Mian’splained: An Illustrated Guide to Chinese Noodles

Part Two

Did you catch our first illustrated guide to Chinese noodles?

There is more to unpack, though, so buckle up and dive into this list of even more Chinese noodles.

(Click here if you missed it)

Chengdu Sweet Water Noodles  成都甜水面

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This Chengdu staple throws together chewy, thick-cut noodles, sweet soy sauce, a dash of chili oil and some diced chilies for that spicy kick, before being topped with crushed peanuts and sometimes a dusting of sugar.

First-time diners might be scared away from the pungent smell of snail rice noodles, or luosifen, but this unique dish has become a massive hit across China. Originating from Southwest China’s Guangxi province, snail rice noodles combine rice noodles with sour bamboo shoots, fungus, peanuts, fried yuba, and fresh green vegetables.

Snail Rice Noodles  螺蛳粉

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Braised noodles, also known as lor mee in areas such as Singapore, is a Hokkien noodle dish from Zhangzhou. The slippery, thin-cut noodles are usually loaded with fresh seafood and served in a gloopy gravy.

Fujian Braised Noodles  卤面

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Wonton noodles are made with crisp noodles, pork or shrimp-filled wontons, and a sweet, palate-cleansing soup. Like Japanese ramen, the magic of wonton noodles is all in that bowl of soup, which often takes 4-5 hours for chefs to prepare.

Cantonese Wonton Noodles  云吞面

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Liangpi, also known as ‘cold skin noodles,’ is a noodle-like dish that originated in North China. Liangpi is made from wheat or rice flour and has a translucent appearance. People often add cucumber shreds and spicy chili oil, stirring these in to create an essential summer dish.

Liangpi  凉皮

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Ranmian, also known as ‘burning noodles,’ is so-named because of the dish’s heavy use of oil, but it could just as easily apply to its flaming-hot flavor profile. A good bowl consists of four essential ingredients: sesame oil, dry noodles, preserved rice sprouts, and crushed, toasted peanuts.

Yibin Ranmian Noodles  宜宾燃面

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These are also known as ‘jump noodles,’ thanks to the traditional way of making them: kneaded noodles are placed on a chopping board, and then a chef sits on one end of a bamboo pole with the other end fixed to an adjacent wall; the chef then uses their body weight to hammer the noodles on the board, giving them a springy texture.

Zhenjiang Pot Noodles  镇江锅盖面

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Click the link below to see part two of RADII’s complete illustrated guide to Chinese noodles.

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