HOT DRY NOODLES

[Operator 1,927]

My wife is Hubeiren (Yangxin to be more specific). She grew up on hot dry noodles (reganmian) for breakfast and every time we are back visiting her mom and sister she gets her fill of them. I like to cook so I cook breakfast every morning before we go to work and on weekends. I would really like to make reganmian for her but she insists there is no "local supplier" of the right ingredients. Along with cooking I like a challenge also so I'm going to set out to find a local supplier of alkaline noodles and mustard tuber (whatever that is).

Here is a recipe I found (I love the internet) if anyone is interested...hot dry noodles are delicious by the way!

Ingredients

• ½ pound fresh or dried alkaline noodles
• 1½ tablespoon chopped salted chilies (duo la jiao)
• 2½ tablespoons sesame paste
• 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1½ tablespoons chili oil, with sediment
• 4 tablespoons slivered preserved mustard tuber (zha cai)
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced spring onion greens
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Method

• 1. Bring a large panful of water to the boil, add the noodles and cook until al dente (according to Chinese sources, until 80% cooked). Drain well, and spread out on a wooden board to dry. Sprinkle over a little sesame oil and mix thoroughly. (This will ensure that the noodles don't stick together.)
• 2. Divide the salted chilies, sesame paste, garlic and soy sauce between two serving bowls. Bring a panful of water to the boil. Place the noodles in a small bamboo colander and dip them into the boiling water, mixing them with a pair of chopsticks to ensure even heating. Do this four or five times, until they are cooked through. Then divide the noodles between the bowls, and scatter over the chili oil, preserved mustard tuber, spring onion greens and sesame seeds. Mix well before eating.

If anyone has any good recipes to share I'm always looking for new material.

Sorry this isn't immigration related but food is much more interesting.

Edited February 28, 2013 by Operator

[bigdog 376]

I agree and will dig up some recipes also, I will check with the wife on the ingredients. g

[HappilyDone 0]

Wuhan Hot Dry Noodles (Reganmian), Shanxi Sliced Noodles (Daoxiaomian), Guangxi and Guangdong Yifu noodles (Yifumian), Sichuan Dan Dan noodles (Dandanmian)and Noodles with Soy Bean Paste (Zhajiangmian) in the North together are known as the five famous noodles in China. The Wuhan Hot Dry Noodle is a snack with apparent local flavor of Wuhan.

The recipe for hot dry noodles is different from cold noodles and noodles in soup. Firstly mix the cooked noodles with oil and dry them aside. When you are about to eat the noodles, scald the prepared noodles in boiled water, mix them with condiments, and the noodles will be ready to eat. The finished hot dry noodles are firm and chewy, golden and oily, savory and fresh, and quite inviting.

In 1930s or so, there was a person from Wuhan who made a living by selling bean noodles and noodles in soup. One day, worried that the noodles left over would go bad, he fished out the cooked noodles, spread them over the chopping board, and accidentally pushed down the sauce boat with sesame oil. As a result, the noodles were covered with the sesame oil. The next day, he scalded the almost cooked noodles in boiled water for a while, fished them out into a bowl, and mixed them with shallot and other condiments. The noodles turned out to be extremely tasty and savory. In this way, the man invented the hot dry noodles now well-known all over China by accident.

I eat them almost every day here in Wuhan, streetfood places recently raised the price to 3.5RMB a bowl. We even buy the lunch packs of them on Taobao for a quick fix, a pack of 8 for 25RMB...

A couple other recipes:

http://tofoodwithluv.blogspot.com/2012/04/wuhan-inspired-hot-and-dry-noodles-re.html

http://wuhanstories.blogspot.com/2006/10/needless-to-say-hot-dry-noodle-is-most.html

[Operator 1,927]

I eat them almost every day here in Wuhan, streetfood places recently raised the price to 3.5RMB a bowl. We even buy the lunch packs of them on Taobao for a quick fix, a pack of 8 for 25RMB...

This is what my wife was on about this morning. She said when she was in high school she could get them for .10 a bowl and now her sister says they are 3.5. People don't take raising he food prices lightly.

Headed back next month and now that's all I can think about.

[HappilyDone 0]

This is what my wife was on about this morning. She said when she was in high school she could get them for .10 a bowl and now her sister says they are 3.5. People don't take raising he food prices lightly.

