Taiwanese Danzai Noodle Soup, also referred to as “slack-season noodle soup,” was developed by southern Taiwanese fishermen during the off-season (or “slack”) season. These fishermen would carry a wooden stick (hence, danzai), suspend pots from it, and sell noodles to customers in place of fresh seafood. It was a creative approach to get through the sluggish season, which may explain why each bowl only has one shrimp on top. Today, the dish is enjoying a renaissance in Taiwan, due to restaurants that have lovingly reproduced it on their menus.
This meal, like many others in Taiwan, combines pork and seafood. By boiling shrimp heads and shells in a basic pork stock, the broth is frequently flavoured with marine flavour. The noodles are then covered with a long-simmered pork meat sauce, which is commonly eaten with rice or noodles. The most typical variety used in danzai noodle soup are slightly thick, chewy noodles made of wheat. Although I’ve tried a variety of wheat-based noodles over the years, lo mein or chow mein seem to work best. They can be purchased dried or fresh in the international food area of most supermarkets or the chilled aisle of Asian markets. Deep and decadent black vinegar is drizzled over each bowl of soup before serving to add a rush of acidity.
Instead of being a part of a multi-course meal for a group, this noodle soup is typically eaten as a short snack. If you have long-simmered stock and meat sauce on hand, portioning out the individual servings is simple.
A tiny bit of fresh garlic is frequently grated and placed on top of each dish by traditional vendors before the shrimp are added. When added, this garnish balances the dish’s slightly overpowering shrimp flavour and makes it unique. Similar to the majority of noodle soups in Taiwan, you can garnish this one with fresh herbs like scallions or cilantro as well as optional stewed eggs, pickled radish, or other veggies.
Ingredients
- 6 large shell-on shrimp, preferably with heads, shells and heads removed and kept, shrimp deveined
- 6 cups chicken or pork stock or low-sodium chicken broth
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 4 cups fresh or dried Chinese wheat noodles, such as lo mein or chow mein noodles
- 2 cups Taiwanese meat sauce, warmed
- 3 large-sized cloves garlic, grated
- 6 teaspoons Asian black rice vinegar
- 3 scallions, white and light-green parts only, chopped
Directions
- Shells and heads of shrimp, if using, should be added to a medium pot with stock and brought to a boil over high heat. Cook uncovered for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour after reducing the heat to a simmer. Remove shells and heads from soup and discard them.
- Clean up the pot and add the broth again. Bring to a boil. Rub salt and white pepper on the shrimp. Add the shrimp to the broth and cook for 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are just cooked through. Take shrimp out and set aside using a slotted spoon or strainer. Add salt and white pepper to the broth to season it.
- Noodles should be prepared as directed on the package in a big pot of salted, boiling water. Drain and reserve.
- Put the noodles in the bowls and assemble. Add ladles of broth before adding meat sauce on top. Add 1 cooked shrimp and a small mound of grated garlic to each bowl. Add black vinegar, then top with scallions as a garnish. Serve hot.
