La Choy facts for kids
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| Owner | ConAgra Foods |
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| Introduced | 1922 |
La Choy is a popular brand of canned and packaged American Chinese food ingredients. You might have seen their soy sauce, bean sprouts, or chow mein noodles in a grocery store! The brand is currently owned by ConAgra Foods.
The Story of La Choy
La Choy started in 1922. It was created by Dr. Ilhan New and Wallace J. "Wally" Smith. They met at the University of Michigan. Their very first product was canned bean sprouts. Wally Smith sold these sprouts in his own grocery store in Detroit, Michigan.
Dr. New left the company in 1930. Sadly, Wally Smith passed away in 1937. But the company kept growing! By the late 1930s, La Choy offered many different food items. These included soy sauce, kumquats, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and chow mein noodles.
Americans were becoming very interested in East Asia and its unique foods. La Choy took advantage of this interest. In 1937, the company built its first factory in Detroit. It was a large space, perfect for making lots of products.
During World War II, La Choy moved its factory. In 1942, they moved from Detroit to Archbold, Ohio. This helped them save money. They sold their old Detroit factory to the government, which used it to make supplies for the war. This sale helped La Choy start a new chapter. In 1943, a company called Beatrice Foods bought La Choy Food Products.
On June 23, 1957, three leaders from La Choy appeared on a TV show called What's My Line. They all had Irish last names, which surprised the show's panel!
Fun Advertising
La Choy has had some memorable advertisements over the years.
The Muppet Dragon
In the mid-1960s, Jim Henson, the creator of The Muppets, made TV commercials for La Choy. These ads featured a Muppet character named Delbert the La Choy Dragon. Delbert was performed by Frank Oz and voiced by Jim Henson.
Delbert's catchphrase was "quick cooked in dragon fire." He was often joined by a shy character named Mert. Delbert was one of the few full-bodied Muppets that Frank Oz performed.
See also
- Mein gon (crunchy chow mein noodles)
- Chop suey
- Chow mein sandwich
