Mami soup facts for kids
Chicken mami of Masuki restaurant
|
|
| Type | Soup |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Main ingredients | Noodles, chicken |
Mami (pronounced: MAH-mee) is a very popular Filipino noodle soup. It is made with tasty wheat flour noodles and a rich broth. You can add different meats like chicken, beef, or pork. Sometimes, people also add wonton dumplings. Mami is a type of noodle dish, similar to other Filipino "pancit" dishes. The noodles in mami are sometimes even called pancit mami.
The Story of Mami Noodles
The story of mami often starts with a man named Ma Mon Luk. He was a Chinese immigrant who came to the Philippines. In 1920, he began selling a special noodle dish in Binondo, Manila.
How Mami Became Famous
Ma Mon Luk started as a street vendor. He carried his food in two large metal pots on a pole. This was much like how taho vendors sell their treats today. So, mami was originally a type of street food. His noodle soup became very popular. Because of his success, Ma Mon Luk eventually opened his own restaurant. Later, he even started a chain of restaurants named after him.
The Name "Mami"
When Ma Mon Luk first sold his dish, he called it "gupit". This is a Tagalog word meaning "cut." He called it this because he would cut the noodles and chicken with scissors. Later, he decided to call his dish "Ma mi." This name means "Ma's noodles" in Chinese.
However, the name "mami" was not trademarked by Ma Mon Luk. Soon, other noodle soups started appearing with a similar name. The word mami actually comes from the Fujianese language. In Philippine Hokkien, it means "meat noodles." So, noodle dishes like mami likely existed in Filipino-Chinese cuisine before Ma Mon Luk made his version famous.
See also
In Spanish: Sopa mami para niños
