Chinese noodles

Chinese noodles are an essential ingredient and staple in Chinese cuisine. There is a great variety of noodles, which vary according to their region of production, ingredients, shape or width, and manner of preparation.

Chinese noodles are an important part of most regional cuisines within mainland China, as well as in Taiwan, Singapore, and other Southeast Asian nations with sizable overseas Chinese populations. Chinese noodles have also entered the cuisines of neighboring East Asian countries such as Korea and Japan , as well as Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia.

Nomenclature

Nomenclature of Chinese noodles can be difficult due to the vast spectrum available in China and the many dialects of Chinese used to name them. In Chinese, miàn refers to noodles made from wheat, while fěn or "fun" refers to noodles made from rice flour, mung bean starch, or indeed any kind of starch. Each noodle type can be rendered in pinyin for , but in Hong Kong and neighboring Guangdong it will be known by its pronunciation. Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and many other Overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia will use Hokkien instead.

The character for ''miàn'' can be written a number of ways in . The standard character is , while the standard character is . Variant characters include , , and . The characters 面 and 麵 are separate characters in Traditional Chinese, the former meaning "face" and the latter meaning "noodles" or "flour". In Simplified Chinese, the two characters have been combined and both meanings are expressed by 面.

History

Although the , Arabs, and Italians have all claimed to have been the first to create noodles, the first written account of noodles dates from the Chinese , between 25 and 220 AD. During the Chinese noodle shops were very popular in the cities, and remained open all night.

In October 2005, the oldest noodles yet discovered were found in Qinghai, China, at the , during excavation of a Neolithic Qijia culture settlement along the Yellow River. The 4,000-year-old noodles appear to have been made from foxtail millet and . Today, millet is not a commonly used ingredient in Chinese noodles.

Production

Chinese noodles are generally made from either wheat flour, rice flour, or mung bean starch, with wheat noodles being more commonly produced and consumed in and rice noodles being more typical of southern China. , lye, or food colouring may also be added to noodles made from wheat flour in order to give the noodles a yellow colour. or tapioca starch are sometimes added to the flour mixture in low quantities to change the texture and tenderness of the noodles' strands.

The dough for noodles made from wheat flour is typically made from wheat flour, salt, and water, with the addition of eggs or lye depending on the desired texture and taste of the noodles. Rice- or other starch-based noodles are typically made with only the starch or rice flour and water. After the formation of a pliable dough mass, one of four types of mechanical processing may be applied to produce the noodles:
*Cut - The dough is rolled out into a flat sheet, folded, and then cut into noodles of a desired width.
*Extruded - The dough is placed into a mechanical press with holes through which the dough is forced to form strands of noodles.
*Peeled - A firm dough is mixed and formed into a long loaf. Strips of dough are then quickly sliced or peeled off the loaf directly into boiling water.
*Pulled - The dough is rolled into a long cylinder, which is then repeatedly stretched and folded to produce a thinner and thinner strands.
*Kneaded - A small ball of dough is lightly rolled on a flat surface until it is several centimetres long and spindle shaped.

While cut and extruded noodles can be dried to create a shelf-stable product to be eaten months after production, most peeled and pulled noodles are consumed shortly after they are produced.

Cooking

Noodles may be cooked from either their fresh or dry forms. They are generally boiled, although they may also be in oil until crispy. Boiled noodles may then be stir fried, served with sauce or other accompaniments, or served in soup, often with meat and other ingredients. Certain rice-noodles are made directly from steaming the raw rice slurry and are only consumed fresh.

Unlike many Western noodles and pastas, Chinese noodles made from wheat flour are usually made from salted dough and therefore do not require the addition of salt to the liquid in which they are boiled. Chinese noodles also cook very quickly, generally requiring less than 5 minutes to become ''al dente'' and some taking less than a minute to finish cooking, with thinner noodles requiring less time to cook. Chinese noodles made from rice or mung bean starch do not generally contain salt.

