It was even more yellow than I remembered and whilst I rememered them as being really spicy seemed to have no taste at all. I was telling a mate who had a much more middle class upbringing and was intrigued at stories of Beef Risotto and Chicken Curry. As soon as they hit the oil, use a pair of wooden or bamboo chopsticks to break them up and prevent them from sticking together as they fry and expand.

Regardless of what dishes you serve these with, the contrasting sweet and spicy flavors of homemade Restaurant-Style Duck Sauce and Chinese Hot Mustard are delicious with these fried noodles. Just realised I've got a couple of boxes in the cupboard that I acquired in Home Bargain or some such budget haven. The lovely crispy noodles have recently been replaced with horrible "crispy curls", which taste like cardboard. If you should meet a creature with the body of a snake, the head of a crocodile and the claws of a lion, that's flapping leathery wings and breathing fire, you've found yourself a dragon. In fact, if there were Penguin bars hiding somewhere below the Maris Pipers, groceries might have had the edge.If you do get your hands on one, let me know if it tastes the same as you remember from your childhood. Evenly spread the blanched noodles over base of the pan, turn the heat to low and allow the noodles to brown slowly (this should take about 5 minutes or so). After I had watched Rentaghost followed by John Craven's Newsround and when Crackerjack with Stu Francis (ooh, I could crush a grape!

When the noodles are brown on one side, gently flip them over using a fish slice and brown the other side, adding more oil if needed. If you’re going really retro, you can serve them over American Chicken Chow Mein or Chicken Chop Suey. Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water to prevent them from continuing to cook and becoming sticky.

Vesta curries, along with some Chinese foods became available as convenience foods in the late sixties.

Check the oil temperature often with a thermometer, and increase or reduce the heat to keep it at 375-400°F (190-204°C). Vesta prawn curries (now discontinued but you can still get the beef one) were what started my lifelong love of curry. I said I'd undoubtedly find them disgusting now, and I didn't think they were still made (Sainsburys/Waitrose certainly don't do them). Vesta was before my time but I often have some noodle products in the cupboard for the occation when you can't be bothered with anything else.In a wok or deep medium pot where the oil will only come up about half the height of the pot, heat the oil to 375-400°F (190-204°C). Perhaps it serves only to highlight the sheer happiness food brings in the most farcical of circumstances.