#3100: A-Sha Gourmet Braised Beef Noodle Soup – Taiwan

Here’s yet another box from Taiwan – they’re getting more popular these days for companies who want to roll out a premium variety. I like boxes; they look fancy and usually mean meats will be at play. Here’s a little about Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup from Wikipedia –

Beef noodle soup, is a noodle soup made of stewed or red braised beef, beef broth, vegetables and Chinese noodles. It exists in various forms throughout East Asia and Southeast Asia. Beef noodle soup was first created by the Hui people during the Tang Dynasty.^[1][2] According to some internet sources, the Red-braised Beef Noodle Soup (紅燒牛肉麵) is a dish created by the veterans from Kuomintang who have fled to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War.

When soy sauce is added, the soup is called red roasted or braised beef noodles (紅燒牛肉麵). Braised beef noodles was reputedly invented by Kuomintang Sichuan Province recruits who fled from mainland China to Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Therefore, it is sometimes incorrectly referred to as “Szechuan Beef Noodle Soup” (四川牛肉麵). The Taiwanese traditionally had a aversion to the consumption of beef because cattle were valuable beasts of burden but it is believed that this soup’s popularity broke this taboo and also paved the way to Taiwan later embracing American foods that utilized beef (such as hamburgers). The red braised beef noodles is the most common type of beef noodle in Taiwan. The beef is often stewed with the broth and simmered, sometimes for hours. Chefs also let the stock simmer for long periods with bone marrow; some vendors can cook the beef stock for over 24 hours. This type of beef noodles tends to be spicy, as garlic, chili oil, doubanjiang or five-spice powder may be added – classic flavor elements of Sichuan cuisine. There are several variations with the soy-based broth, such as spicy, tomato, garlic and herbal medicine. The tomato variation (番茄牛肉麵) is popular in Taiwan and features chunks of tomatoes in a rich red-coloured tomato broth with or without soy sauce.^[13] The herbal medicine variation is usually served without suancai as a topping (as its acidic properties are believed to inhibit medicinal properties) and may be accompanied by a chili paste made from beef lard.

Let’s delve into this box of noodle soup!

A-Sha Gourmet Braised Beef Noodle Soup – Taiwan

Detail of the side panels (click to enlarge). Contains beef. To prepare, boil noodles for 6~7 minutes. About 3 minutes in to boiling the noodles, add large pouch to another pot and bring to a boil. Drain noodles and add to second pot. Finally, sprinkle dry sachet contents on top and enjoy!

A package of noodles.

A very large pouch. This contains the soup aspect of the dish.

Green onions.

Finished (click to enlarge). Nothing added. Broad, chewy Taiwanese dry noodles have an incredibly good mouthfeel. Center vein of this style noodle provides extra chewiness while sides are thinner and lighter, giving a multi-textural feel. The broth is rich and savory with an excellent balance between salty, beef taste, and a light bit of heat which harmonizes. Included beef is like butter and melts in your mouth. Green garnish works well. 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. EAN bar code 4715635854008.

Rated Best Tasting and Award Winning [Taiwan No.1] A-sha Hakka Noodle – Spicy BBQ Flavor

Watch me cook on Instant Noodle Recipe Time!