Chinese noodle types

Wheat flour based

These noodles are made only with wheat flour, water, and sometimes salt.

Lye-water or egg

These wheat flour noodles are more chewy in texture and yellow in colour either due to the addition of lye or egg. Lye water noodles also have subtle but distinctive smell.

Rice based

Rice based noodles can be：
#Extruded from a paste and steamed into strands of noodles
#Steamed from a slurry into sheets and then sliced into strands
These noodles are typically made only with rice and water without the addition of salt. Although unorthodox, some producers may choose add other plant starches to modify the texture of the noodles.

Starch based

These noodles are made with plant starches. Mung bean starch noodles will often be cut with tapioca starch to make them more chewy and reduce production costs.

Signature Chinese noodle dishes

*Ban mian
*Beef chow fun
*Cart noodle
*Char kway teow
*Zhajiang mian
*Laksa
*Lo mein
*Re gan mian

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Char kway teow

Char kway teow, literally "fried flat noodles", is a popular noodle dish in Malaysia and Singapore. It is made from , approximately 1 cm or slightly narrower in width, fried over very high heat with light and dark soy sauce, , prawns, s, , and . Sometimes slices of Chinese sausage and fish cake are added. It is fried in pork fat, with crisp croutons of pork lard, which give it its characteristic taste.

''Char kway teow'' has a reputation of being unhealthy due to its fat content. However, when the dish was first invented, it was mainly served to . The high fat content and low cost of the dish made it attractive to these people as it was a cheap source of energy and nutrients. When the dish was first served, it was often sold by , farmers and cockle-gatherers who doubled as ''char kway teow'' sellers in the evening to supplement their income.

Etymology

The term "''Char kway teow''" is a transliteration of the Chinese characters "炒粿條", based on the Min Nan of the Chinese language. More precisely, "炒粿條" is pronounced as ''chhá-kóe-tiâu'' in Min Nan, and ''cháo guǒtiáo'' in .

However, as ''Char kway teow'' was brought from Min Nan-speaking regions to -speaking regions, the Chinese name was as "炒貴刁". This is pronounced as ''caau2 gwai3 diu1'' in and ''cháo guìdiāo'' in . "" has no literal meaning, but its pronunciation in Mandarin is similar to "粿條" in Min Nan.

Moreover, "''Char kway teow''" is often known as "Singaporean ''Char kway teow''" or "Malaysian ''Char kway teow''" in Hong Kong, in order to emphasize the origin of the dish.

In Vietnamese cuisine, a similar stir fried noodle dish is called ''h? ti?u''.

Variations

A variation is the gourmet version of ''char koay teow''. This is commonly found in the island state of Penang, Malaysia. The version of ''char kuay teow'' found there is sometimes augmented with duck's eggs and crab meat .

Another evolution of this dish is fried without pork fat or lard. This evolution has come about due to ''char kway teow'''s growing popularity amongst the Muslim community in Malaysia.

This dish is also popular in take away establishments in Australia and New Zealand.

In Myanmar, a variety called the ''Beik Kut kyae kaik'' exists. It is popular in the souther coastal regions around the town of Mergui and in Yangon, the largest city in the country.It uses more pepper and seafood compared to the kway teow of Singapore and Malaysia. The rice noodles are a bit thinner, and are fried with boiled soft brown peas, bean sprouts, squid and prawns, spring onions and dark sweet soy sauce. After being fried, the noodles are cut with scissors , thus, it is given the name.

Champon

is a Japanese noodle dish with origins from China. It originated from Fujian cuisine , as it was invented by an owner of a Chinese restaurant, ''Shikairo'' at , Japan. In the middle of Meiji period, the owner saw a need for a cheap, but filling, meal that fitted the taste of hundreds of Chinese students who came to Japan for schooling opportunities. In Jaemulpo, Korea at the same time, Chinese people introduced a similar noodle dish. Nowadays Champon is a popular specialty food of Nagasaki and is a one of most popular Koreanized Chinese foods in Korea.

