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 Boxes ofshahe fen | |
| Alternative names | Ho fun, hofoen, hor fun, sar hor fun, kway teow, guotiao, da fen, guay tiew sen yai, kwetiau |
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| Type | Chinese noodles |
| Place of origin | China |
| Region or state | Shahe District |
| Main ingredients | Rice |
| Variations | Kuyteav,hủ tiếu,kyay oh |
| Shahe fen | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese | 沙河粉 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| hefen | |||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 河粉 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Shahe fen (Chinese:沙河粉;pinyin:shāhé fěn, also simplyhor fun / he fenChinese:河粉) orguotiao (Chinese:粿條;pinyin:guǒtiáo, alsokway teow) is a type of wideChinese noodle made fromrice.[1][2] It is oftenstir-fried with meat and/or vegetables in a dish calledchao fen (炒粉; pinyin: chǎo fěn); it is also a main ingredient inchar kway teow.
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Whileshahe fen andhe fen aretransliterations based onMandarin, there are numerous other transliterations based onCantonese, which includeho fun,hofoen (a Dutch transliteration in Suriname),hor fun,sar hor fun, etc.
The word粿條guǒtiáo literally means "ricecake strips". It is also read inMinnan Chinese askóe-tiâu; it is borrowed into thehomophoneskwetiau in Indonesia,kuetiau inMalaysian,[3] andkway teow inSingapore.[citation needed] It is also calledkuaitiao or guay tiew (ก๋วยเตี๋ยว) in Thailand.[citation needed]
Minnan people generally considershahe fen andkway teow to be two distinct foods, and continue to make a distinction betweenshahe fen andguotiao/kway teow in their speech.Hor fun was developed by the Cantonese and is thin and tapered like strips of tape, with some porous areas that absorb the gravy, taste, and flavour of the broth or sauce that it is cooked in because it contains less starchy content, which has been stripped away during the production process. In contrast,guotiao/kuay teow is dense, and less absorbent and contains a higher level of starch and is more impermeable to absorbing flavours, and thus has to be soaked for a longer period of time in the dish preparation usually for a day or more, or is soaked in water first for a long time before it is fried aschar kway teow. The taste, texture, flavour, ingredients, length, thickness, width, style, density are considered very different to many people in China and Asia more broadly, but often people from other regions are not be able to tell the difference immediately.
Guotiao/kway teow has a different origin fromshahe fen , from Northeast instead of Central China, and is a modification of theguo/kway (rice cake) production process, and originated as the ancient preservation of rice as a starch-filled cake patty (of which Korean rice strips are yet another descendant, as it was brought as a recipe from China to Choseon dynasty when the Emperor of China during the Ming dynasty took the Korean princess as one of his concubines, and this recipe was gifted to the people of Choseon as a betrothal gift to the Korean people).[citation needed] In Hokkien (Fujian) of China, this version ofguotiao/kway teow was then influenced by the Cantoneseshahe fen from the neighboring province ofGuangdong. Cantonese culture from the 17th century onwards was thought of as the dominant culture of civilization and culture, of wealth, excess, and sophistication, so the ancientguotiao/kway teow underwent modification to become similar to the standard Cantoneseshahe fen/hor fun. However, these two versions (guotiao/kway teow vs.shahe fen/hor fun) were spread to Southeast Asia and the world differently, thus they are presented differently in different dishes. Though some restaurants will make a strong distinction, other, more casual Chinese restaurants may use the two interchangeably. Original ricecakes and its strips (i.e. authenticguotiao/kway teow) are stiff in texture, even after cooking, often making them less popular with modern consumers.
Another similar noodle is themee tai mak (米苔目) which is like thehor fun and thebee hoon combined with Milanese pasta.
It is also known inSabah asda fen (大粉), means "widevermicelli", due to its similarity of colour and texture torice vermicelli.
Other names that are known includesen yai (เส้นใหญ่,lit. 'large rice noodles') in Thailand,hsan-bya (ဆန်ပြား,lit. 'flat rice') ornan-bya (နန်းပြား,lit. 'flat filigree') inMyanmar, andhủ tiếu orpho in Vietnam.
Shahe fen is believed to have originated in the town ofShahe (Chinese:沙河;pinyin:Shāhé;Jyutping:Saa1 Ho4), now part of theTianhe District in the city ofGuangzhou, in the southern Chinese province ofGuangdong, whence their name derives.Shahe fen is a common component of southern Chinese cuisine, although similar noodles are also prepared and enjoyed in nearbySoutheast Asian nations such asCambodia,Vietnam,Thailand,Philippines,Malaysia,Indonesia andSingapore, all of which have sizeable Chinese populations.[citation needed]
Shahe fen noodles are white in color, broad, and somewhat slippery. Their texture is elastic and a bit chewy. They do not freeze or dry well and are thus generally (where available) purchased fresh, in strips or sheets that may be cut to the desired width. Where fresh noodles are not available, they may also be purchased packaged in dried form, in various widths.
Shahe fen noodles are very similar to Vietnamesebánh phở noodles, which are likely derived from their Chinese counterpart.[citation needed] Although thephở noodles used in soups may vary in width, widephở noodles are also common in stir fried dishes. The popular Thai dishesphat si-io anddrunken noodles are also made with similar noodles.[citation needed]
Shahe fen is oftenstir-fried with meat and vegetables in a dish calledchao fen (炒粉; pinyin: chǎo fěn; jyutping: caau2 fan2). Whilechao fen is a transliteration of Mandarin,chow fun is the name most often given to the dish inChinese restaurants in North America fromCantonese.
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