Why I Make These "Longevity Noodles" Every Lunar New Year

I grew up going to elaborate Chinese restaurant banquets to celebrate many big life events: weddings, Lunar New Year, a milestone birthday. I loved the feast of 10 dishes served in rapid-fire succession on a lazy Susan. The table would end up groaning with steamed fish, all kinds of meat, and stir-fried greens. But unlike Chinese home cooking where rice and starch are prominent, these banquets would only serve fried rice or noodles toward the very end, probably so that you wouldn’t fill up on them earlier in the meal. The most popular type of noodles served at the Cantonese banquets I attended were longevity noodles.

Longevity noodles get their name from the use of long strands of noodles to symbolize a wish for long life. These chewy noodles made of wheat and eggs would sometimes be simply stir-fried with some mushrooms and chives, or go a more elaborate route with a whole stir-fried lobster on top. We never ate this type of noodle at home, so these were one of my favorite things at the banquet. I was glad to discover that longevity noodles are actually easy to make at home, so I’ll cook these up occasionally when the memories of those banquets give me a craving.

Why You’ll Love It

• They’re chewy and full of flavor. These noodles soak up the savory sauce and stay nice and chewy, and you get great little bites of chives and shiitake mushrooms too.

• Eat them anytime. Longevity noodles are tasty enough to be eaten on their own (and the leftovers are fabulous), but you can also serve them as part of a multi-course dinner like they do at Chinese banquets.

Key Ingredients in Longevity Noodles

• Yi mein noodles: This traditional noodle (also known as e-fu) is made with wheat, eggs, and baking soda. They’re deep-fried before they are dried, and are sold in big cakes that aren’t loosely packed (make sure to weigh them before using, as they’re sometimes labeled with the incorrect weight). You want a noodle that has a slightly spongy texture so they can soak up sauce and have a chewy texture. If you can’t find them, use fresh, thick Chinese noodles instead, but make sure the ingredient list contains sodium bicarbonate (among other ingredients).

• Chinese chives: Also known as garlic chives or nira in Japanese, these long chives look like regular chives in bigger, flatter form, and are sold in big bundles. They taste mildly of garlic and onion, and are tender and cook down quickly. Use any leftovers like you would scallions.

• Shiitake mushrooms: These are the mushrooms used most often in Chinese cooking and have a lovely savory flavor when cooked. Look for smaller mushrooms with deep brown caps.

• Oyster sauce: Oyster sauce is a sauce made from oysters cooked down into a thick, dark, super-savory and slightly sweet sauce. It is a foundational sauce in Chinese cooking. My favorite is the premium oyster sauce from Lee Kum Kee.

How to Make Longevity Noodles

1. Make the sauce. Stir all the sauce ingredients together. Have this ready to go, as the stir-fry process happens quickly.

2. Cook the noodles. Boil the noodles until just tender, then drain. Yi mein noodles just need to be separated and hydrated very briefly, so don’t walk away while they’re cooking.

3. Stir-fry the vegetables. Start by stir-frying the mushrooms and Chinese chives in a large wok or nonstick frying pan until the mushrooms are browned. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

4. Stir-fry the noodles with sauce. Add the noodles and toss until heated through. Drizzle in the sauce and toss until the noodles are coated. I like tossing with chopsticks and using a wok spatula if I’m cooking in a wok to make sure everything gets tossed well.

Helpful Swaps

• Oyster sauce: Vegetarian oyster sauce can be used in place of regular oyster sauce to keep the dish vegetarian.

• Mushrooms: 1 1/2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms (4 to 5) can be used in place of the fresh. Place in a heatproof bowl, add enough very hot water to cover, and let soak for a few hours until hydrated. Trim off the tough stems and thinly slice the caps before stir-frying.

Storage Tips

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

What to Serve with Longevity Noodles

• Sizzling Fish

• Chinese Dumplings

• Mapo Tofu

• Red-Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)

• Braised Shiitake Mushrooms with Baby Bok Choy

Longevity Noodles Recipe

The longer the noodles, the better the chance of a long life.

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 10 minutes to 15 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

For the noodles:

• 12 ounces dried Chinese yi mein (or e-fu) noodles, or 20 ounces fresh, thick Chinese noodles

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

• 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, halved and thinly sliced

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 4 ounces Chinese chives, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

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Make the sauce:

1. Stir 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper together in a small bowl.

Make the noodles:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 12 ounces dried yi mein or 20 ounces fresh egg noodles. Cook, stirring with chopsticks, until just loosened and hydrated for yi mein, or tender for egg noodles, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

2. Drain well. Rinse in cold water if using fresh noodles, then drain again. For yi mein, only rinse in cold water if you’re not moving on immediately to the next step.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a wok or large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 8 ounces thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms, season with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and stir-fry until tender and browned, about 4 minutes.

4. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Stir in 4 ounces chopped Chinese chives and 4 minced garlic cloves, and cook until the chives are just starting to wilt, about 30 seconds.

5. Add the noodles, drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil around the sides of the pan, and toss until combined and the noodles are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle in the sauce and toss until the noodles are evenly coated, about 1 minute.

Recipe Notes

Substitutions: 1 1/2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms (4 to 5) can be used in place of the fresh. Place in a heatproof bowl, add enough very hot water to cover, and let soak for a few hours until hydrated. Trim off the tough stems and thinly slice the caps before stir-frying.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Further Reading

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