Maruchan

Maruchan (マルちゃん, Maru-chan) is a Japanese-American brand of instant ramen noodles, cup noodles, and Yakisoba produced by Toyo Suisan of Tokyo, Japan. The Maruchan brand is used for noodle products in Japan, and as the operating name for Toyo Suisan's division in the United States, Maruchan Inc. In 1972, Toyo Suisan entered the American market with Maruchan USA, and in 1977, established a plant in Irvine, California. Maruchan has other plants in Richmond, Virginia, and one in Bexar County, Texas.[1] Maruchan produces over 3.6 billion packages of ramen noodle soup a year. In the United States and Mexico especially, Maruchan ramen remains widely popular.[2]

Maruchan
東洋水産
TypePrivate
IndustryFood
FoundedMarch 28, 1953 (Japan)
1972 (United States)
HeadquartersJapan
Kōnan, Minato, Tokyo
United States
Irvine, California
Richmond, Virginia
ProductsMaruchan Ramen
Instant Lunch
Yakisoba
ParentToyo Suisan
(Japan)
Maruchan Inc.
(United States)
WebsiteMaruchan.com

History

Toyo Suisan Kaisha, Ltd of Tokyo, Japan, founded on March 28, 1953, is a consumer packaged foods company in Japan. Toyo Suisan's effort to become an international food company brought them to the United States, where, in 1972, they established Maruchan USA. At first, Maruchan USA was only a marketing company, importing and distributing ramen from Japan. After operating for five years as a distributor of imported products, Maruchan built its own manufacturing facility in Irvine, California, in 1977, where it began producing Maruchan brand ramen. Since 1977 Maruchan has grown steadily and has become an industry leader in North America, alongside other instant noodle brands such as Top Ramen and Sapporo Ichiban.[3]

Name

Maruchan is a Japanese word composed of two parts, maru and chan. Maru means round, as in the shape of a ball or a happy child's face. In Japanese, round has a connotation of friendliness. The word chan is an honorific suffix, used affectionately for a child or as a term of endearment.[4]

Products

International flavors include:

  • Beef
  • Roast Beef
  • Teriyaki Beef
  • Picante Beef
  • Chicken
  • Creamy Chicken
  • Chipotle Chicken
  • Teriyaki Chicken
  • Chicken Mushroom
  • Roast Chicken
  • Sriracha Chicken
  • Picante Chicken
  • Chicken Tortilla
  • Cheddar Cheese
  • Chili
  • Chili Piquin & Shrimp
  • Shrimp
  • Lime Shrimp
  • Lime Chili Shrimp
  • Hot & Spicy Beef
  • Hot & Spicy Chicken
  • Hot & Spicy Kimchi
  • Hot & Spicy Shrimp
  • Instant Wonton Chicken
  • Pork
  • Soy Sauce (previously marketed as "Oriental")
  • Hearty Pork Tonkotsu
  • Spicy Miso
  • 35% Less Sodium Chicken
  • 35% Less Sodium Beef
  • 30% Less Sodium Chili

Specialty flavors:

  • Texas Beef
  • Cajun Chicken
  • Cajun Shrimp
  • Hot-n-Spicy Vegetable

Discontinued:

  • Tomato
  • Mushroom
  • California Vegetable
  • Creamy Alfredo
  • Jalapeno Cheddar

See also

References
  1. "San Antonio jumps into ramen noodle market".
  2. "The Big 5 companies occupy instant noodle market!". piece-of-japan.com.
  3. "About Maruchan".
  4. "Chan, Kun, Senpai? Japanese Honorifics". November 14, 2011.
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