Re gan mian
Encyclopedia
Re gan mian is a traditional local cuisine of Wuhan
, the capital of the Hubei
province in central China
. It is made of noodles called jian mian (碱面) with a mixture of sauces and dried vegetables. Many stalls that make re gan mian will have their own variations in seasoning, creating signature tastes for individual stands or localities. The typical bowl of re gan mian will have soy sauce
, sesame paste, pickled vegetables, chopped garlic chives
and chili oil.
The stands can sometime appear unhygienic. Noodles and ingredients not exclusively used for re gan mian are usually stored in huge bowls that are placed on a table and look to have been sitting there for days. Re gan mian is usually bought by people on their way to work. The high density and widespread of stalls means that there is always a stall close to an apartment area or on roads where people travel to work.
When preparing re gan mian the noodles are placed into a Chinese strainer (a cone-shaped strainer) and dipped briefly into boiling hot water and then swirled and drained. The noodles are then poured into a paper bowl, then the sauce and dried vegetables are poured on top of the noodles. Chili oil is an also an option for the customer in the seasoning of re gan mian. The buyer then receives the bowl in exchange for payment. Usually, the customers then mix the noodles and ingredients with their chopsticks before eating. Re gan mian is a popular local breakfast cuisine usually sold in road-side stalls or from push-carts in the streets of Wuhan. Popularity rises in winter months relative to summer months.
Non-residents of Wuhan, especially tourists from non-Asian countries, that enjoy re gan mian are rare. Re gan mian is famous for being spicy due to the chili oil in the seasoning and the locals admire anyone who enjoy it. As coffee lovers search for the perfect put of coffee, Wuhan residents search for the perfect bowl of re gan mian. People are willing to search far and wide in the quest for the perfect bowl of re gan mian.
Re gan mian as of late 2008 was priced from 2–3（yuan, equivalent to 30–50 cents (AU) each depending on the retailer.
Wuhan's re gan mian, along with Shanxi
's dao xiao mian, Liangguang
's yi fu mian, Sichuan
's dan dan mian, and northern China's zhajiang mian
, are collectively referred to as "China's five famous noodles."
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
, the capital of the Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
province in central China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is made of noodles called jian mian (碱面) with a mixture of sauces and dried vegetables. Many stalls that make re gan mian will have their own variations in seasoning, creating signature tastes for individual stands or localities. The typical bowl of re gan mian will have soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
, sesame paste, pickled vegetables, chopped garlic chives
Garlic chives
Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a vegetable related to onion. The plant has a distinctive growth habit with strap-shaped leaves unlike either onion or garlic, and straight thin white-flowering stalks that are much taller than the leaves. The flavor is more like garlic than chives. It grows in...
and chili oil.
The stands can sometime appear unhygienic. Noodles and ingredients not exclusively used for re gan mian are usually stored in huge bowls that are placed on a table and look to have been sitting there for days. Re gan mian is usually bought by people on their way to work. The high density and widespread of stalls means that there is always a stall close to an apartment area or on roads where people travel to work.
When preparing re gan mian the noodles are placed into a Chinese strainer (a cone-shaped strainer) and dipped briefly into boiling hot water and then swirled and drained. The noodles are then poured into a paper bowl, then the sauce and dried vegetables are poured on top of the noodles. Chili oil is an also an option for the customer in the seasoning of re gan mian. The buyer then receives the bowl in exchange for payment. Usually, the customers then mix the noodles and ingredients with their chopsticks before eating. Re gan mian is a popular local breakfast cuisine usually sold in road-side stalls or from push-carts in the streets of Wuhan. Popularity rises in winter months relative to summer months.
Non-residents of Wuhan, especially tourists from non-Asian countries, that enjoy re gan mian are rare. Re gan mian is famous for being spicy due to the chili oil in the seasoning and the locals admire anyone who enjoy it. As coffee lovers search for the perfect put of coffee, Wuhan residents search for the perfect bowl of re gan mian. People are willing to search far and wide in the quest for the perfect bowl of re gan mian.
Re gan mian as of late 2008 was priced from 2–3（yuan, equivalent to 30–50 cents (AU) each depending on the retailer.
Wuhan's re gan mian, along with Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
's dao xiao mian, Liangguang
Liangguang
Liangguang is a term referring to the province of Guangdong and autonomous region of Guangxi on the southern coast of China. Before 1988, Guangdong province also included what is now the province of Hainan.-History:...
's yi fu mian, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
's dan dan mian, and northern China's zhajiang mian
Zhajiang mian
Zha jiang mian is a northern Chinese dish consisting of thick wheat noodles topped with a mixture of ground pork stir-fried with Zha jiang , which is salty fermented soybean paste....
, are collectively referred to as "China's five famous noodles."