Danazi Noodle Soup – Recipe from Taiwan

Some of you may know that I once lived in Taiwan for a while and of course I ate my way through the delicacies of Taiwanese cuisine.

Even today I still get a little wanderlust and ravenous appetite for beef noodle soup, pineapple cakes and Co. Fortunately, I know one or the other Taiwanese restaurant in Düsseldorf by now.

So on my last visit, I once again ate Danzai Noodles Da-a-mi (擔仔麵), a specialty from the south of Taiwan, whose soup consists of a brew of shrimp shells and a minced meat sauce that reminds me of one of my first recipes on this blog, the Lu Rou Fan.

I modified this recipe a bit and used chicken instead of pork. The result tastes at least as good ^^.

History of Danzai Noodles

It is said that Danzei noodles were invented by a fisherman of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan. This fisherman named Hong Yu-tou wanted to support his family also during the typhoon months in summer, when he could not go out to sea to fish.

Hong learned how to prepare noodles from immigrants from mainland China. He wore these noodles over a shoulder bar, hence the name Danzai („carrying over the shoulder“), and sold the noodles in temple courtyards.

Preparation of Danzai Noodles

First of all, you can prepare the meat sauce, because it can simmer slowly for a long time:

1. Peel the shallots and cut them into very fine rings. Also, peel a clove of garlic and cut it into fine slices.

2. Heat some oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion rings at medium heat until golden brown. Then add the garlic slices briefly so that they become slightly glassy. Remove everything and let it drip off on kitchen paper.

3. Fry the minced meat until golden brown and then add the fried onions and garlic.

4. Now the Asian taste is added. Add the two soy sauces, the 5-spice powder, some rice wine and about 200ml water. Bring everything to the boil briefly while stirring occasionally and then let it simmer for at least one hour at low heat with the lid closed.

5. Now you can start the Shrimp Stock. First, peel the shrimps and pick up the shell.

6. Bring the chicken stock to boil in a deep pot, add the shrimp shells and let everything simmer on low heat. The longer the better.

7. After about one hour you can remove the shells with a sieve. Add salt and pepper to taste and add the peeled shrimps to the broth for about 2 minutes.

8. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions, drain them and then put them into soup bowls.

9. Pour some of the broth into the soup bowls so that the noodles are just covered. Then add some of the minced meat sauce and garnish with some chives and the shrimps. Bon appetit ^^

Danzai noodle soup – My conclusion

Wonderful to cook something authentic Taiwanese once again. When I started making Danzei Noodles, I was a little surprised how easy it is to prepare. This recipe for Danzei Noodle soup is, in my opinion, perfect even for beginners and a good opportunity to serve your guests something special.

Since my last visit to Taiwan was a bit longer ago and my friends didn’t know exactly how to make Danzai Noodles either, I used the recipe from Simi & Stefan from asiastreetfood as a guide.

What do you think about asian noodle soups? What is your favorite among the Asian dishes? I am looking forward to your comments. If you are looking for more information about Taiwan and suitable recipes, take a look at these articles:

• My recipes from East Asia
• Cao Lau aus Hoi An – Die etwas andere Nudelsuppe
• Udon Nudeln mit Erdnusssoße
• Leckeres Essen auf den Nachtmärkten von Taiwan – Meine Top5
• 10 weitere Leckereien aus Taiwan