Champon is made by frying pork, seafood and vegetables with lard; a soup made with chicken and pig bones is added. A ramen noodle made especially for champon is added and then boiled. Unlike other ramen dishes, only one pan is needed as the noodle is boiled in the soup. Depending on the season and the situation, ingredients differ. Hence the taste and style may depend on the location and time of year..

The word ''champon'' may also be used for many kinds of random acts where things are mixed. It can also be used to describe the practice of mixing different types of alcohol on a single occasion. The word is thought to have the same origins as the Okinawan dish ''chanpuru'' and the / word ''campur'' . In Korea, Champong is a slang which means mix-up.

Korean champon

Nagasaki style Champon is similar to a dish called '''' The Shandong version tends to be the most spicy. Due to the proximity of these locations, the three dishes most likely share the same origin.

In the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, many Chinese emigrated to Japan and Korea. There was a regular sea route between Nagasaki and Jaemulpo via Busan. Many of the Chinese immigrants opened restaurants and created new versions of their home food. In Korea, it became spicier by using red pepper, red pepper oil and Dubanjang . Today, it is a popular Koreanized Chinese dish that is common in Korea and even in Korean neighbourhoods around the world.

Cellophane noodles

Cellophane noodles are a type of transparent Asian noodle made from starch , and water.

They are generally sold in dried form, boiled to reconstitute, then used in soups, stir fried dishes, or spring rolls. They are called "cellophane noodles" or "glass noodles" because of their appearance when dried, resembling cellophane, a clear material or a translucent light gray or brownish-gray color.

Cellophane noodles are generally round, and are available in various thicknesses. Wide, flat cellophane noodle sheets called mung bean sheets are also produced in China.

Cellophane noodles should not be confused with rice vermicelli, which are made from rice and are white in color rather than clear.

In China

Naming

In , the most commonly used names are:
*''fěn sī'' : with ''fěn'' meaning "noodle" and ''sī'' meaning "thread"
*''dōng fěn'' : with the literal meaning of "winter noodle"

They are also marketed under the name saifun, the pronunciation of the Mandarin ''xì fěn'' , though the name ''fan2 si1'' is the term most often used in Cantonese.

Production

In China, the primary site of production of cellophane noodles is the town of Zhangxing, in the city of Zhaoyuan , which is administered by the prefecture-level city of Yantai, in the eastern province of Shandong. However, historically, the noodles were shipped through the port of Longkou , and thus the noodles are known and marketed as Longkou ''fensi'' .

Use

In China, cellophane noodles are usually made of mung bean starch and are a popular ingredient used in , soups, and particularly hot pots. They can also be used as an ingredient in fillings for a variety of Chinese ''jiaozi'' and '''' , especially in vegetarian versions of these dishes. Thicker cellophane noodles are also commonly used to imitate the appearance and texture of in vegetarian soups. Thicker varieties, most popular in China's , are used in stir fries as well as cold salad-like dishes. A popular soup using the ingredient is fried tofu with thin noodles . A popular dish called ants climbing a tree consists of stewed cellophane noodles with a spicy ground pork meat sauce.

Health concerns

In 2004, testing by Chinese authorities determined that some brands of cellophane noodles produced in Yantai, Shandong were contaminated with lead. It emerged that several unscrupulous companies were making their noodles from cornstarch instead of mung beans in order to save costs, and, to make the cornstarch transparent, were adding lead-based whiteners to their noodles. In December 2006, Beijing authorities again inspected cellophane noodles produced by the in Siduitou village, Zhangxing town, Zhaoyuan city, Yantai, this time determining that , a toxic and possibly carcinogenic industrial bleach which is an illegal food additive in China, had been used in the production of the noodles. The company, which formerly sold its noodles both in China as well as overseas, was ordered to cease production and distribution.

