Saimin is a plantation era inspired delicacy unique to Hawaii. It includes elements from Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Hawaiian and Portuguese cultures.

Likelike Drive Inn's neon sign on Keeaumoku Street continues to invite people to fresh, home cooked saimin since 1953. Open 24 hours, it's a popular after prom stop for teens in tuxedos and gowns.

Saimin is a food developed in and unique to Hawaii. Inspired by Japanese ramen, Chinese mein, and Filipino pancit, saimin was developed during Hawaii's plantation era. It is a soup dish of soft wheat egg noodles served in hot dashi (stock from Japanese bonito fish or shrimp). Unlike ramen, saimin noodles contain eggs and tend to crinkle when cooked. It is garnished with green onions, baby bok choy or Chinese mustard cabbage, kamaboko (steamed fish cake), char siu (Chinese barbecue pork), sliced luncheon meat (SPAM is the most popular choice) or Portuguese sausage (linguiça), and nori (seaweed wafers), among other additions. Japanese pot stickers, called gyoza, as well as Chinese wonton, are usually added for special occasions. A pan-fried version, primarily inspired by Filipino pancit, is also popular, especially at carnivals, fair grounds, and catered parties. quick snapshop of saimin This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... quick snapshop of saimin This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Candid snapshot of Likelike Drive Inn along Keeaumoku Street, Dec 2003 This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Candid snapshot of Likelike Drive Inn along Keeaumoku Street, Dec 2003 This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Official language(s) Hawaiian and English Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 43rd 28,337 km² n/a km 2,450 km 41. ... A typical packet of ramen This article discusses Japanese food. ... Chinese cuisine includes many different types of noodles (traditional 麵, simplified 麺 or 面, pinyin miàn, often written mien or mein in English). ... Pancit is a long, thin noodle, common in the Philippines, though of Chinese origin. ... On August 12, 1898, the flag of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i over ‘Iolani Palace was lowered to raise the United States flag to signify annexation. ... Soup is a savoury liquid food that is made by boiling ingredients, such as meat, vegetables and beans in stock or hot water, until the flavor is extracted, forming a broth. ... Bonito is a name given to various species of medium-sized, predatory fish of the genus Sarda, in the mackerel family, especially the common or Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda) and the Pacific bonito (Sarda chiliensis). ... Superfamilies and families Alpheoidea Alpheidae - snapping shrimps Barbouriidae Hippolytidae Ogyrididae Atyoidea Atyidae Bresilioidea Agostocarididae Alvinocarididae Bresiliidae Disciadidae Mirocarididae Campylonotoidea Bathypalaemonellidae Campylonotoidae Crangonoidea Crangonidae Glyphocrangonidea Galatheacaridoidea Galatheacarididae Nematocarcinoidea Eugonatonotidae Nematocarcinidae Rhynchocinetidae Xiphocarididae Oplophoroidea Oplophoridae Palaemonoidea Anchistioididae Desmocarididae Euryrhynchidae Gnathophyllidae Hymenoceridae Kakaducarididae Palaemonidae Typhlocarididae Pandaloidea Pandalidae Thalassocarididae Pasiphaeoidea Pasiphaeidae Procaridoidea Procarididae Processoidea... Trinomial name Brassica campestris L. pekinensis Bok choy (Brassica campestris, Chinese 白菜 báicài) is an Asian relative of the common cabbage. ... // Mustard seeds The powerful bite of mustard seeds, which likely evolved as a deterrent to seed-eating rodents and birds, made mustard one of the first spices known to humans. ... Look up Spam in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Spam may mean: Spam (food), canned meat sold by Hormel. ... Linguiça (pronounced leen-GWEES-a) is a form of Portuguese pork sausage seasoned with onions, garlic, and pepper. ... Jiaozi (Trad. ... A shrimp wonton in Cantonese style Wonton (雲吞 or 餛飩;Cantonese IPA: ) (also written wantan, wanton and numerous other variations) are a type of dumpling common in Chinese cuisine. ...

