Mengzhou Stir-Fried Noodles 孟州炒面
Mengzhou Stir-Fried Noodles is featured among the local specialties of Henan.
Mengzhou Stir-Fried Noodles (孟州炒面) come from Mengzhou (孟州), a city in Jiaozuo (焦作), Henan. The Jiaozuo Daily puts them on the city's list of foods visitors should not miss, next to Mengzhou's Nanzhuang hunjiang starch jelly (南庄浑浆凉粉) and sugar cakes (孟州糖饼).
How it is made
A ranking of Henan noodles from Dahe.cn (大河网), reprinted on the Zhumadian Daily (驻马店日报) website, describes the dish as raw noodles that are stir-fried, and sums up its method as uncooked noodles going through the hot oil in the wok. The result is part firm and part soft, and the same ranking calls it the best-known of Henan's fried noodles.
Flavour and texture
The Mengzhou municipal Party publicity department, in a holiday food guide published by Dahe.cn, describes the noodles as colourful, oily without being greasy and chewy, with an aroma that fills the mouth.
Where it comes from
The Zhumadian ranking dates the dish to the Tongzhi reign (同治) of the Qing dynasty and repeats a local story. A provincial official inspecting Huaiqing prefecture (怀庆府) dreamed of a dish rising in white steam, twisted into a mound, scorched but still crisp, soft inside the crisp parts and joined in long strands. Local officials set cooks to work, and three of them together produced Mengzhou Stir-Fried Noodles, which the official praised.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and fact-checked against them on 2026-09-24. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.
Image credits & notes (1)
- Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片A similar preparation is pictured; the local version may differ. 同类菜品参考照片，当地做法可能不同。Photo: Peachyeung316 · CC BY-SA 4.0Resized for the web; the photo itself has not been edited. Thumbnails may show a cropped view.
