![]() Ta'a noodles | |
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 |
Tàⁿ-á-mī[1] (Chinese:擔仔麵;pinyin:dànzǎimiàn;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:tàⁿ-á-mī;lit. 'shoulder pole noodle'), also known asTa-a noodles ordanzai noodles, is a type of snack found inTainan,Taiwan.[2] Also known as "Slack Season Ta-a Noodles", they originated in Tainan (in southern Taiwan) about 130 years ago. While the general recipe is well known, some of the spices and the proportions of the various ingredients (shrimp flavored soup,shrimp,coriander, andgarlic) are well guarded secrets by the different restaurants/stands that serve it.[3] The normal serving size is usually small, being considered more of a snack than an entree. It is also on the pricier side (relatively) at around NT$50 (US$1.60) for a small bowl.
Ta-a noodles are said to originate in the lateQing dynasty, around 1895.[4] During theTomb Sweeping Festival and summer season (July to September) each year in Taiwan, there are frequenttyphoons, rendering fishing too dangerous. These "slack seasons" were known to fishermen as "small months" (Chinese:小月;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:sió-go̍eh) and the phrase "pass the small months" (度小月;tō͘-sió-go̍eh) refers to enduring the slack seasons.
Hong Yutou (洪芋頭), a fisherman fromTainan, and descending from fishermen inZhangzhou,Fujian, began to sell noodles when he was 20 years old. At first it was to earn money during the off-seasons but eventually became his primary occupation. In the beginning, he carried his noodles onshoulder poles (擔;tàⁿ) and sold them on the street before setting up a small stall in front of the Tainan Chuisian Temple (水仙宮;Chuí-sian-kiong) with the Chinese characters度小月擔仔麵 (tō͘-sió-go̍eh tàⁿ-á-mī) written on lanterns, hence the name "Slack Season Ta-a Noodles".
While both are quintessentially Taiwanese noodles,ta-a-mi and tshik-a-mi are two distinct dishes with unique broths and side ingredients, enjoyed in very different ways.
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