Maggi, or more specifically the instant noodles manufactured by the Swiss company Nestle, has a special place in the hearts of Indians. It is the ultimate comfort food for students, children, young professionals and even the Indian army. It is easy to find Maggi points outside colleges, along Indian highways and isolated Himalayan junctions. So in June, when the noodles were banned across the country after tests revealed excessively high amounts of lead and monosodium glutamate, Maggi lovers suffered what can only be described as heartbreak.
As Nestle was forced to destroy existing Maggi stocks and withdraw from its largest market, fans had to console themselves with other instant noodle brands such as Wai Wai. In August, Nestle launched a #WeMissYouToo video campaign, which featured fans talking about how their lives had changed after the ban. A few days ago, the states of Gujarat and Karnataka finally lifted the ban after Maggi passed government-backed safety tests. With states such as Goa and Himachal Pradesh considering the revocation of the ban, rumours of a comeback have started doing the rounds. These fan tweets explain why Indians are waiting for Maggi’s return with bated breath (and rumbling stomachs).
Maggi buffs are so persistent that they can resort to any means to get their hands on a packet.
Heard a man PLEADING with owner of grocery store to PLEASE get him #maggi in "Black"!! @MaggiIndia COME BACK SOON!— Pooja Bedi (@poojabeditweets) October 16, 2015
They can literally do anything for Maggi.
Anybody got #maggi ? I'll buy it in black if need be. Pls.— Vaishali Bhate (@vaishalibhate) October 16, 2015
Anything.
@MaggiIndia shall i do hunger strike for maggi— Pranav Malhotra (@pranavmalhotr12) October 19, 2015
Maggi brings out the poet in some.
Pasta is the perefect cooking rebound. Not quite the one-night stand of #maggi yet a far cry from the commitment of a full blown meal.— Shefali Pandey (@shefalipandey) October 10, 2015
Envy in others.
Hate it when lawyers flaunt #maggi packets in Court. All you want to do is snatch those packets and run away, gobble all of it at one go.— Ashpreet Sethi (@AshpreetSethi) September 30, 2015
It even has the power to change your dreams.
It's getting out of control. I'm now dreaming about #Maggi. Damnit. I need it to come back now.— Aayushi Jagad (@aayushijagad) October 22, 2015
Fans have coped with the Maggi ban in different ways. Some stashed noodle packets.
My last pack:(( #getmaggicback #maggi pic.twitter.com/MT7EBafPec— #NetNeutral Mihir (@zippoistic) October 8, 2015
While others looked for Maggi even when they were on a holiday.
Reason number 32571 why Amrika is awesome. You get to eat #Maggi here :D pic.twitter.com/qMjjkjT5iL— Sneha (@snehavachhaney) October 9, 2015
Some just decided to wear their love for Maggi on their sleeve.
Hai meri favorite miss.maggi noodles is least interested to click a pic with me! #celebrit… https://t.co/kmoqLvXoki pic.twitter.com/qWEtE6YQ9P— Snooh* (@Snooh) October 20, 2015
So when news of Maggi's return broke out, this is how they reacted.
Best comeback Welcome back maggi.. :P pic.twitter.com/VqRE3zrzlz— Binary Baba™ v3.0 (@0__1) October 22, 2015