Pot Noodles

Since 1979, the mighty Pot Noodle has been a requisite in every student's dorm. This fascinating snack's appeal has not wavered over the years despite tasting like mouldy textbooks and a lack of fish flavoured varieties.

The Chicken and Mushroom version appears to be the most popular but since it launched, many alternatives were less successful.

The Otter and Crab stick flavour launched briefly in 1983 (after the great otter uprising of 1982) but were pulled from shelves a mere three months later for 'containing fur which might constitute a choking hazard'.

The Essex Special was also removed from supermarkets as the hoopy earrings and 'extra added bling' coupled with the Burberry packaging was deemed tasteless in every other part of the UK.

The Pot Noodle continued its success around the world with specialty varieties introduced to match the tastes of the local population. In Austria, the Pot Strudel was a big success and, in Korea, the Pot Poodle was received warmly and was also the first snack that would 'roll over', 'beg' and 'sit' on demand.

The company did have a brief shock in 1992 when it was discovered that one of its varieties contained actual beneficial properties and was a valuable source of protein and nutrients. The offending snacks were recalled immediately, the nice bits were removed and a lump of pure Kryptonite was added to the recipe to ensure they tasted awful once more.

Despite being totally inedible, the Pot Noodle is not without uses. The container can be used as a makeshift party hat, a small house for a family of grasshoppers and as a receptacle to keep Gran's teeth in at night.

Three cheers for La Noodle De La Pot!