What Are Shanghai Noodles Made Of?

The history of Shanghai Fried Thick Noodles (Cantonese: seung hoi chou chau) is fascinating. Like the Singapore Fried Rice Vermicelli, most people think this dish is from Hong Kong and has nothing to do with Shanghai. But history shows that this is not the case. It is accurate to say that this dish’s Chinese name comes from Hong Kong. It is known as Shanghai Fried Noodles (shàng hi cha miàn) or Zhng Yu Chó Miàn in Shanghai. It’s a vegetarian dish by default, made with spinach or chicken feathers (a vegetable akin to bok choy), along with green onions. You then add your own chili oil and sesame paste. At some restaurants you can also order it with pork.

In the 1950s, many people from Shanghai migrated to Hong Kong, which is how it came to be so confusing. Many of them opened restaurants, bringing with them dishes with Western and traditional Shanghai influences. They made the decision to include pork, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and cabbage in order to appeal to the locals. Since spinach can absorb oil, some restaurants continue to add some to the dish, making the noodles less greasy. This led to the Shanghai Fried Noodles’ new birth and the beginning of their new name, Shanghai Fried Thick Noodles.

Due to widespread knowledge of what Shanghai Fried Thick Noodles are, most Shanghai restaurants today, even in China, will serve them. However, both varieties of noodles are still available in Shanghai, so be sure to specify which kind you want when placing your order.

Since the Hong Kong variation is the most well-known and for good reason, I’ll show you how to make it in my recipe for Shanghai Fried Thick Noodles. It is easy to make, has great flavor, and uses basic ingredients.

Egg and alkalised noodles

All of these noodles are made of wheat and either contain egg (or egg coloring) or appear to contain egg because a substance that raises pH levels, like lye water, has been added. When noodles are cooked, they will have a firmer bite because the higher alkaline level encourages greater water absorption into the flour and strengthens its proteins. The cooked noodle is chewier the more flour there is in the flour. Higher pH also causes the flour’s colorless yellow pigments, which are present when pH is neutral, to be released. Although they are frequently mistaken for and grouped with egg noodles, the resulting golden hue in this type of noodle is not due to the addition of eggs.

Hokkien noodle

These are thick, yellow spaghetti-like fresh, chewy noodles with an especially robust texture and deep yellow color due to the presence of alkaline agents. They serve as the foundation for well-known hawker dishes like Hokkien mee, curry mee, and loh mee, which are popular in Singapore and Malaysia. Purchase them loosely packed rather than vacuum-packed because they are almost always fresher. They just need to be blanched in boiling water for a brief period of time—about 1 minute—before being added to stir-fries or soups.

Use Hokkien noodles in this Penang Hokkien mee (prawn noodle soup).

Ramen

Fresh ramen is a Chinese-born Japanese wheat noodle that has a distinct chew and a bright yellow color. Their toothsome texture comes from the addition of alkaline salts. Kansui, water rich in the minerals sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate, served as the first alkalizing agent; nowadays, lye water is frequently used and can give fresh ramen a faintly funky smell. Saang mian, a smooth, chewy, slightly soapy-tasting Hong Kong noodle that is frequently consumed plain or dressed with a little sesame oil, is comparable to ramen. Purchase fresh or dried ramen in plastic or cellophane packs, or find it in bags in the refrigerator of an Asian grocery store. They come in different sizes, but the majority lean toward being thin.

Make this miso-based ramen bowl from Sapporo, the city-state of Japan’s most northerly island, using.

You mian

These spaghetti-like noodles have a name that literally translates to “thin noodles,” but they actually come in a variety of shapes and thicknesses. Perhaps the most popular are “oil” noodles, which can be found fresh and pre-cooked in the refrigerator section of Asian grocery stores, complete with an oily sheen. These are medium-thick and have undergone lye water or alkaline salt treatment to give them a distinctive texture (best described as “chewy” and “springy”) and a pronounced yellow color. They can be used in soups, stir-fries, and even salads like Sichuan liang mian, where the cooked noodles are coated in a zingy sesame paste sauce, after being blanched and refreshed. Another variety of you mian is the finer, flatter variety, also referred to as wonton or “Hong Kong” noodles. These fresh egg noodles need to be briefly blanched in boiling water before use because they have a light cornstarch coating that gives them a slightly floury appearance. They are a contender for soups, stir-fries (like chow mein), and fried in loose cakes because of their firm texture. Additionally, there is a wider variety of wonton noodles that go well with hearty soups and as a side to meaty, braised dishes. They range in color from light to bright yellow; the latter will likely have been artificially colored, so read labels carefully.

Lo mian

This long noodle, which is thicker than Hong Kong noodles, can be bought fresh or dried. Instead of eggs, alkalization gives them their yellow color. They have a dense, chewy texture that is well suited for prolonged cooking and absorbing strong flavors.

