Taste Xiamen - Mee Sua Soup

Xiamen is gearing up to hold the meeting of so-called BRICS nations that include Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa as well as China, in the three days up to Sept. 5.

Mianxian-hu (mee sua noodle soup) is a famous traditional Han Chinese snack from Fujian Province. The "hu" is a kind of soup thickened with sweet potato flour, and the "mianxian" is a very thin, threadlike noodle.

The noodles used for this dish are handmade, with a salty flavor. They are firm but elastic, and will retain their texture even after cooking for a long time, yet melt in the mouth rather quickly. A delicious broth is made from pork bones, dried shrimps and dried razor clams, creating a clear, fresh flavor. To suit personal tastes, all kinds of seafood can be added. Finally, scallions steeped in oil, celery leaves and even ground white pepper can be added for extra flavor.

Mee sua noodle soup is usually for breakfast, but it can also be served up as dim sum or a late-night snack. Going with youtiao (Chinese churro）and matisu (horse-hoof shaped cruller), the flavor is delicious, fresh and slightly sweet with a smooth texture—the taste of South Fujian.