Headed back next month and now that's all I can think about.

Buzz me when you come and we can make the rounds. I think the price on reganmian has only went up .5 in a year and at $.25 a bowl it is worth it! But you're right, folks here look for someone to string up with even the slightest price hike!

[Darnell 8,479]

I learned how to cook these , my wife's brothers teaching me all.

ingredients here in the usa can be tricky, but They gave me the list of spices in chinese, I took to my local asian market, they took me to the aisles where they had it. Was easy then, I bought, I cooked.

You can do something similar, there, yes?

[SBB 74]

Wuhan Hot Dry Noodles (Reganmian), Shanxi Sliced Noodles (Daoxiaomian), Guangxi and Guangdong Yifu noodles (Yifumian), Sichuan Dan Dan noodles (Dandanmian)and Noodles with Soy Bean Paste (Zhajiangmian) in the North together are known as the five famous noodles in China. The Wuhan Hot Dry Noodle is a snack with apparent local flavor of Wuhan.

The recipe for hot dry noodles is different from cold noodles and noodles in soup. Firstly mix the cooked noodles with oil and dry them aside. When you are about to eat the noodles, scald the prepared noodles in boiled water, mix them with condiments, and the noodles will be ready to eat. The finished hot dry noodles are firm and chewy, golden and oily, savory and fresh, and quite inviting.

In 1930s or so, there was a person from Wuhan who made a living by selling bean noodles and noodles in soup. One day, worried that the noodles left over would go bad, he fished out the cooked noodles, spread them over the chopping board, and accidentally pushed down the sauce boat with sesame oil. As a result, the noodles were covered with the sesame oil. The next day, he scalded the almost cooked noodles in boiled water for a while, fished them out into a bowl, and mixed them with shallot and other condiments. The noodles turned out to be extremely tasty and savory. In this way, the man invented the hot dry noodles now well-known all over China by accident.

I eat them almost every day here in Wuhan, streetfood places recently raised the price to 3.5RMB a bowl. We even buy the lunch packs of them on Taobao for a quick fix, a pack of 8 for 25RMB...

A couple other recipes:

http://tofoodwithluv.blogspot.com/2012/04/wuhan-inspired-hot-and-dry-noodles-re.html

http://wuhanstories.blogspot.com/2006/10/needless-to-say-hot-dry-noodle-is-most.html

All the Chinese markets near me sell the Hankow brand, which costs about $7-8 for an 8/pack. They sell it in three levels of spice and my (born and raised in Hankou, Wuhan) wife and I (normally both chili fiends) think the second level ("Sichuan" flavor) is the best compared to the overpoweringly spicy "Hunan" flavor or the mild "Hubei" flavor. I typically add a packet of preserved veggies as well.

[HappilyDone 0]

I like the Hankow brand but it is a bit more expensive so I go cheap on the package lunch.

[HappilyDone 0]

... They gave me the list of spices in chinese...

Do you have the list in Chinese and can print it here?

The Lotus root recipes would be good for another thread, another Wuhan/Hubei favorite. The soup is on nearly every table and the breaded sliced version too.

Edited March 1, 2013 by HappilyDone

[Darnell 8,479]

You can do something similar, there, yes?

[HappilyDone 0]

... They gave me the list of spices in chinese...

Do you have the list in Chinese and can print it here?

[Darnell 8,479]

There's most likely a great list on Mr. Wallace's blogsite, I'm a thinking.

Please understand, ANYONE can replicate what I did. I'm loathe to share, as that was my sweat, aye?

[Operator 1,927]

All the Chinese markets near me sell the Hankow brand, which costs about $7-8 for an 8/pack. They sell it in three levels of spice and my (born and raised in Hankou, Wuhan) wife and I (normally both chili fiends) think the second level ("Sichuan" flavor) is the best compared to the overpoweringly spicy "Hunan" flavor or the mild "Hubei" flavor. I typically add a packet of preserved veggies as well.

Had these this morning. Very good. Thanks everyone for the input.

[SAT 9,609]

ooo...I like this thread.......

[HappilyDone 0]

There's most likely a great list on Mr. Wallace's blogsite, I'm a thinking.

Please understand, ANYONE can replicate what I did. I'm loathe to share, as that was my sweat, aye?

What's the link to "Mr. Wallace's blogsite"?

Thanks for sharing your recipe with the community, such great team spirit.