Zhajiangmian

Zhajiangmian (炸酱面) — Beijing-style fried sauce noodles

A beloved Beijing street-food classic: chewy wheat noodles tossed with a rich, salty-sweet sauce of pork and fermented soybean paste, balanced by cool, crunchy fresh vegetables. Traditionally eaten by mixing everything together at the table.

Prep

20 min

Cook

25 min

Total

45 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1.1 lb) fresh thin wheat noodles, Chinese-style noodles with about 30% protein content; dried spaghetti can be used as a home substitute.
• •300 g (10½ oz) ground pork, Around 20% fat is ideal for a silky sauce; do not use extra-lean.
• •3 tbsp tianmianjiang (sweet bean paste)
• •2 tbsp yellow fermented soybean paste (huangjiang), Look for jars labelled '黄豆酱'; substitute with additional tianmianjiang plus 1 tsp miso if unavailable.
• •1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• •1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) neutral oil
• •20 g (0.7 oz) ginger, Finely minced.
• •3 cloves garlic, Finely minced.
• •2 scallions scallions, White parts sliced, green parts chopped for garnish.
• •1 tsp sugar
• •100 ml (scant ½ cup) water or chicken stock
• •1 persian cucumber cucumber, Julienned.
• •100 g (3½ oz) daikon or red radish, Julienned; Chinese '心里美' radish is traditional if available.
• •2 tbsp soy sauce, For finishing vegetables.
• •1 tsp Chinkiang black vinegar, For finishing vegetables.

Steps

1. 1 Prepare the vegetables: toss the julienned cucumber and radish with the soy sauce, black vinegar, and a pinch of sugar. Set aside to lightly pickle while you cook the sauce.
2. 2 Heat the oil in a wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the minced ginger, garlic, and scallion whites and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. 3 Add the ground pork. Break it up with a spatula and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes, until the pork has rendered some fat and is no longer pink. The pork is fully cooked when no pink colour remains and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads at least 71°C / 160°F.
4. 4 Push the pork to one side. Add the tianmianjiang and huangjiang to the cleared space and fry them in the oil for 1 minute, stirring, until they darken and become fragrant — this step blooms the paste and prevents a raw, claggy flavour.
5. 5 Stir the paste into the pork. Add the Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, and sugar. Pour in the water or stock and bring to a simmer.
6. 6 Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, stirring often, for 6–8 minutes, until the sauce is thick, glossy, and the oil begins to separate slightly at the edges. It should coat the back of a spoon. If it becomes too thick, add water 1 tbsp at a time; if too thin, simmer a little longer.
7. 7 Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions until just tender with a firm bite (al dente); for fresh noodles this is usually 2–3 minutes. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking, then divide among four bowls.
8. 8 Taste the sauce: Beijing style is savoury and not too sweet, so adjust with a pinch more sugar if it tastes harsh, or a splash more stock if too salty.
9. 9 Spoon about 3–4 tablespoons of the hot pork sauce over each bowl of noodles (roughly 80–100 g of sauce per serving).
10. 10 Top with the pickled cucumber and radish, scatter the scallion greens over, and serve immediately. Diners should toss everything together at the table so every strand is coated.