Hawaiian Saimin Recipe and History, Whats Cooking America (2024)

FAQs

What is the history of saimin in Hawaii? ›

Being popular on the Hawaiian Islands for more than 100 years, it started in the early 20th century among immigrant Asian laborers on sugar plantations. To this day, saimin can be frequently consumed in small noodle shops, or found in home cooking.

The name saimin—pronounced sighMIN—comes from two Chinese words, “sai,” meaning thin and “mein,” which means noodles. And we're talking thin noodles. Whether egg is included is up to the noodle maker. Fresh saimin noodles from Sun Noodle. Although golden in color, the noodles are eggless.

The difference between the noodle soups is minimal but distinct: Saimin noodles hold higher ash and egg content than ramen noodles, giving the former a chewier texture while keeping its thin shape. Saimin broth is also typically clearer than that which accompanies ramen.

In Hawaii's contemporary pidgin language, saimin has become a hyponym or blanket term for noodle soups, particularly instant ramen (e.g., "And one day, I come home from school and Blu and Maisie are eating dry saimin sprinkled with the soup stock").

The name saimin is the combination of two Chinese words: sai, meaning thin and min, which means noodle. It's believed that the dish originated during the early twentieth century plantation era as various Asian ethnicities – Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Hawaiian and Portuguese — came together.

Ramen is a Japanese adaptation of Chinese wheat noodle soups. It is first recorded to have appeared in Yokohama Chinatown in the early 20th century. Although ramen takes its name from lāmiàn, it did not originate from the hand-pulled lamian noodles of northern China, since the noodles used in ramen are cut, not pulled.

Shi shi. Definition: Pee, to urinate. How to use it in a sentence: Please shishi in the lua (bathroom), and not in the ocean — coral bleaching is real.

Oʻahu has for a long time been known as "The Gathering Place". However, the term Oʻahu has no confirmed meaning in Hawaiian, other than that of the place itself. Ancient Hawaiian tradition attributes the name's origin in the legend of Hawaiʻiloa, the Polynesian navigator credited with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands.

In Hawaii, pink or red-skinned kamaboko is readily available in grocery stores. It is a staple of saimin, a popular noodle soup created in Hawaii from the blending of Chinese and Japanese ingredients. Kamaboko is sometimes referred to as fish cake in English.

Saimin is another Hawaiian plantation era recipe that is a literal melting pot of cultures; a bowl of noodles that sums up Hawaii's ethnic history.

What is soupy ramen called? ›

1. Shoyu Ramen. Shoyu soup or ramen uses Shoyu (or Japanese soy sauce) in the soup, which is also known as the original ramen soup recipe. The soup is clear, brown, salty, and a little sweet, and can be found in most ramen restaurants.

The word Shoyu originates from Japan and is a term widely accepted in Hawaii which refers to Soy Sauce. Aloha, a term widely used as a greeting, also signifies important values in the Hawaiian culture, which includes kindness, unity, humility and perseverance.

Throughout the islands, you might run into warning signs that say “kapu.” This Hawaiian word is related to “taboo,” a term found in various forms throughout Polynesia. The simplest definition of kapu is “forbidden,” but the root of the term has a deeper connection to Hawaiian history and culture.

Malama ka 'aina i ke kai (take care of the land and ocean) is a deeply important Hawaiian tradition. Hawaiians protect the land as a source of knowledge, nourishment and inspiration.

The ahupuaʻa consists of Kalihi Uka, Kalihi Waena, and Kalihi Kai. Historically, Kalihi Kai was the site of the former Leprosy Receiving Station, where those suspected of leprosy were examined prior to treatment or being sent to Kalaupapa on the island of Molokaʻi.

Waialua was one of the six original districts of ancient Hawaii on the island, known as moku. Waialua is a former (sugar) mill town and residential area, quite different in its quiet ambiance from nearby Haleʻiwa, which is more commercial and tourist oriented.