#2328: Qin Zong Shaanxi Cold Noodle Hot & Sour Flavor

Another one from Colin – thanks again! Haven’t seen this brand previously. Always neat to start checking out a brand I’ve not reviewed after trying so many. But what’s Shanxi? Wikipedia, if you please:

Shanxi (Chinese: 山西; pinyin:  Shānxī; postal: Shansi) is a province of China, located in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is “晋” (pinyin: Jìn), after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn period.

The name Shanxi means “West of the Mountains”, a reference to the province’s location west of the Taihang Mountains.^[5] Shanxi borders Hebei to the east, Henan to the south, Shanxi to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the north and is made up mainly of a plateau bounded partly by mountain ranges. The capital of the province is Taiyuan.

Shanxi cuisine is most well known for its extensive use of vinegar as a condiment, as well as for a huge variety of noodle dishes, particularly knife-cut noodles or daoxiao mian (刀削面), which are served with a range of sauces. A dish originating from Taiyuan, the provincial capital, is Taiyuan Tounao (太原头脑, literally “Taiyuan Head”). It is a breakfast dish; a porridge-like stew made with mutton, Chinese yam (山药), lotus roots, astragalus membranaceus (黄芪, membranous milk vetch), tuber onions, and yellow cooking wine for additional aroma. It can be enjoyed by dipping pieces of unleavened flatbread into the soup, and is reputed to have medicinal properties. Pingyao is famous for its unique salt beef, while the areas around Wutai Shan are known for wild mushrooms. The most popular local spirit is fenjiu, a “light fragrance” variety of baijiu that is generally sweeter than other northern Chinese spirits.

Let’s check out this cold noodle from China!

Qin Zong Shaanxi Cold Noodle Hot & Sour Flavor – China

Here’s the back of the package (click to enlarge). Looks to be meat free but check for yourself. To prepare, add noodles and wheat gluten to a bowl. Cover with boiling water and let sit for 10-15 minutes to soften. Rinse noodles with cold water and drain. Add in liquid sachets. Stir and enjoy!

The noodle pouch.

The first of three liquid sachets.

Dark with sesame seeds.

Another liquid sachet.

A thin, clear liquid.

Another almost clear sachet.

Murky…

A sachet of…

…wheat gluten.

Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts and fried tofu puff, The noodles had to soak for 10-15 minutes, so I went 15. Alas, they were very odd; Seems like they would’ve hydrated a little better but they just seemed kind of off. The flavor was pretty good – really oily, spicy and definitely Chinese.  Not my fave but looking forward eagerly to try more Shaanxi varieties from this brand – unique. 2.75 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 6925500714155.

SHAANXI COLD NOODLE

Years of training have provided this cook in northwest China with the skill of bouncing endless noodles in a quite bizarre style into the boiling water.