Sales of instant noodles have been on a five-year decline in China, which may be the outcome of many unrelated factors. Higher purchasing power and more sophisticated palates are two obvious culprits, but so is the law of gravity.

Instant noodles are called "convenience noodles" in the Chinese mainland. The latest report that its annual sales dropped 12.5 percent in 2015 does not really come as a shock. It has been on a long and painful decline for past several years.

What's not convenient though, is the explanation, or rather, explanations.