化,将泡面变成一道美味的奶酪汤。

That is not what happened. Instead, the pudding broke into what one tester deemed "globs" of unenjoyable sweetness that tainted the noodle soup.
但这并没有发生。相反,试吃者认为布丁这团甜腻腻的东西破坏了泡面汤原本的味道,让泡面不怎么好吃。

The appearance of the soup made testers want to retreat.
加入布丁后的汤让一些测试者望而却步。

“Who invented this? Why would you do that?”
“是谁发明了这种吃法?他为什么会这么做啊!?”

"It looks like unmelted butter."
“这看上去就像没融化的黄油。”

And, at last, when tasters put plastic spoon to mouth, the results were unsavory.
最后,当试吃者拿塑料勺子尝了一口后,他们说这东西难吃。

"I'm gonna set this down."
“我都想吐了。”

“This would be acceptable prison food. And efficient.”
“把它作为囚犯吃的食物,我还是可以接受的。并且这么做确实有效。”

One hopeful tester thought the pudding might add a tofu-like consistency to the soup. But the dream was made in vain. "It wasn't as firm as I was telling myself it was going to be in my head," she reported. In truth, eaters just wanted their noodles back. And would happily go to bed without dessert.
一位试吃者还满心期待,以为布丁也许会给泡面汤增加豆腐一样的稠度,结果她是白日做梦了。她告诉我们:“即使我是这么告诉自己的,可它尝起来并不像豆腐。”实际上,试吃者只想吃加布丁前的泡面,而且他们乐意不吃甜点就去睡觉。

“It’s not terrible, but I would choose not to put the pudding in the soup.”
“这尝起来不差,但我宁愿不把布丁放进汤里。”

“I keep digging around to find NOT-pudding."
“我一直在汤里捞,想找找没有布丁的部分。”

For now, let's agree to leave one of our planet's most glorious convenience foods untouched. Dried noodles, salty, evaporated broth and a carefully poured cup of boiling water. That's it. If your soup has you craving a post-dinner flan, why not enjoy it as a post-meal nightcap?
现在,对于地球上最光荣的便利食物之一的泡面,我们一致同意再也不会加任何东西进去。干面条、咸咸的冒热气的汤汁和一杯小心翼翼倒进的开水,这就是泡面了。如果泡面汤让你想来一个饭后才吃的布丁,为什么不把它作为饭后享用的睡前饮料呢?