Try me one more time…

We have been getting a lot of new variations from the people here and I have tried all of them, never mind if it is red, yellow or green.

This one…

…is the latest to hit the shelves but no, I did not buy it – I’ve had zhajiang mian before outside and it did not get me running back for more. That was why when I saw it on the shelves in the shops, I did not bat an eyelid. However, my missus came home one day with a pack and wasted no time in giving it a try.

Zhajiangmian (炸酱面) or Old Beijing noodles with fried bean originated from the Shandong province and is an iconic Northern Chinese dish. Zhajiang sauce is normally made by simmering stir-fried ground pork or beef with salty fermented soybean paste. However, the sauce may vary from province to province and between countries.

I had this one…

…here and it sure did not look anything like the real thing. No, I was not impressed so I never went back for more.

This…

…if I remember correctly, was the first time I had zhajiang mian and though it looked a lot more like what it should look like, it did not get me all excited at all.

In the case of this instant one, the bean paste came in one of the three sachets in the pack, along with the seasoning (powder) and the oil. After my missus had tried it, I asked her for her verdict and she did not seem to like it very much. She said she just had it once and the rest of the time, she had the noodles with her own kampua mee ingredients – she liked it better that way.

Well, that morning, I saw there was just one pack left so it was now or never! I had to grab that last one to try otherwise I am quite sure my missus would not be buying anymore and I would never get the chance to try it at all. I did not have any of the ingredients to make my version look anything like the real thing so this was what it…

…looked like in the end.

I cooked the noodles, emptied all the contents in the sachets into a plate and once cooked, I drained the noodles thoroughly before throwing it into the plate and tossing it well with the ingredients. I fried an egg to go with it and there was one gourmet sausage in the freezer, black pepper, so I sliced it thinly and fried the slices on a non-stick pan till nicely done and served them by the side. I garnished the noodles with a sprinkling of chopped spring onion from my garden and sat down to taste the fruit of my labour…

No, it certainly did not sweep me off my feet. The bean paste tasted like those black beans that they use to steam with pork ribs at those dim sum places and some may use them for cooking the sauce for fish. I can’t say I liked it much – it sure is a taste that may need a little getting used to.

I guess it is the same as the ones I had outside – I may not be all that thrilled by them but there may be people who like them and may go back for more.