In the same way McDonald’s used localization to become the most popular fast food chain in Japan, the giant also adapted its products and services to meet the needs and preferences of local markets across the country, including Hawaii. For over four decades, McDonald’s locations across the island state served saimin, a local comfort food. But in 2022, McDonald’s stopped serving saimin when its Hawaiian supplier, Okahara Saimin, closed after being in business for nearly a century.
Essentially Hawaii’s answer to ramen, saimin is a much simpler recipe with clear, lightly flavored dashi broth — often made with shrimp, mushrooms, ginger, and dried kelp or konbu — with bouncy wheat noodles topped with several slices of pink-edged kamaboko fish cake and sprinkled with sliced green onions. A combination of the Chinese words “sai,” meaning thin, and “mein,” meaning noodle, the Hawaiian comfort food reputedly dates back to the late 19th century, when plantation workers of different ethnicities would share ingredients during their meals. For over a century, saimin has been a staple comfort food on Hawaiian tables, and remains a living testament to the diverse cultures and cuisines found in the Pacific archipelago.
Only in Hawaii
The marketing team at McDonald’s recognized the importance of saimin to people in Hawaii and originally incorporated the ramen-like soup thanks to Maurice “Sully” Sullivan, a successful entrepreneur who founded the area’s Foodland SuperMarket chain and owned the first McDonald’s franchise location in Hawaii.
While McDonald’s is no longer one of them, there are still lots of independently owned restaurants on the islands serving saimin, including more modern versions topped with everything from red-hued char siu pork, sliced Spam (a secret ingredient for any instant noodles), and pork filled dumplings and lots of hot, Chinese mustard. McDonald’s does still offer foods unique to the area such as breakfast entrees with rice, sliced Spam and Portuguese sausage, and desserts like fried taro pies, haupia pies with coconut cream and chocolate, and fried (not baked) apple pies. The fast food chain also has specials that come and go (think the cult classic McRib), one of which is the McTeri Deluxe — a regular burger patty smothered in teriyaki sauce and served on a seeded bun with fresh lettuce and sliced tomato.
