Hilo Macaroni Factory

Despite their name, the Hilo Macaroni Factory was best known for their manufacture of Saloon Pilot crackers, a Hawaiian staple. The early history of the company is hazy, but it appears the Hilo Macaroni Company was incorporated in 1914, with production of noodles beginning as early as 1908 under the name Hilo Seimen Gaisha.

Tatsunosuke Ikeda eventually bought the company and it ran as a family business with his daughter-in-law Fujiko Ikeda taking over as manager.

According to Fujiko, when the company was formed the local residents didn’t know the difference between macaroni and noodles, so they just called it all macaroni, even though they only made noodles.

Initially, they offered udon and somen, but later added saimin. The factory was located in the Shinmachi district of Hilo, Hawaii, a neighborhood of Japanese immigrant homes and businesses.

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