Origins

Saimin is a contraction of two Chinese words 細麵: 細 (pinyin: xì, Cantonese: sai), meaning thin, and 麵 (miàn, mein), meaning noodle. Saimin is recognized as a traditional state dish in Hawaii, taking into consideration the various historic and cultural significances of its creation. The dish is composed of elements taken from each of the original sugarcane and pineapple plantation laborer ethnicities of the early 20th century: Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Hawaiian, Portuguese. Hanyu pinyin (Simplified Chinese: 汉语拼音; Traditional Chinese: 漢語拼音; Hanyu Pinyin: , lit. ... Cantonese (Traditional Chinese: 粵語; Simplified Chinese: 粤语, Cantonese: Yuet6yue5; Mandarin pinyin: Yueyu, Yụet (Guangdong) language) is one of the major dialect groups or languages of the Chinese language or language family. ... Species Saccharum arundinaceum Saccharum bengalense Saccharum edule Saccharum officinarum Saccharum procerum Saccharum ravennae Saccharum robustum Saccharum sinense Saccharum spontaneum Sugarcane or Sugar cane (Saccharum) is a genus of between 6–37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation) of tall grasses (family Poaceae, tribe Andropogoneae), native to warm temperate to tropical regions... Binomial name Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. ... A plantation is an intentional planting of a crop, on a larger scale, usually for uses other than cereal production or pasture. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... In April of 1990, Daniel K. Akaka became the first native Hawaiian and Chinese American to serve in the United States Congress as a Senator from the State of Hawaii. ...

As plantation laborers got home to their families in rented plantation lots or shacks, each family would begin cooking dinner. Sometimes, such meals became communal as a means of saving money. Every family would offer an ingredient they were able to spare. The Filipino family might have some extra green onions growing in their yard, the Portuguese family might have leftover sausage, the Hawaiian family's chickens might have laid a couple extra eggs, the Korean family might have bok choy unused from making kimchi. They would all throw their ingredients into the pot and share. It was through these communal meals that the Hawaiian Pidgin language was developed so they could all understand one another, borrowing words and phrases from each others' language and piecing them together. In some ways, saimin gave birth to Hawaii's becoming well known as a haven of multicultural harmony today. The common name scallion is associated with various members of the genus Allium that lack a fully-developed bulb. ... Trinomial name Brassica campestris L. pekinensis Bok choy (Brassica campestris, Chinese 白菜 báicài) is an Asian relative of the common cabbage. ... Kimchi or gimchi or kimchee is a traditional Korean dish of fermented chile peppers and vegetables, usually based on cabbage. ... Hawai‘i Pidgin English (Hawaiian Pidgin English is an inaccurate label), also known as Hawai‘i Creole English, HCE, or simply Pidgin, is actually a creole language based in part on English that is widely used by residents of Hawai‘i. ...

Popularization

Saimin was first popularized as a fast food dish at Honolulu Stadium on King and Isenberg streets. As local residents watched Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio or their favorite high school football teams play on the field, fans rushed to the snack stands for a warm bag of boiled peanuts and a cup of hot saimin. For the first time, hot dogs and hamburgers were beat out at an American ballpark as the choice spectator snack. Honolulu Stadium, demolished in 1976, remains a landmark memorialized today as the Old Honolulu Stadium Park. ... For the band named Babe Ruth, see Babe Ruth (band). ... Joseph Paul DiMaggio, born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr. ... A large hot dog with ketchup Hot dog is the term for either a type of sausage or, alternatively, a sandwich with that same sort of sausage held in a bun. ... Hamburgers often contain beef, lettuce, onions, and other toppings in a bun. ...

