Maruchan
Private | |
Industry | Food |
Founded | 1972 |
Headquarters |
Japan Kōnan, Minato, Tokyo United States Irvine, California Richmond, Virginia |
Products |
Maruchan Ramen Instant Lunch Yakisoba |
Parent | Toyo Suisan |
Website | Maruchan.com |
Maruchan (マルちゃん), is a Japanese brand of ramen noodles and related products produced by Toyo Suisan Kaisha, Ltd 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 San Antonio, Texas.[1] Maruchan produces over 3.6 billion packages of ramen noodle soup a year.
History
Toyo Suisan Kaisha, Ltd of Tokyo, Japan, founded in 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 and in 1977 began producing Maruchan brand ramen at the Irvine factory. Since 1977 Maruchan has grown steadily and has become an industry leader in North America, alongside other instant noodle brands such as Nissin Top Ramen and Sapporo Ichiban.[2]
Name
Maruchan is a Japanese word composed of two parts, maru and chan. Maru literally 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 for a person one finds endearing.[3]
Products
Flavors include:
- Pork
- Beef
- Chicken
- Lime Chicken
- California Vegetable
- Cheddar Cheese
- Oriental
- Roast Beef
- Roast Chicken
- Hot & Spicy Beef
- Hot & Spicy Chicken
- Cajun Shrimp
- Creamy Chicken
- Jalapeño Cheddar
- Teriyaki Beef
- Savory Soy Sauce
- Mushroom
- Picantè Beef
- Picantè Chicken
- Hot & Spicy Shrimp
- Chili
- Shrimp
- Chicken Mushroom