Favorite Noodles Around the World

[nikkib]

Maybe people could share their favorite noodle recipes from whichever region of china/ the world they are from.... Granted "noodles" is a big topic and I'm sure complex to address but I for one would be keen to see what you all recommend...,

[liuzhou]

Quote

Maybe people could share their favorite noodle recipes from whichever region of china/ the world they are from....

 

The problem with that suggestion is that, in China (and, I think, most other places in Asia at least), the vast majority of noodle dishes, and certainly the most interesting, are only ever eaten in restaurants or, more likely, at small shacks or roadside places. Here in China, these places are highly competitive and do not give out their recipes.

 

 

This place is packed from early morning till late at night. I caught this picture just before the noon rush today.

 

Even if the recipes were available, still no one would make them at home. They are available on every street corner (there are five within three minutes walk of me, right now) for much less than you could make them at home.

 

The local favourite here, Luosifen, requires a soup base that takes hours to prepare and it wouldn't be economically viable to make it on a home basis. No one is going to spend hours and cash making something they can buy for next to nothing. These places sell 100s, if not thousands, of bowls of noodles every day.

 

Luosifen 螺蛳粉

 

Many of these places only do one or two dishes. You get to choose between round or flat noodles and there is usually a selection of condiments with which you can customise your dish. But that's it.

 

Condiments for your noodles - including various pickles, coriander leaf (cilantro), chilli flakes etc.

 

Most of the noodle dishes round here are soup based. I seldom eat 'chow mien', but when I do it's always different from the last time - even if I go to the same restaurant again. It is basically a 'use what you have too much of' dish for most restaurants.

 

Similarly, when people do cook noodles at home, they don't cook specific recipe based dishes. They may throw a few noodles into the soup left over from last night and eat it for breakfast or fry some up with other leftovers.

 

Anyway, here are some of the local noodle dishes.

 

Guilin Mifen (Guilin Rice Noodles] 桂林米粉

 

Old Friend Noodles 老友粉 See here for explanation of the name

 

Shengzha Pork Noodles

 

Pig's Trotter Noodles 猪脚粉

 

Dry Dredged Noodles 干捞粉

 

Fresh Pork Noodles 鲜肉粉

 

Beef Noodles 牛肉粉

 

Sadly, the most common noodles for self preparation round here are these:

 

Edited February 7, 2018 by liuzhou (log)

[rotuts]

Wow noodle heaven, right there! many thanks for the pics love 'em!

[nikkib]

Thanks liuzhou - yes I'm here in singapore and know there are a huge array of noodle dishes and wouldn't imagine they'd give the recipe out - fun to see them though. What sort of noodles do you cook at home?

[liuzhou]

What sort of noodles do you cook at home?

I don't. As I've already said, why should I cook noodles at home when I am surrounded by people selling much better noodles at a fraction of the price I can make them for?

[Ader1]

Yes nice pics and explanation. Looking at the pics I should maybe get the spaghetti attachment.

[liuzhou]

Very, very, very few people here actually make their own noodles. Why bother? In fact, I've never met anyone who does.

 

One local supermarket was selling what I would call pasta machines, but they called noodle makers. The locals were baffled.

 

"Why?" was all I heard. "The man downstairs sells them for ¥1. Why should I buy a machine for ¥168, then all the ingredients. You filthy robber!"

 

He switched to selling salad washers. Most Chinese never eat raw food. I'm guessing he isn't about to win the Chairman Mao Award for Entrepreneurship.

Edited February 7, 2018 by liuzhou (log)

[Ader1]

I did see a pasta maker at one place but this place was a little different. It was a horticultural farm with it's own dou ban 'factory' and also a kind of weekend get away for city people. And the food I had there was something else. Anyway, I bough some 'Amoy' noodles the other day here in the UK and they were over £1.70 for a small pack for 2 people. I think it's quite expensive.

[liuzhou]

Some more Chinese noodle dishes

 

Lanzhou Lamian (兰州拉面) - Lanzhou Hand Pulled Noodles with Mutton Soup

 

Stir Fried Lamian - Hand Pulled Noodles with Mutton

 

I forget what they called this, but it is mixed vegetables with mutton over hand pulled noodles

 

Mixed vegetables with hand pulled noodles

 

Xinjiang style hand pulled noodles in a tomato sauce.

 

And finally one Japanese

 

Bacon Ramen

Edited February 7, 2018 by liuzhou (log)

[radtek]

OMG those dishes look fabulous and healthy. If they were as cheap and plentiful here I'd probably eat out everyday!

I own a pasta maker and make fresh pasta from time to time but its just too convenient to use dry pasta. Even the professionals say the quality is so high it makes sense to do so. There's some big differences in culture though: in the States cooking a meal is considered traditional, and eating out a special occasion. Despite that we are a nation of restaurants! Every house is expected to have a fully functioning kitchen- whereas in Asia space constraints may preclude cooking at home for many people. My opinion is that there is a growing backlash to eating out all the time and while it is costly- an indication that a person is disadvantaged, particularly if they eat a lot of unhealthy fast-food from chain restaurants.

I have the blades that cut either 1mm or 10mm noodles. Anything wider I pull out the pizza cutter or the knife and see little need to buy extra equipment. There's an Asian market close to my house where any quantity of a wide variety of dried and fresh noodles are available. I recommend achieving "a healthy balance"- make what you can't get, save time with what you can, depending on the dish.

[liuzhou]

Every house is expected to have a fully functioning kitchen- whereas in Asia space constraints may preclude cooking at home for many people.

I've never seen an Asian house that didn't have some kind of kitchen facility, albeit not always what you might find acceptable in the west, although many would surprise you. Home cooking is by far the most common - but not generally for noodle dishes as I have explained above.

Edited October 26, 2012 by liuzhou (log)

[Shalmanese]

He switched to selling salad washers. Most Chinese never eat raw food. I'm guessing he isn't about to win the Chairman Mao Award for Entrepreneurship.

Sounds like he would win the Chairman Mao Award for Entrepreneurship.

[heidih]

Youmien - oat noodles from Northern China came up on another site. With the overtrend of gluten free around Los Angeles  I am surprised not to have heard of them, They sound texturally in my box and I think I would enjoy them, Anyone? 

 

[liuzhou]

25 minutes ago, heidih said:

Youmien - oat noodles from Northern China came up on another site. With the overtrend of gluten free around Los Angeles  I am surprised not to have heard of them, They sound texturally in my box and I think I would enjoy them, Anyone? 

 

 

 

I'm not surprised at all. Most people in China have never heard of them! They are very rare - and I'm not sure I'd call them noodles!