Beijing Zhajiangmian (Northern Chinese Fermented Bean Paste Noodles)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 45 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Beijing zhajiangmian is the northern Chinese ancestor of Korean jajangmyeon, though the two have diverged significantly in flavor and presentation.
Read more
The sauce is built from ground pork stir-fried with huangjiang, a fermented soybean paste darker and saltier than miso, until the fat separates and the paste turns glossy. Thick hand-pulled or machine-cut wheat noodles form the base, and an array of raw garnishes - julienned cucumber, radish sprouts, bean sprouts, and shredded scallion - are arranged neatly on top. The dish is meant to be tossed vigorously at the table so the sauce coats every strand. The contrast between the warm, intensely savory paste and the cool, crisp vegetables defines the eating experience. In summer, the noodles are often rinsed in cold water before serving.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Loosen 4 tablespoons fermented soybean paste and 1 tablespoon yellow soybean paste with a little water until no dense lumps remain.
Julienne the cucumber, blanch the bean sprouts briefly, then cool the toppings so they stay crisp.
- 2Control
Add 2 tablespoons cooking oil to a pan and warm it over medium heat.
Stir in the chopped scallion and cook for 1-2 minutes, just until fragrant and slightly translucent at the edges, without browning it hard.
- 3Control
Add 300 g ground pork and stir-fry over high heat, breaking it apart as it cooks.
When the pink color disappears and some fat starts to render, lower the heat to medium so the paste will not scorch.
- 4Season
Pour in the loosened paste mixture and fold it through the pork.
Scrape the bottom often and fry for 2-3 minutes, until the raw fermented edge softens and the sauce looks darker and glossy.
- 5Control
Stir in 1 tablespoon sugar and simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes.
Keep stirring so it does not catch; it is ready when a spatula leaves a brief trail on the pan before the sauce flows back.
- 6Season
Cook 500 g fresh wheat noodles until chewy, rinse in cold water, and drain very well so the sauce does not thin out.
Place them in bowls, add the zhajiang sauce, cucumber, and bean sprouts, then toss vigorously before eating.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Beijing Zhajiangmian uses fermented huangjiang soybean paste for a deep, salty noodle sauce.
- Finish cue
- Scrape the bottom often and fry for 2-3 minutes, until the raw fermented edge softens and the sauce looks darker and glossy.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
45min, 9 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 233 recipes
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