{"id":109737,"title":"Zha Jiang Mian – Beijing Fried Sauce Noodles (\u70b8\u9171\u9762)","modified":"2025-10-29T16:10:16+01:00","plain":"What is Zha Jiang Mian?\n\n\n\nZhajiangmian is a traditional noodle dish from northern Chinese cuisine, and it\u2019s a clear favorite among locals and food lovers around the world\u2026 or at least among those in the know, which I hope you\u2019ll soon be part of!\n\n\n\nThe name literally means \"noodles with fried sauce,\" which hints at the dish\u2019s rustic simplicity, but doesn\u2019t quite capture the depth of flavor waiting for anyone lucky enough to try it. Seriously, this bean sauce is just de-li-cious.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAn Underrated Dish!\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s both fascinating and a bit puzzling that despite its rich flavors and its status as a staple in northern Chinese cooking, Zhajiangmian remains relatively unknown outside its homeland.\n\n\n\nThis becomes even more striking when you see how Zhajiangmian has been adapted in other Asian cuisines, sometimes with even greater international success.\n\n\n\nOne especially notable example is Korea, where Zha Jiang Mian has been transformed into a beloved local dish called Jajangmyeon. Jajangmyeon uses a thicker, sweeter black sauce, offering a new twist on the traditional Zhajiangmian.\n\n\n\nKorean noodles Jajangmyeon\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s managed to become a major part of Korean cuisine and has even made its mark on the international food scene, including in France.\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s quite confusing\u2014and honestly a bit unfair\u2014that Zhajiangmian, the original predecessor of Jajangmyeon, hasn\u2019t received the same recognition. It\u2019s a bit like Jiaozi and Gyoza.\n\n\n\nDespite its long history and unforgettable taste, Zha Jiang Mian seems to have been overshadowed by its Korean cousin in the eyes of international foodies.\n\n\n\nMaybe it\u2019s time to rethink that. Chinese cuisine has so much more to offer than what you usually find in Chinese restaurants abroad.\n\n\n\nZha Jiang Mian, with its rich sauce and thick noodles, deserves to be rediscovered and enjoyed by a wider audience. This dish embodies the history and culture of northern China and deserves to be as famous as any other Asian noodle dish.\n\n\n\nThe Elements of Zha Jiang Mian\n\n\n\nThe Noodles\n\n\n\nAt the heart of Zha Jiang Mian are the noodles. These hand-pulled wheat noodles are wide and thick, making them a signature part of the dish.\n\n\n\nTheir chewy, springy texture is the perfect match for the rich, savory sauce. Handmade noodles have a unique bite that store-bought noodles just can\u2019t match.\n\n\n\nHere, we\u2019ll use store-bought noodles\u2014because I won\u2019t make you hand-pull them\u2026 at least not yet!\n\n\n\nThe Zhajiang Sauce\n\n\n\nThe real star of Zhajiangmian, though, is the sauce. Zhajiang sauce is usually made with ground meat (most often pork, but sometimes beef or lamb) that\u2019s stir-fried until crispy.\n\n\n\nZhajiangmian sauce when it\u2019s finished cooking\n\n\n\nThe meat is then mixed with a variety of sauces, mainly based on fermented soy, creating a sauce that\u2019s deeply savory, salty, and just a little sweet. This sauce is the heart of the dish, bringing an umami punch that makes Zhajiangmian so satisfying.\n\n\n\nToppings for Zha Jiang Mian\n\n\n\nTo finish the dish, Zhajiangmian is often served with a variety of fresh, crunchy toppings.\n\n\n\nThese can include julienned cucumber, bean sprouts, radish, and sometimes tofu or eggs.\n\n\n\nKey Ingredients for Zhajiangmian Noodles\n\n\n\n\nDark soy sauce: This is a key ingredient that gives the sauce its signature dark color and a deep umami flavor. Dark soy sauce is thicker and less salty than light soy sauce, with a slightly sweet taste.\n\n\n\nSweet bean sauce: It adds a subtle sweetness to the sauce, balancing out the salty flavors from the dark soy sauce and the fermented soybean paste. (Look for \"sweet bean sauce\" on the label; you can substitute with hoisin sauce.)\n\n\n\nFermented soybean paste (dajiang): This is the heart of the Zhajiang sauce. The fermented paste brings a deeply savory, salty flavor that\u2019s essential for authentic Zhajiang. You\u2019ll find it at Asian supermarkets.\n\n\n\nWater: Used to thin the sauce and give it a smoother consistency. In this recipe, the water used to rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms is added for extra flavor.\n\n\n\nDried shiitake mushrooms: Rehydrated and sliced, they\u2019re added to the sauce for extra texture and umami. When rehydrating, make sure they\u2019re fully covered with water. If needed, you can use fresh shiitake instead.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\tZha Jiang Mian - Beijing Fried Sauce Noodles (\u70b8\u9171\u9762)\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tWok\t\n\t\n\t\t250 g noodles (dry weight)250 g ground pork3 ginger, thinly sliced5 cloves minced garlic5 dried shiitake mushrooms3 stalks green onions, cut into piecesMarinade0.5 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons cornstarch1 teaspoon neutral oil2 pinches white pepper1 pinch Chinese five-spice (Optional, though our testers often preferred it.)Sauce15 g dark soy sauce2 tablespoons sweet bean sauce3 tablespoons fermented soybean paste (dajiang)250 ml water\t\n\t\n\t\tSoak the mushrooms to rehydrate (shiitake can take up to 40 minutes in lukewarm water).Marinate the pork with the marinade ingredients for 15 minutes.Reserve the soaking liquid and slice the mushrooms.Heat a tablespoon of oil in your wok over medium heat.Add the marinated ground pork to the wok. Cook for 1 minute to brown.Add the ginger and garlic. Let them brown together.Add the sliced shiitake mushrooms. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes more.Add the sauce ingredients (for the water, use the mushroom soaking liquid you reserved earlier), mixing well. Reduce the heat and cover the wok.Simmer the sauce for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions. Toss with the sauce.Add the green onions, toss for 1 minute, then serve.\t\n\t\n\t\tYou can use fresh shiitake; if so, use plain water for the sauce rather than the umami-rich soaking liquid.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tPlat principalChinoisenouilles saut\u00e9es aux haricots, zhajiangmian","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109737"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109737\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110162,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109737\/revisions\/110162"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}