Cup Noodle Meets Louisiana Gumbo - That's Hot

Cup Noodle, long stereotyped as subsistence food for college students and basement dwelling bachelor geeks, is getting a makeover. Is Maruchan's new "Gumbo Noodle" suave & sexy enough to sway the fairer sex?

The association between geeky guys and Japan's iconic Cup Noodle soups is so strong, few were shocked when a novelty company introduced a "Cup Nude" self-gratification aid (left) that mimicked the popular instant snack.

Perhaps stung by the sticky icky fallout and desirous that their customer base actually reproduce and thus create a future customer base, Japanese food giant Maruchan is making an appeal to women and, er, normal guys. New Cup Noodle varieties in attractively designed cups are about to land on Japanese store shelves, one of the first being Gumbo Noodle.

 According to Maruchan, "New Orleans Style Gumbo Noodle" will cost 170 yen (about $1.90) per cup and features flat noodles in a sauce thickened with Okra. Noodles, not rice... Cajuns will be ragin' back in the parishes. At least the prepared product will have a "spicy hotness", which may not appeal to the Japanese female demographic Maruchan is after.

Lest ramen purists get all up in arms over Gumbo Ramen, it should be mentioned that the concept was arrived at after consultation with the noodle nerds at the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum - yes, there is such a thing - and their logo appears on the lower portion of every cup.

Lastly, and just so you don't forget this is a Japanese product, red English script on the cup reads "Let's eat together with sandwich!"