Outside China

In Indonesian cuisine, they are called ''soun'' or ''suun'', and in Malaysia they are known as ''tanghoon''. Sometimes, people confuse them with ''bihun'' which are .

In Japanese cuisine, they are called ''harusame'' , literally "spring rain." Unlike Chinese glass noodles, they are usually made from potato starch. They are commonly used to make salads, or as an ingredient in hot pot dishes. They are also often used to make Japanese adaptations of Chinese and Korean dishes.

In Pakistan, glass noodles are called ''saewiyan'', and are always used in desserts. They are usually boiled with sweetened milk with dried nuts and are sometimes coated with ''chandi varak'' usually served on religious occasions. They are also eaten with ''falooda'', which could be bought from numerous food stalls throughout Pakistan.


In Korean cuisine, glass noodles are usually made from sweet potato starch and are called ''dangmyeon'' . They are commonly stir-fried in sesame oil with beef and vegetables, and flavoured with soy and sugar, in a popular dish called ''japchae'' They are usually thick, and are a brownish-gray color when in their uncooked form.

In , cellophane noodles are called ', ', or ''.

In Filipino cuisine, the noodles are called ''sotanghon'' because of the popular dish of the same name made from them using chicken and wood ears. These noodles are often confused with , which are called ''bihon'' in the Philippines.

In Thai cuisine, glass noodles are called ''woon sen'' . They are commonly mixed with pork and shrimp in a spicy salad called ''yum woon sen'' , or stir-fried as ''pad woon sen'' .

In Hawaii, where cuisine is heavily influenced by Asian cultures, cellophane noodles are known locally as long rice, supposedly because the process of making the noodles involves extruding the starch through a potato ricer. They are used most often in ''chicken long rice'', a dish of cellophane noodles in chicken broth that is often served at luaus.

Cart noodle

Cart noodle is a kind of '''' noodle which became popular in Hong Kong in the 1950s through independent street vendors operating on roadsides and in public housing estates in low-income districts, using carts. Many street vendors have vanished but the name and style of noodle endures as a cultural icon.

History

With many immigrants arriving from mainland China during , would sell food out of a cart roaming the streets. Some vendors specialising in cooked noodles would sell them with an assortment of toppings and styles.

Historically, the cart frames were assembled out of wood with metallic s. It allowed the heat inside to cook the ingredients. In the old days, it was possible to receive large quantities for a cheap price. The noodles were considered "cheap and nasty". Cost was generally low to appeal to the average citizens. It was known for its poor hygiene. As such, they were also commonly referred to as "filthy noodle" . When hygiene standards rose, many street vendors have vanished.

Legacy

The name and style of the noodle endures, and remain widely available in low- to mid-end . The price may vary depending on the permutation of ingredients, or type of establishments. On the contrary, because the noodle is now defined by its retro style, it can sometimes be found in higher-end establishments. It may offer costlier types of ingredients at a higher price.

Typical combinations

Examples of types of noodles and toppings, which may vary considerably from stall to stall:

Toppings

*
*
*
*
*
*
* Green vegetables
* Chicken wing
*
* Beef ball
*
* Wonton
* Crab stick
*
* cuttlefish ball

Noodles

*
* Thick noodles
* Thin noodles
* Yi mein
* Udon

Biang biang noodles

Biáng biáng'' noodles are a type of noodle popular in China's Shaanxi province. The noodle is called ''biáng biáng miàn'' in . The noodles, touted as one of the "ten strange wonders of Shaanxi" , are described as being like a belt, due to their thickness and length. The "Noodle King" chain in Beijing serves ''biáng biáng'' noodles.

About the noodle

The Chinese character ''biáng''

Phonetic substitution

Made up of 57 strokes, the Chinese character "biáng" is one of the most s in contemporary usage, although the character is not found in modern dictionaries or even in the Kangxi dictionary. Because the Chinese character for "biáng" cannot be entered into computers, phonetic substitutes like 棒棒麵 ''bàng bàng miàn'' or 梆梆麵 ''bāng bāng miàn'' are often used.

