Shanghai Style Sesame Noodles.
Xueci Cheng
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Author:
Xueci Cheng
I wasn’t a fan of sesame noodles (Majiang Mian, 麻酱面) until I had this bowl in Shanghai last spring. It was at the Wei Xiang Zhai, a modest Shanghai restaurant that’s been around for about 80 years. The room was crowded and loud, but once the noodles arrived, none of that mattered. They came slicked with a generous amount of sesame sauce, chili oil, and spoonfuls of soy sauce–based stock. When done right, sesame noodles are smooth, nutty, and rich without being cloying.
I’ve been trying to recreate that bowl at home, and the best way was to pair the sauce with handmade noodles. Knife-cut noodles require patience. I use a hydration of 45 percent (meaning the water weighs 45 percent of the flour), though flour varies, so start at 42 percent and adjust as needed. Store-bought noodles work just as well, such as Shanghai yangchun noodles (from the refrigerated section) or any alkaline noodles with a springy bite.
Wei Xiang Zhai uses a long-simmered meat stock to flavor their noodles. Here, I mimic that depth with a seasoned soy sauce, five-spice powder, and aromatics. You can add a fried egg or fresh vegetables, but for me, it’s perfect as it is.
Ingredients
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¼ tsp salt
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250 g all-purpose flour
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112 g room-temperature water
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Cornstarch, for dusting
Sesame Sauce
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1 tbsp Chinese sesame paste
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½ tbsp peanut butter (smooth)
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1½ tbsp vegetable oil
Seasoned Soy Sauce
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2 tbsp light soy sauce
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4 tbsp water
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⅛ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
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½ tsp white sugar
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1 scallion, lightly smashed
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2 slices of ginger
To Finish
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1 tbsp White Mausu chili oil
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Chopped scallion greens, for garnish
Directions
In a mixing bowl, stir the salt into the flour. Gradually add the water while stirring with chopsticks, forming small clumps. Use your hand to bring the dough together into a rough mass. Cover and let rest for about 20 minutes. Knead the dough for 4–5 minutes until smoother, then return it to the bowl, cover, and rest for another 20 minutes. After the second rest, the dough should be smooth and pliable.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Divide the dough in half and roll each portion out thinly. Dust both sides with more cornstarch, fold the dough over itself a few times, and cut into thin strips with a sharp knife. Gently toss the noodles with additional cornstarch to prevent sticking.
To make the seasoned soy sauce, combine the soy sauce, water, five-spice powder, sugar, scallion, and ginger in a small pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the aromatics infuse the liquid. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a heatproof bowl, combine the sesame paste and peanut butter. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pot until hot but not smoking, then carefully pour it over the sesame mixture. Stir with a spoon or small whisk until smooth and creamy.
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook the fresh noodles for 1–2 minutes, until just cooked through. Drain well and transfer to serving bowls.
For each bowl, add about 2 tablespoons of the seasoned soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame sauce, and 1 tablespoon chili oil. Garnish with scallion greens and toss thoroughly while the noodles are still hot.