Yi mian

These Cantonese wheat flour noodles, also known as “E-fu noodles,” are pale golden due to the use of soda water (or another alkalizing agent) in their production. They are round, very long, and of medium thickness when purchased dried in large, fried tangled cakes. When cooked they have a chewy-spongy texture. They are boiled first and then added to stir-fries, soups, or salads. These noodles are also known as longevity noodles and are frequently served on birthdays.

The enormous selection includes dried egg noodles, buckwheat soba, fresh wheat noodles, mung bean noodles, fresh udon, fresh egg noodles, green bean thread noodles, sweet potato noodles, and (in the middle) soba noodles.

In a sizable frying pan or wok, heat the vegetable oil on high. Add the garlic and the marinated pork. To ensure that the pork has as much surface contact with the hot pan as possible, spread it out in the pan. For about a minute, sear, stir-fry, and then sear once more. Add the shitake mushrooms and stir-fry for 30 seconds when the pork is almost done. Then add the cabbage and continue tossing for another 30 seconds. Next, add the choy sum and continue tossing for another 30 seconds. Noodles and stir-fry sauce should be combined well before adding. Serve warm.

Shanghai noodles are a quick and simple Chinese dish that can be prepared and served to the table in under 30 minutes. The beauty of this dish is how adaptable it is; you can use any protein you like and any vegetables you have in your crisper. Try it out; this recipe for stir-fried Shanghai noodles is wonderful and suitable for families.

Rice noodles

Rice noodles are a sizable category of noodles that come in a variety of fresh and dried shapes and sizes. They are made from rice flour and water, and because of their mild flavor and soft texture, they are the ideal vehicle for almost any combination of flavors, whether they are strong or delicate. They are used in a wide variety of dishes in the kitchen, including salads, soups, stir-fries, curries, and grilled meats. They cook very quickly, and some varieties only require soaking rather than cooking. Noodles made with 100 per cent rice flour are gluten-free.

Rice vermicelli

The popular thin, dried rice noodle known as bee hoon in Malaysia, mie fen in China, sen mee in Thailand, and bahn hoi in Vietnam should not be confused with bean thread noodles, which they resemble (i) e. they’re fine, brittle and packaged in bundles). They have an especially bland flavor, similar to bean thread or cellophane noodles. Use them as a base for curries and other sauce-based dishes, as a garnish for grilled meats like Vietnamese bun cha, and in soups, salads, and stir-fries. You can also use them to make stir-fries and salads. Prior to using, place them in boiling water for 6-7 minutes, then quickly boil them for one minute. Additionally, they can be deep-fried from scratch to create crunchy nests or use as a garnish.

The main component of Pad Mee (stir-fried vermicelli with bean curd) is rice vermicelli.

Rice stick noodles

a dried rice noodle best known for being the ingredient in pad Thai It does come in a few different widths, the widest of which is comparable to fettuccine, despite being on the thin side. When rice stick noodles are cooked, they become strong and elastic, which makes them a good choice for stir-frying because they won’t fall apart. Before using, they must first be softened by soaking in hot water; the length of time depends on the brand. Use them straight from soaking if you’re serving them in a soup that is boiling or adding them to a stir-fry for additional cooking. After soaking, boil the noodles for 2 to 3 minutes if you prefer softer noodles.

Use in this Beef pad thai

Chow fun

These fresh, flat, wide noodles, also known as he fen, are a favorite in Cantonese cuisine. They work well for stir-frying and in soups as well. When purchasing items sold in plastic bags, try to avoid those that have been chilled because doing so will cause them to break while cooking. Although they don’t need to be cooked beforehand, they benefit from a quick rinse in boiling water to ensure that all the strands are separated, before being added to a wok or soup pot. They are known as kway teow in Malaysia and are just 1 mm wide. They give their name to the well-known stir-fried dish char kway teow there and in Singapore. A rounded version is used in laksa lemak (coconut laksa).

Use fresh flat rice noodles in this Char kway teow

FAQ

What are Shanghai noodles made out of?

Shanghai noodles are a particular variety of wheat-based noodle that are thin, rounded, and slightly chewy. Shanghai noodles are a quick and simple Chinese dish that can be prepared and served to the table in under 30 minutes.

Are Shanghai noodles wheat?

Water, enriched wheat flour, pasteurized egg white (triethyl citrate), salt, wheat gluten, canola oil, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, corn starch, and potassium sorbate are the ingredients.

Are Shanghai noodles made with egg?

Uncooked Shanghai Thin Noodles are identical to the precooked variety and Shanghai Oil Noodles, with the exception that egg whites are used as a primary ingredient in place of whole eggs. A fresh, premium substitution for Ramen noodles. This noodle is very versatile – from stirfries to soup.

Is Shanghai noodles gluten-free?

They are made with vegetable starches rather than flour, and the ingredients include yams, mung beans, cassava, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Although they are simple to use, they must first be softened by soaking in hot water. Note that these types of noodles are gluten-free.