Chinese banquets for birthdays, weddings and Lunar New Year feature long and twisted noodles as a symbol of longevity; cutting them would shorten one’s lifespan! Cutting is strictly forbidden as cutting one would mean shortening life span.

Bring a pot of water to boil and add the noodles, cooking until al dente before draining and rinsing with cold water to cool them off before rehydrating with cold water for storage.

Ingredients

Food & Wine magazine published Eileen Yin-Fei Lo’s original recipe of this dish back in January 1999 and eventually passed away November of 2022, making her recipe an F&W Classic. It is simple, time-saving preparation process works well as either an additional starch course or even as the main meal itself.

Mushrooms contain numerous essential vitamins and nutrients, including ergothioneines (which have been used to protect against cancer and heart disease), vitamin D, potassium, copper, phosphorus, iron zinc selenium. Furthermore, they are an excellent source of protein and dietary fiber and have long been used in Chinese medicine to aid digestion and lower cholesterol.

King Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus eryngii) are among the largest oyster mushroom varieties with large, chunky stems and small caps, delicate flavor with soft texture that has been likened to seafood in terms of taste and aroma.

Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus tamarensis) have an irresistibly meaty taste and are beloved among many. Packed full of protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin) as well as numerous minerals like potassium phosphorus copper iron selenium they’re an excellent source of nutrition and antioxidants!

Enoki Mushrooms (Enokitake Mushrooms, Hypsizygus marmoreus) are among the more expensive varieties of Enoki mushrooms. Delicate in texture with a mild, slightly umami flavor, these delicate mushrooms also contain significant amounts of fiber, vitamin D and B vitamins such as Riboflavin Niacin & Pantothenic Acid for maximum nutrition!

Cook noodles according to package instructions and drain. Meanwhile, scrub and wash mushrooms and choy sum and set aside. In another pot of boiling water add salt, noodles and return to boiling with high heat – stirring continuously – for one more minute before draining into colander with cold water and leaving aside to dry before mixing sauce ingredients together and setting aside.

Preparation

Yi Mein makes the ideal Lunar New Year dinner because noodles symbolize longevity. This version’s long, twirlable strands make it easy for everyone to grab and slurp without breaking off bits or dropping it on the floor (an unlucky symbol in Chinese cuisine). A mix of torn and sliced mushrooms also symbolically represent its symbolism as they’re believed to grow quickly.

To prepare the noodles, first bring a large pot of water to a boil and follow package instructions, draining and rinsing with cold water when finished to stop further cooking and set their texture. Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon neutral oil in a wok or dutch oven until shimmering before stirring in garlic and ginger until fragrant (roughly 30 seconds), red capsicum slices, shiitake mushrooms and diced firm tofu; cook this combination for another 2-4 minutes or so until vegetables have softened slightly

Add the doubanjiang, low sodium soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce and sesame oil; mix well before setting aside.

Mix the strained noodles with the vegetable mixture and light green parts of chives until everything is hot, then season to taste with white pepper before serving.

When using fresh Shanghai style noodles, prepare as per package directions. After draining and briefly rinsing with cold water to halt the cooking process and reduce starch build-up. Finally, toss with your noodle sauce of choice and enjoy! For this dish, use frozen Shanghai noodles that have been defrosted and drained as directed on their packaging, and enjoy this quick and simple dish that is also vegetarian and gluten free! Enjoy! Noodles with their chewy and slightly spongy texture make for the ideal vessels to absorb sauces, while mushroom flavors and textures provide depth of flavor and umami to this meal. Perfect as part of Lunar New Year banquets to usher in the Year of the Snake; can also be served alongside proteins such as chicken, pork or shrimp as well as cooked Chinese leafy greens for an exciting Chinese feast!

Cooking

At the conclusion of any Chinese banquet — birthday, wedding or Lunar New Year – there will always be a platter of Yee Mein or E-fu noodles (). A bowlful of these long, chewy and slightly spongy noodles symbolizes longevity while its unique mouthfeel makes it perfect for sopping up flavorful sauces.

This dish is easy and simple to make for any special event or gathering, or as a side for proteins such as char siu (chicken), beef (beef), shrimp or tofu – or as an accompaniment for Chinese leafy greens dishes with or without them! Add dried seaweed for texture and umami flavor!

Before cooking mushrooms, soak them in hot water to soften and release moisture from them. Soak straw mushrooms for approximately 20 minutes before draining them off and slicing; be sure to save their soaking liquid as this can be reused later for other applications.

Heat the wok or large nonstick pot over high to medium heat. When hot, add one tablespoon of oil and saute shallots and white scallion parts until they soften and become translucent. Next add ginger for 30 seconds before stirring in shiitake mushrooms – this will give them more earthy flavors as a result of Maillard reactions.

Add the remaining oil and the bok choy. Saute for approximately one minute or until they have become slightly softened before removing from the pan and setting aside.

Combine soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, sesame oil and sugar in a small bowl before pouring onto vegetables and stirring.

Bring a large wok of water to boil, and follow the package instructions for cooking noodles until tender yet still firm. Drain, rinse with cold water and toss with some sesame oil if necessary to prevent sticking.

Assemble your noodles, bok choy and mushroom mixture in a saucepan. Gently mix everything, before transferring to your serving dish and topping with optional garnishes such as scallions and furikake (if desired). Enjoy your dish!

Serving

Longevity noodles have long been a traditional part of Chinese banquets, particularly on special occasions such as lunar new year or other celebrations, signifying longevity and good luck. Also known as yi mian (), longevity noodles are made using sodium bicarbonate and soda water for their distinctive spongy texture.

This dish may appear straightforward at first glance, yet its flavors are complex and tantalizing. Toasty black sesame seeds combined with garlic-infused oil add layers of tantalizing taste while mushrooms cooked to perfection combine perfectly with its tangy umami-packed sauce to make this an irresistibly flavorful side dish that would complement any Chinese meal perfectly.

To make this dish, heat a wok or Dutch oven over high heat until a drop of water sizzles instantly. Add grapeseed oil and allow it to heat for one minute before stirring in ginger for 30 seconds or so, followed by adding slices of shiitake and enoki mushrooms soaking liquid and simmering them in for approximately one minute before draining off excess liquid from mushrooms before adding remaining sauce ingredients (oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sugar Shaoxing rice wine and white pepper) before stirring everything well until well combined.

Bring 8 cups of water to boil over medium-high heat in a pot, while prepping all other ingredients. Once it comes to a boil, begin cooking noodles according to package instructions – but remove from the heat before they have finished completely cooking; they’ll continue cooking in their sauce after leaving it behind!

Heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat in another skillet and add the bok choy to coat evenly in it. Once slightly wilted, stir in mushrooms before tossing with the noodles so they are all evenly covered by sauce.

Straw mushrooms can be found both fresh and canned throughout East and Southeast Asia, as well as popularly sold at Chinese and Asian grocery stores globally. While canned varieties may have a more prominent tin-y taste due to the soaking liquid, it shouldn’t overshadow their delicate flavors. If you can’t find straw mushrooms locally, try replacing with oyster and shiitake varieties instead for a tasty substitute option.