Regional Chinese Noodle Collection

We tasked our Chengdu team with finding the best of the best of each of our favorite noodle styles, representing Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan and Guangdong. They made bowl after bowl and wok after wok of noodles, testing and tasting before settling on these brands of wheat, rice and sweet potato noodles direct from the regions that made them famous and renowned factories that focus solely on noodle-making.

In China, 100 grams is the most common serving size of noodles; at that serving size, this collection will make 29 servings (though servings for some dishes are often far smaller than that). 

Alkaline Wheat Noodles (Jianshui Wenzhou Mian), 454 grams: These are the ideal dried noodles for dan dan mian, Chongqing xiao mian and other Sichuan noodles because, like fresh Sichuan noodles—and unlike most Chinese dried wheat noodles—they include jianshui/kansui, an alkaline lye water that lends them body and bounce (as well as a yellow color). Medium-weight and round, as preferred in Chengdu, they are equally at home as soup noodles, dry noodles or cold noodles. (Note that they are also relatively high in sodium at 1000mg per serving.)

Wide Knife-Cut Noodles (Sun-dried Dao Xiao Mian), 450 grams: Dao xiao mian, which means knife-cut or knife-shaved noodles, is a specialty of Shanxi province, but these ruffled, wide wheat noodles are popular throughout north and west China. This particular dao xiao mian is made by a specialty noodle company in Chengdu that obsesses over the details, creating a noodle with a chewy bite and ruffly, irregular edges that hold into sauce. Use them them anywhere you'd like a substantial wheat noodle, including as a stand-in for Xi'an's hand-ripped, biang biang noodles or in Xinjiang's "big plate chicken." 

Chongqing Sweet Potato Noodles (Hongshu Fen, Fentiao), 400 grams: These medium-weight, round, sweet potato noodles are a favorite of Sichuan natives, true noodle connoisseurs, and those looking for interesting gluten-free noodles. They have a springy, chewy texture that stands up to liquid, which makes them quite distinct from rice or wheat noodles. Also called glass noodles in English, they don't get sticky or gooey or fall apart but retain their bite and heft. We've sourced these to be the star of soups such as suan la fen (sour and spicy noodle soup) and the best choice for Sichuan hot pot, since they release much less starch than other noodles. Also good braised or stir-fried. (Note that the wide sweet potato noodles shown in the second photo are no longer included.)

Yunnan Rice Noodles (Mixian, Mifen), 500 grams: As a general rule, Yunnan and the rest of southern China opt for fresh rice noodles when they can, with the caveat that they must be made by the factory and consumed by the eater within the same 24 hours. Otherwise, cooks opt for dried noodles like these. The Nanhuyuan brand makes nothing but fresh and dried rice noodles, honing its expertise over the decades. Try these round noodles in Yunnan's famed mixian noodle soups or cold noodles as well as Guangxi and Guizhou dishes. 

Guangdong Wide Rice Noodles (Ho Fun, He Fen), 1,100 grams—yes, this is a very large bag!: Is there a better stir-fried noodle than Cantonese chow fun? We think not! But few of us live close enough to someone making freshly steamed rice noodles to buy them the same day they're made, which is a must. While fresh is always best for chow fun, these wide, flat dried noodles make a convincing stand-in, meaning you can have chow fun any time and any place you want. 

Visit individual product pages to learn more about each noodle, manufacturer and ingredients.

What can you make with this dried noodle collection? Follow the links for well-tested recipes from The Mala Market Blog and our expert affiliates' websites:  

• Dan dan mian 
• Chengdu zajiang mian
• Yibin ran mian 
• Sichuan "strange flavor" sesame noodles
• Wuhan hot dry noodles
• Spicy cumin beef on knife-cut noodles
• Xinjiang big plate chicken
• Mapo eggplant knife-cut noodles
• Tomato egg dao xiao mian
• Yunnan xiaoguo mixian
• Clay pot mixian
• Yunnan cold rice noodles
• Guangxi char siu rice noodles
• Suan la fen
• Beijing cabbage with glass noodles
• Malatang personal hotpot
• Cantonese beef chow fun
• Vegetable chow fun with gai lan
• AND MANY MORE!