“Zhajiang Mian” (fried sauce noodles) is a northern Chinese dish consisting of thick wheat noodles topped with a mixture of ground pork stir-fried with fermented soybean paste. In Beijing cuisine, soybean paste id used, while in Tianjin and other parts of China, sweet sauce, hoisin sauce, or broad bean paste may be used in place of the soybean paste. In the cuisines of Beijing, Tianjin, and northeastern China, the soybean paste is stir-fried rather than fried, and oil is not used. “Zhajiang Mian” is sometimes referred to by the nickname “Chinese Spahetti” in the West, which is symmetrical to Chinese calling spaghetti Bolongnese “Western ‘Zhajiang Mian’”.

“Dandan Mian”, a Sichuan variation, is so named because it was sold by mobile food stands carried by the vendor on a shoulder pole (“dandan”). Many people know this noodle style as spicy and tongue-numbing. But actually the noodles come with a topping consisting of different ingredients, which include a spicy ground peanut and sesame sauce, garlic, cold sliced cucumbers.

“Regan Mian” is a typical breakfast fare of Wuhan. The noodles should be 80% cooked, stirred with cooking oil, and allowed to dry. This is usually done in the previous evening. When a bowl of noodles is to be served for breakfast, the noodles are lowered in a large cone-shaped strainer into a pot of boiling water. Then the noodles are stirred to make sure they are heated evenly, until cooked approximately 30 seconds. The noodles are then strained with a few shakes and served in a bowl topped with oil, soy sauce, sesame paste, prickled vegetables, and chopped chives, with chili sauce and rice vinegar added to taste.