Here’s one from Javier over at www.BoxFromJapan.com – thank you! So Box From Japan is a subscription service – every month, you can get a different four bowls of instant ramen from Japan – pretty awesome! This one’s dandanmen – let’s see what Wikipedia has to say about this variety –
Dandan noodles or dandanmian (simplified Chinese: 担担面; traditional Chinese: 擔擔麵) is a noodle dish originating from Chinese Sichuan cuisine. It consists of a spicy sauce containing preserved vegetables (often including zha cai (榨菜), lower enlarged mustard stems, or ya cai (芽菜), upper mustard stems), chili oil, Sichuan pepper, minced pork, and scallions served over noodles.
Sesame paste and/or peanut butter is sometimes added, and occasionally replaces the spicy sauce, usually in the Taiwanese and American Chinese style of the dish.[1] In this case, dandanmian is considered as a variation of ma jiang mian (麻醬麵), sesame sauce noodles. In American Chinese cuisine, dandanmian is often sweeter, less spicy, and less soupy than its Sichuan counterpart.
The name refers to a type of carrying pole (dan dan) that was used by walking street vendors who sold the dish to passers-by. The pole was carried over the shoulder, with two baskets containing noodles and sauce attached at either end. As the noodles were affordable due to their low cost, the local people gradually came to call them dandan noodles, referencing the street vendors. Literally, the name translates as “noodles carried on a pole”, but may be better translated as “peddler’s noodles”.
There are a variety of English spellings. The first word may be either dandan, dundun or tantan, and the last word may also be spelled mein.
Alright – let’s check it out!
Maruchan Seimen Red Spicy Dandan Men – Japan
Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Probably contains meat and fish. To prepare, add 410ml boiling water and vegetable sachet and cover for 5 minutes. Add in powder and liquid sachets. Finally, stir and enjoy!
Detail of the lid (click to enlarge).
The noodle block.
The powder base sachet.
Lots of powder!
The liquid base sachet.
Looks kinda cool!
The vegetable sachet.
Looks like mincemeat, spring onion and sesame.
Finished (click to enlarge). Added Salad Cosmo mung bean sprouts, sliced chashu pork and spring onion. Noodles are awesome – chewy and very premium. Broth is very strong; salty and rich with a deep flavor. Indeed, I always get a taste of peanut in dandanmen. The included vegetables and mincemeat are quite good. 4.75 out of 5.0 stars. JAN bar code 4901990337496.
