My hubby became enamoured of this humble little noodle dish after reading a story about the tennis player Wang Xinyu 王欣瑜. When asked what her favorite food was, she wistfully replied that it was the noodle dish her grandparents always made for her when she visited.
And there it was, that invisible yet undeniable connection between yummilicious food and love. The amore each of us put into the food we make for our loved ones, unconsciously connecting us together through time and distance.
So what is this favorite noodle dish of Wang Xinyu then? It is the classic Hangzhou Pian Er Chuan Preserved Vegetable Noodles 片兒川, a specialty of the Hangzhou 杭州 city in Zhejiang 浙江 province (my mama's province!) Think sliced bamboo shoots, sliced marinated pork, preserved vegetables topping silky noodles in a rich aromatic broth...nom, nom, nom! Very delicious and easy to make!
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| Old photo of Kui Yuan Guan Restaurant 奎元館 |
This noodle dish is actually the creation of an old Hangzhou restaurant called Kui Yuan Guan 奎元館 that dates back to 1867. It's still around to this day (amazing, amirite) and still serving up its famous Hangzhou Pian Er Chuan Preserved Vegetable Noodles 片兒川!
Here's a chance to check out Pian Er Chuan Noodles in all its local Hangzhou glory in this gorgeously filmed documentary 'A Bite of China.' Start watching at around 18:10. Wowee, makes me so hungry to watch! This food show is so amazing, all about the history and traditions of food in China, and is translated to English as well!
A key to this noodle dish is the common pickled vegetable from the area: pickled snow cabbage 雪菜. Pickled snow cabbage is made from salt pickling a type of tender mustard green known as 'snow cabbage', 'green in the snow' or 'shi-li-hon 雪里红. Buy this pickled veg at your local wet market or pre-packed at your local Chinese grocer.
The resulting preserved pickled vegetable is tangy and salty and crunchy with a umami packed flavor. As it is really salty the pickled snow cabbage must be prepared before using. First it must be de-salted by soaking the desired amount of pickled snow cabbage in changes of water until it reaches an acceptable level of saltiness. Then it should be chopped roughly into small pieces.
The next ingredient is bamboo shoots. Bamboo shoots 筍 are the bamboo stalks just as they start to shoot out of the earth. There are two seasons when they are harvested, in the winter they are called winter bamboo shoots 冬筍 and in the spring 春筍. Bamboo shoots taste mildly sweet and a bit nutty (kinda like artichoke heart), while the texture is tender yet crunchy. I love bamboo shoots!
If you use fresh bamboo shoots they must be prepared by boiling in order to remove toxins. Check out our post on how to prepare fresh bamboo shoots. An easier way is to buy bamboo shoots pre-prepared, sometimes even presliced, that come in cans or in vaccumed-sealed bags.
The third and final topping ingredient is pork. Choose a quick cooking cut like pork loin or pork tenderloin, slice into thin slices and then marinate briefly with soy sauce, sugar, corn starch and a dash of aromatic white pepper. The corn starch is added to the marinade to tenderize and lock in moisture, creating a silky texture thru the protective coating that the starch creates.
Once the meat is marinated, add oil to a very hot wok and then add the meat. Don't overcrowd the wok and allow the meat to cook undisturbed for a minute or so, or until a golden sear develops. Then stir fry until the meat is cooked through.
Toss in the bamboo shoots and pickled snow cabbage. Stir fry til hot and fragrant. Add in the stock and water and let simmer for a while until the topping flavors are blended into and permeate the soup. This will be the soup for the noodles.
Lastly the noodles are prepared. We use 'thin Shanghai noodles' for this noodle dish, a wheat noodle with a nice chewy texture. You can find them at asian grocery stores under 'Shanghai Noodles 上海面' or sometimes as 'Scallion Oil Noodles 蔥油面'. Be sure to check the size of the noodles, though, cuz there are also Shanghai Noodles that are the thick kind.
Drop the noodles into a pot of hot water. Follow the cooking times on the packet. Remove the noodles and add in equal portions to noodle serving bowls. Ladle the soup into the bowls, then top each bowl with bamboo shoot, pork and preserved snow cabbage. Serve hot and enjoy the taste of Hangzhou, dear readers!
Hangzhou Pian Er Chuan Preserved Vegetable Noodles 片兒川
(4 servings) Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 13 mins
Ingredients:
- 7 oz pork loin, 200g
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp corn starch
- pinch white pepper
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1/4 cup pickled snow cabbage 雪菜, chopped
- 8 oz can bamboo shoots, 227g
- 10 oz thin shanghai noodles, 280g
- 2 cups soup stock
- 4 cups water
Direction:
Marinate the meat: Slice the pork into slices. Place in a bowl with soy sauce, sugar, corn starch and white pepper, stir to mix. Let marinate for 10 mins.
Prepare the pickled veg: Soak the pickled snow cabbage in water to decrease the saltiness. Test and repeat soaking with fresh water as necessary. When de-salted to your liking, chop to small pieces.
Prepare bamboo: Slice canned bamboo shoot to thin slices.
Stir fry ingredients: Heat up a wok to high heat. Add oil, then add the pork. Cook undisturbed for a minute or so, or until the pork starts to brown. Stir briskly for another 15 secs. Add in pickled snow cabbage and bamboo shoots. Stir fry for another minute. Add in stock and water and cook over high heat until the soup boils. Turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for 5 mins.
Cook the noodles: In separate pot add enough water to cover the noodles by 2 inches. Once the water is boiling add the noodles. Cook for 3-4 mins (or follow cooking instructions on the packet) until 'al dente'. Test the noodle by biting on a strand. The noodle should be cooked but still chewy. Remove from the hot water and place equal amounts in each noodle bowl.
Plate up the noodle bowl: Ladle soup into each bowl. Then top the noodles with pork slices, bamboo shoots slices and pickled snow cabbage. Serve hot and delicious! Enjoy!
Knockout Noodles at The Hong Kong Cookery:
Oh no! Now it's late at night and I'm hungry.
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