Maruchan (マルちゃん, Maruchan) is a brand of ramen noodles. The name translates from Japanese into English as "little Maru." The suffix -chan makes the name into a diminutive, something that is commonly done in Japanese society as a means of ensuring that children know when they are speaking to an elder, whether male (-kun) or female (-chan). Knowing this, the face seen in the logo, must represent the girl "little Maru". Furthermore, "maru" means "circle" in Japanese, possibly referring to the shape of the icon's head. The noodles contain no preservatives, although they are cooked in vegetable oil preserved with TBHQ. They can be found in a packaged form to be cooked on a stove, in a cup to which boiled water is added, or can be microwaved. It is a division of Toyo Suisan, a Japanese conglomerate.