Noodles are a big deal in the Chinese world. We simply call noodles miàn 麵 or miàntiáo 麵條 and noodles in soup is called tāngmiàn 湯麵. There is a huge variety of noodles in China, all shapes and sizes. Noodles and other wheat-based food, like dumplings and breads, have been around in China for most of it’s history. Though we often associate China with rice, noodles are just as ubiquitous and are more popular in northern, western, and southwestern parts of China. In this post I’ll only being showing long noodles served dry or in soup. A couple of the more popular kinds are called lāmiàn 拉麵 or pulled noodles, and dāoxiāomiàn 刀削麵 or hand cut noodles. The thing about noodles in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc. is that they are usually very fresh. In fact, most decent places make their own noodles daily. For example, this guy below is making pulled noodles outside a small noodle shop in Guiyang.

I love a good bowl of noodles and always look forward to eating when I travel to China or Taiwan. Different regions have their own specialty bowls of noodles. For example, Taiwan is well known for it’s famous beef noodles niúròumiàn 牛肉麵, and western parts of China, particularly Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan are known for their dàndànmiàn 擔擔麵.

I’ve eaten delicious bowls of noodles all over China and Taiwan and I’m rarely disappointed. Noodle shops in Mainland China are often very simple affairs, typically with just a few tables inside. For Dandan noodles, there is usually a variety of toppings that you can specify to top your noodles. Once you have it in front of you, you stir it all together and enjoy.

Below I present a variety of bowls of noodles I have eaten all over China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

And finally, instant noodles (pàomiàn 泡麵 or fāngbiànmiàn 方便麵) are a popular choice for travelers. Train stations, airports, bus stations, and convenience stores all carry a wide selection of instant noodles. There are always hot water stations where you can reconstitute the dried noodles. They can’t compare with fresh noodles, but the instant noodles over there are far better than what you get at the grocery store here in the U.S.