Maruchan facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | March 28, 1953 (Japan) 1972 (United States) |
| Headquarters | Japan Kōnan, Minato, Tokyo United States Irvine, California |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
| Products | Maruchan Ramen Instant Lunch Yakisoba |
| Parent | Toyo Suisan (Japan) Maruchan Inc. (United States) |
Maruchan (マルちゃん) is a very popular brand of instant ramen and cup noodles. It also makes Yakisoba, which is a type of fried noodle dish. These tasty products are made by a company called Toyo Suisan from Tokyo, Japan.
The name "Maruchan" is used for noodle products in Japan. It is also the name for Toyo Suisan's part of the company in the United States, called Maruchan Inc. Toyo Suisan started selling its products in America in 1972. Five years later, in 1977, they built their first factory in Irvine, California. Maruchan also has other factories in Richmond, Virginia, and in Bexar County, Texas. Every year, Maruchan makes over 3.6 billion packages of ramen noodle soup! Maruchan ramen is very popular in the United States and Mexico.
The Story of Maruchan
Toyo Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. is the company that owns Maruchan. It was started in Tokyo, Japan, on March 28, 1953. This company makes many different kinds of packaged foods in Japan.
Toyo Suisan wanted to share its food with people all over the world. So, in 1972, they came to the United States and created Maruchan USA. At first, Maruchan USA only brought ramen noodles from Japan and sold them. They were a distributor, meaning they helped get the products to stores.
After five years of selling imported noodles, Maruchan built its own factory. This factory was in Irvine, California, and it opened in 1977. That's when Maruchan started making its own brand of ramen right there in the U.S. Since 1977, Maruchan has grown a lot. It is now one of the top instant noodle brands in North America, along with others like Top Ramen and Sapporo Ichiban.
What Does "Maruchan" Mean?
The name "Maruchan" comes from two Japanese words: maru and chan.
- Maru means "round." Think of a ball or a happy child's face. In Japan, being "round" can also mean being friendly and kind.
- Chan is a special ending added to names in Japan. It's used in a sweet and friendly way, often for children or people you care about a lot.
So, "Maruchan" basically means something like "friendly little Maru" or "little round friend."
See also
In Spanish: Maruchan para niños
