蜜芽传媒

Ramen noodles have overtaken tobacco to become the most valuable commodity in some US prisons.

They can be exchanged for goods, services and are sometimes used as bargaining chips in gambling.

Gustavo "Goose" Alvarez is a former prisoner and has written a cookbook called "Prison Ramen". He told Carolyn Quinn why noodles had become such a commodity.

(Photo: A fork with ramen noodles. Credit: Thinkstock)