Zhajiangmian
Zhajiangmian (Chinese: 炸醬麵; pinyin: zhá jiàng miàn), commonly translated as "noodles served with fried bean sauce", is a dish of Chinese origin consisting of thick wheat noodles topped with zhajiang, a fermented soybean-based sauce. Variations may include toppings of fresh or pickled vegetables, beans, meat, tofu, or egg. In the Western press, it is occasionally dubbed "Beijing bolognaise" due to its superficial similarity (both dishes involve noodles with minced meat sauce) and ubiquitous nature.
A bowl of zhajiangmian garnished with cucumber | |
| Alternative names | noodles with soybean paste, noodles with fried bean sauce |
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| Type | Chinese noodles, Banmian |
| Place of origin | Shandong, China |
| Main ingredients | cumian, pork, fermented soybean paste |
| Zhajiangmian | |||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 炸酱面 | ||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 炸醬麵 | ||||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | zhájiàngmiàn | ||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "fried sauce noodles" | ||||||||||||||||
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| Korean name | |||||||||||||||||
| Hangul | 작장면/자장몐 | ||||||||||||||||
| Japanese name | |||||||||||||||||
| Kanji | 炸醤麺 | ||||||||||||||||
| Kana | ジャージャー麺 | ||||||||||||||||
Zhajiangmian originated in Shandong, China and is a popular dish that has evolved into distinct versions across many cuisines both within and beyond China. The most well-known variation is arguably Beijing zhajiangmian (北京炸醬麵), which is recognized as one of the Ten Great Noodles of China (中國十大麵條). Zhajiangmian has also been adapted into the cuisines of South Korea (as jajangmyeon), and Japan (as jajamen).