Ben's Original Expands Beyond Rice With New Microwaveable Street Food Noodles

Mars' Bolton, Ontario-based Ben's Original team put five microwaveable Street Food Noodles on Canadian grocery shelves March 24, moving the packaged-rice brand decisively into centre-of-plate noodle territory with a lineup spanning Chinese Stir Fry, Korean Style BBQ, Spicy Indonesian, Thai Stir Fry, and Japanese Teriyaki.

The line reflects a broader market signal: the ready-meal segment in Canada is projected to grow 46 percent between 2024 and 2030, reaching a $7.18-billion U.S. industry.

The practical question for anyone with a pantry stocked with dried spaghetti, frozen udon, or dry lo mein is where this line actually slots in. The short answer: it is not competing with your Sunday ragu or a proper bowl of hand-pulled noodles. It is competing with the eight-to-twelve-minute window you do not have on a Tuesday.

Where dried pasta demands a pot of boiling water and a separate sauce decision, and frozen udon needs several minutes plus seasoning, Ben's Original's pouches arrive pre-cooked and pre-sauced. The Chinese Stir Fry variety pairs noodles with mushrooms, carrots, and red bell peppers; the Korean BBQ adds green onions and chili for a sweet, smoky, mildly spicy profile. The Indonesian variety brings carrots, green beans, red bell peppers, and green onions with heat and aromatic depth; the Thai Stir Fry delivers savoury, sweet, and fragrant notes with carrots, red bell peppers, and green onions; and the Japanese Teriyaki goes umami-sweet with mushrooms and red bell pepper throughout.

On chew, the format is honest about its limitations. Pre-cooked microwave pouches land softer than fresh udon and well below al dente spaghetti, but above the typical instant ramen brick. For anyone who considers texture the decisive variable, these pouches invite a concrete side-by-side: put the Chinese Stir Fry pouch next to a packet of dry lo mein, start a timer, and measure actual time to table. The 90-second claim holds. Whether the chew justifies the tradeoff on any given night is the real argument.

Three weeknight cases where these earn their shelf space: as a standalone desk lunch when 90 seconds is the actual time budget; as a base for a protein-topped bowl where the Thai Stir Fry or Teriyaki varieties absorb a fried egg or shredded chicken without complaint; and as a fast side alongside miso soup or a simple salad, where the Indonesian variety's spice profile carries enough weight to anchor the plate.

Derin Bello, General Manager of Mars Food and Nutrition Canada, framed the expansion in terms of consumer demand: "Noodles are one of the fastest-growing convenient meal categories in Canada, and consumers are increasingly looking for bold, globally inspired flavours they can prepare quickly." The line is available at most major grocery retailers across Canada and online through Amazon Canada. To mark the launch, Ben's Original is running a promotion through June 30, 2026: purchase two or more pouches, upload the receipt, and enter for a chance to win branded bamboo chopsticks with a travel case.

For small-batch noodle makers and pasta teachers watching this category, the signal is clear: global noodle occasions are now mainstream enough to attract a Mars brand extension. That appetite is real, whether the pouch satisfies it or not.