“Duo jiao min mian is a local snack from the north, and it's a household name in the north, enjoyed by people of all ages. Each family and household should have made this delicious food, while it's rarely seen in the south.As we mentioned earlier, basically every household in the north makes this food. Because so many people are making it, there are definitely many recipes and tutorials online. The methods are all similar.

Why is it called ‘Duo jiao min mian’?

‘Duo jiao min mian’ actually refers to steaming the noodles with the steam, just like steaming buns. The principle is the same. That’s why it’s also called ‘zheng mian’ (steamed noodles) in some places. This food has chewy noodles, fragrant and fresh, not greasy, and it’s easy to make, so it’s so popular!

Why are noodles so popular in the north?

Because in the north, noodles are the main dish, and rice is a supplementary dish. Noodles and steamed buns are especially popular in the north. Some southern friends don’t understand why northern people eat steamed buns and buns every day. Isn’t it greasy? Actually, eating too much can be greasy, but northern noodles have countless variations, so people enjoy eating them in different ways, so they won’t feel greasy. Let’s get back to the topic!

Next, I’m going to share how to quickly make a simple ‘Duo jiao min mian’.

Step 1

Ingredients: Long beans or snap beans 250g, pork belly 150g, fresh noodles (also known as wet noodles) 350g

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Accessories: 4 cloves of garlic, 3 dried red chilies, 1 segment of green onion

Seasonings: Light soy sauce (to taste), old soy sauce (to taste), salt, chicken broth, white sugar, sesame oil (all amounts are to taste, as I can’t measure the exact amount in grams)

Step 2

1. Next, remove the old stems from both sides of the beans, and tear off any old fibers and cut them into about 3cm segments. Don’t make them too long. Chop the garlic into garlic powder, and slice the green onion.

2. Cut the pork belly into slices, and marinate with light soy sauce and salt for 10 minutes.

3. Heat up the oil in a pan, and sauté the marinated pork slices until they change color. Then, add half of the green onion and garlic powder and stir-fry. Next, add light soy sauce, old soy sauce, salt, chicken broth, and white sugar, and immediately add the beans and stir-fry evenly. Then, pour in water to cover the beans, and bring the soup to a boil. Spread the noodles evenly on top of the beans.

4. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer over low heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, opening the lid to turn over the noodles with chopsticks every 3 to 5 minutes to prevent sticking and ensure even flavor distribution. The whole process takes about 15 minutes until the water in the pot is almost dry, then turn off the heat, add the remaining green onion and garlic, drizzle with sesame oil, and stir to serve.

Warm Tips

1. When eating ‘Duo jiao min mian’, prepare garlic in advance for a more fragrant flavor. And make a bowl of egg soup, it's super ‘sao’ (trendy).

2. Beans will be toxic if not cooked thoroughly, so you must cook the beans until they are cooked.

3. It’s best to use wet noodles, which can save a lot of cooking time.

Isn’t this method really simple? Isn’t it easy to learn? Let’s try it, it’s delicious!”~

Okay, that’s the end of today’s episode. I’m Di Yi Guo, thank you for reading. See you next time!”