Mnemonics for how the character is written

There are a number of ditties familiar to Shaanxi residents used as mnemonics to aid recall of how the character is written.

One version runs as follows:

:

In simplified characters:
:一点上了天，黄河两道弯，八字大张口，言字往进走，你一扭我一扭，你一长我一长，当中加个马大王，心字底月字旁，留个钓搭挂麻糖，坐着车车逛咸阳。

Pinyin pronunciation:
:Yìdiǎn shàng le tiān，Huáng Hé liǎng dào wān，"bā" zì dà zhāngkǒu，"yán" zì wǎng jìn zǒu，nǐ yī niǔ wǒ yī niǔ，nǐ yī zhǎng wǒ yī zhǎng，dāngzhōng jiā ge mǎ dàwáng，"xīn" zì dǐ "yuè" zìpáng，liú ge diào dā guà mátáng，zuò zhe chē chē guàng Xiányáng.

Origin of the character

The origins of the biang biang noodles and the character ''biáng'' are unclear. In one version of the story, the character ''biáng'' was invented by the Qin Dynasty Premier Li Si. However, since the character is not found in the Kangxi Dictionary, it may have been created much later than the time of Li Si.

In the 2007 season of the TVB show ''The Web'' , the show's producers tried to find the origin of the character by contacting university professors, but they could not verify the Li Si story or the origin of the character. It was concluded that the character was invented by the noodle store.

Beef noodle soup

Beef noodle soup is a noodle soup dish composed of stewed beef, beef broth, vegetables and Chinese noodles. It exists in various forms throughout East Asia and Southeast Asia. It was created by the Hui people during the Tang Dynasty of China.

In the West, this food may be served in a small portion as a soup. In China, a large bowl of it is often taken as a whole meal with or without any side dish.

In , "牛肉麵" literally means "beef-noodles". If one orders "牛肉湯麵" or "beef-soup-noodles" in a restaurant in Taiwan, China, or Hong Kong, one might be given a very inexpensive bowl of noodles in only beef broth but no beef. Since beef has become much more affordable these days, most restaurants no longer provide these broth-only noodles. If one orders a "牛肉湯" or "beef-soup", one could be given a more expensive bowl of beef broth with chunks of beef in it but without noodles.

Variations

When the Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese Civil War, refugees from mainland China including introduced the beef noodles to the Taiwanese. Despite the traditional Taiwanese aversion to eating beef, and that virtually no wheat is produced in the island, the dish is available on Taiwan, including the instant noodles, food pouch, and microwave meal versions. Certain sources argue that the modern form of the Chinese beef noodles was actually invented in Gangshan Village, Kaohsiung County by Republic of China Air Force personnel who fled to Taiwan from Sichuan. Despite the southern Taiwanese roots of the modern beef noodles, the styles itself as the "World Capital of Beef Noodles" and has recently started to host an annual Taipei Beef Noodles Festival.

One version, called ''niú nǎn'' , includes beef tendon as well as meat. The slow-cooked tendon is enjoyed for its soft, gelatinous texture. Another version is where the meat and soup has been cooked with heavy dose of hot chili oil.

Vietnamese versions of this dish are bún bò kho and pho.

The Chinese Muslim version uses halal meat and contains no spices or soy sauce. Only salt and green onions are used to add flavoring to the soup. The Chinese name for the Muslim version of beef noodles is clear-broth stewed beef noodles . In Taiwanese halal restaurants, only quality local beef from the prepared by the local halal butcher is used for the beef noodles.

When soy sauce is added, the soup is called red roasted or braised beef noodles . In this version, the stew meat is sometimes stir fried with hot sauce before being simmered as soup.

Some restaurants use canned beef stock and thinly sliced .