Yaka mein
Encyclopedia
Yaka mein is a type of beef noodle soup
(牛肉麵, Cantonese
: ngaw4-yuk4 min6) commonly found in many Creole
and Chinese restaurants
in New Orleans. Yaka mein is sometimes referred to as "Old Sober," as it is commonly prescribed by locals as a cure for hangovers. The dish is now offered at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Music Festival
, along with many other Creole
and Cajun specialties. The soup is well loved by locals but not well known outside of the city and its surrounding region.
The soup consists of stewed beef (such as brisket
) in beef-based broth served on top of spaghetti
noodles and garnished with half a hard-boiled egg and chopped green onions
. Cajun
seasoning, chili powder, or Old Bay Seasoning is often added to the broth.
An alternate version, Yat Gaw Mein, is found in Baltimore
and Philadelphia carry out restaurants. Yat Gaw Mein consists of thick wheat noodles (similar to udon
) in a ketchup-based sauce or brown gravy, accompanied by thickly sliced onions and a hard-boiled egg. Meat, chicken, and seafood can be added, with some restaurants including the option of pig's feet.
Beef noodle soup
Beef noodle soup is a Chinese noodle soup made of stewed beef, beef broth, vegetables and Chinese noodles. It exists in various forms throughout East Asia and Southeast Asia. It was created by the Hui people during the Tang Dynasty of China.In the West, this food may be served in a small portion...
(牛肉麵, Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
: ngaw4-yuk4 min6) commonly found in many Creole
Louisiana Creole cuisine
Louisiana Creole cuisine is a style of cooking originating in Louisiana which blends French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Asian Indian, Native American, and African influences, as well as general Southern cuisine...
and Chinese restaurants
American Chinese cuisine
American Chinese cuisine refers to the style of food served by many Chinese restaurants in the United States. This type of cooking typically caters to Western tastes, and differs significantly from the original Chinese cuisine.-History:...
in New Orleans. Yaka mein is sometimes referred to as "Old Sober," as it is commonly prescribed by locals as a cure for hangovers. The dish is now offered at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Music Festival
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, often known as Jazz Fest, is an annual celebration of the music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana...
, along with many other Creole
Louisiana Creole cuisine
Louisiana Creole cuisine is a style of cooking originating in Louisiana which blends French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Asian Indian, Native American, and African influences, as well as general Southern cuisine...
and Cajun specialties. The soup is well loved by locals but not well known outside of the city and its surrounding region.
The soup consists of stewed beef (such as brisket
Brisket
Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal. The beef brisket is one of the eight beef primal cuts. The brisket muscles include the superficial and deep pectorals. As cattle do not have collar bones, these muscles support about 60% of the body weight of standing/moving...
) in beef-based broth served on top of spaghetti
Spaghetti
Spaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta of Italian origin. Spaghetti is made of semolina or flour and water. Italian dried spaghetti is made from durum wheat semolina, but outside of Italy it may be made with other kinds of flour...
noodles and garnished with half a hard-boiled egg and chopped green onions
Scallion
Scallions , are the edible plants of various Allium species, all of which are "onion-like", having hollow green leaves and lacking a fully developed root bulb.-Etymology:The words...
. Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
seasoning, chili powder, or Old Bay Seasoning is often added to the broth.
An alternate version, Yat Gaw Mein, is found in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
and Philadelphia carry out restaurants. Yat Gaw Mein consists of thick wheat noodles (similar to udon
Udon
is a type of thick wheat-flour noodle of Japanese cuisine.Udon is usually served hot as noodle soup in its simplest form as kake udon, in a mildly flavoured broth called kakejiru which is made of dashi, soy sauce , and mirin. It is usually topped with thinly chopped scallions...
) in a ketchup-based sauce or brown gravy, accompanied by thickly sliced onions and a hard-boiled egg. Meat, chicken, and seafood can be added, with some restaurants including the option of pig's feet.
Spellings
The dish is spelled in innumerable ways, all with phonetic similarities. A non-comprehensive list of these spellings includes:
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Origins
The origins of yaka mein are uncertain, and there are at least two propositions:- Some sources, along with Leah ChaseLeah ChaseLeah Chase is a New Orleans chef, author and television personality. A daughter of the same name is a professional singer; see Leah Chase ....
, the renowned New Orleans chef, believe that yaka mein originated in New Orleans’s now extinct ChinatownChinatownA Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
that was established by Chinese immigrants brought from California during the mid 19th century to build the railroads between Houston to New Orleans and work in the sugar plantations of the American South. It was during this period that the Chinese noodle soupNoodle soupNoodle soup refers to a variety of soups with noodles and other ingredients served in a light broth. Noodle soup is an East and Southeast Asian staple. Less well known, a form of fresh noodle is used in soup in certain parts of Europe , and in northern China; usually, it is served for breakfast...
adapted to local Creole and Chinese clientele to its present evolved state. - Others believe it was introduced to the U.S. by African American troops who fought in the Korean War and returned with a taste for some of the noodle soup dishes they had in Korea.