Ta-a mi facts for kids
Ta'a noodles
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| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Taiwan |
| Region or state | Nationwide |
| Created by | Taiwanese |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Chinese wheat noodles, shrimp flavored soup, shrimp, coriander, Taiwanese Meat Sauce and garlic |
Ta-a mi (which means "shoulder pole noodles" in Chinese) is a super popular snack from Tainan, Taiwan. You might also hear it called Ta-a noodles or danzai noodles. This tasty dish started in southern Taiwan about 130 years ago.
Even though it looks simple, the exact recipe for Ta-a noodles is a secret! Different restaurants and food stands keep their special spices and how much shrimp soup, shrimp, coriander, and garlic they use a secret. People who love food from all over the world think this snack is amazing. A serving of Ta-a noodles is usually small, like a snack, not a big meal. It costs around NT$50 (about US$1.60) for a small bowl.
Contents
The Story Behind Ta-a Noodles
How Ta-a Noodles Began
Ta-a noodles first appeared around 1895, during the late Qing dynasty. Back then, fishermen in Taiwan faced a tough time each year. During the summer, from July to September, and around the Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Festival), many typhoons would hit. This made fishing too dangerous.
Fishermen called these quiet times "small months" (Chinese: 小月; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sió-go̍eh). The saying "pass the small months" (Chinese: 度小月; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tō͘-sió-go̍eh) meant surviving these difficult periods when they couldn't fish.
The Fisherman Who Created a Dish
Hong Yutou was a fisherman from Tainan. He came from a family of fishermen in Zhangzhou, Fujian. When he was 20, he started selling noodles. At first, he just wanted to earn money during the "small months" when fishing was slow. But soon, selling noodles became his main job!
In the beginning, he carried his noodles on shoulder poles (Chinese: 擔; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tàⁿ) and walked around selling them on the street. Later, he set up a small stall in front of the Tainan Chuisian Temple. He even put up lanterns with the Chinese words (Chinese: 度小月擔仔麵; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tō͘-sió-go̍eh tàⁿ-á-mī) on them. That's how this famous dish got its full name: "Slack Season Ta-a Noodles."
How Ta-a Noodles Are Made
Making Ta-a noodles involves a few simple steps to create its unique flavor.
What You Need
Here are the main ingredients for Ta-a noodles:
- "Oil noodles" (a type of Chinese wheat noodle)
- Minced pork
- Prawns
- Bean sprouts
- Cilantro (also known as coriander)
- Black vinegar
- Garlic
- Soy sauce
- An egg (optional)
Cooking Steps
Follow these steps to make Ta-a noodles:
- First, boil prawn heads to make a flavorful soup. This soup will be the base for your noodles.
- Next, boil the noodles and bean sprouts in hot water. Shake them up and down while they cook.
- Once cooked, take out the noodles and bean sprouts. Put the bean sprouts at the bottom of a bowl, then place the noodles on top.
- Add a scoop of minced pork and a prawn on top of the noodles.
- Pour in the hot prawn head soup.
- Now, you can add seasonings to your taste. People usually add black vinegar, garlic, and cilantro.
- For an extra treat, you can also add a boiled egg or a pork ball on top!