The types of places in Hawaii where saimin is served today is a testament to the popularity of the dish and its importance to the local residents. Only in Hawaii is saimin served at all sporting venues alongside hot dogs and hamburgers, at popular national fast food chains like McDonald's and Jack in the Box as well as in the finest, high-end restaurants of the islands. A healthy alternative to most school meals, many public schools offer saimin as a regular option for students every day of the school year. Fast food is food prepared and served quickly at a fast-food restaurant or shop at low cost. ... McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest chain of fast-food restaurants. ... A jack-in-the-box is a childrens toy that outwardly consists of a box with a crank. ...

Historic Saimin Establishments

Several saimin establishments including saimin noodle factories and restaurants have become local landmarks in Hawaii and have attracted out-of-state visitors who have ventured off the traditional tourist beaten paths. Many of these establishments have been officially designated by the State of Hawaii as places of historic interest. Among such establishments are Likelike Drive Inn and Washington Saimin. Official language(s) Hawaiian and English Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 43rd 28,337 km² n/a km 2,450 km 41. ...

McDonald's Saimin

McDonald's, an American fast-food giant based in Oak Brook, Illinois, became alerted of the saimin phenomenon in the islands in the late 1960s. Maurice J. Sullivan, legendary Hawai‘i entrepreneur and owner of Foodland Super Market Limited, had purchased and opened the first McDonald's restaurant in Hawai‘i in 1968 at his flagship grocery store. He opened several more McDonald's franchises and for 12 straight months, McDonald's Hawai‘i became the highest grossing group of franchises in the world. Sullivan wanted to serve his favorite meal at his McDonald's restaurants, saimin, knowing all too well that his restaurants would boom with its introduction to the menu. Oak Brook is a suburb of Chicago located in DuPage County, Illinois. ... Maurice Joseph Sullivan (1884-1953) of Reno, Nevada was a Lieutenant Governor of Nevada and a U.S. Representative from Nevada. ... Entrepreneur is a loanword from the French language that refers to a person who undertakes and operates a new venture, and assumes some accountability for the inherent risks. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

Sullivan invited executives from McDonald's corporation, including owner business tycoon Ray Kroc, for dinner at two family-owned, "hole-in-the-wall" saimin stands in Honolulu. They ate at Washington Saimin and Boulevard Saimin. That night, Sullivan convinced Kroc to expand McDonald's menu for the first time in its corporate history to include a local "ethnic" food. Researchers worked extensively with Washington Saimin to develop a recipe for McDonald's Hawaii. Sullivan secured deals with a local saimin noodle factory, fishcake supplier and a Japanese company, Ajinomoto, to manufacture a special soup base. ... Ajinomoto Ajinomoto Co. ...

Saimin is today one of McDonald's Hawaii restaurant's most popular menu items. Later, Sullivan introduced a breakfast platter of Portuguese sausage, eggs and steamed white rice to his menu, capitalizing on another local food phenomenon.

Cultural Intrigue

Having become a unique cultural phenomenon, saimin is often the focus of study by scholars from colleges and universities worldwide. Only recently, saimin has been introduced to Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles, California; San Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; England and Japan. Nickname: The Entertainment Capital of the World Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: City of Angels Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: The City by the Bay Motto: Official website: http://www. ... This article is about the city. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the British Isles Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st UK...

Sources

• Aiko Hamura, Leila Fujimori, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 27, 2002
• Asian Noodles, Our Kitchen, Hormel Foods, 2004
• Gambling on a Good Meal, Betty Shimabukuro, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, September 5, 2001
• Got Manapua, Kyle Tatsumoto and Keith Kamisugi, Nichi Bei Times, 2001
• Noodlemania: Hawaii's melting pot is a bowl of saimin, Marnie Masuda, Maui Time Weekly, November 6, 2003
• Saimin, Catherine Kekoa Enomoto, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, September 10, 1997
• Shige's Saimin Stand, Lyle Galdera, KHNL, April 27, 2002
• Joan Clarke, Local Food: What to Eat in Hawaii, Namkoong Publishing, 1997
• Rachel Laudan, Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawaii's Culinary Heritage, University of Hawaii Press, 1996