LOCAL FOOD GUIDE

Jook-Sing Bamboo-Pressed Noodles 竹升面

Zhusheng Mian

Jook-Sing Bamboo-Pressed Noodles is featured among the local specialties of Macau.

A bowl of thin yellow bamboo-pressed noodles with braised beef and a side bowl of broth
Bamboo-pole pressed noodles (zhu sheng mian) tossed with braised beef brisket, served with a bowl of broth · 竹升面配牛腩,佐以清汤一碗 Source-recorded photograph date: 2025-03-26.Photo: NAN LIU · CC BY-SA 2.0
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Jook-Sing Bamboo-Pressed Noodles (竹升面) are made in Macau (澳门) from high-gluten flour, duck eggs and alkaline water. The Macao Cultural Affairs Bureau links the eggs and alkaline water to their egg aroma and chewy texture. A maker uses a bamboo pole to press the dough repeatedly.

How it is made

The noodle maker sits astride one end of the pole and bounces, pressing the dough until it becomes compact and resilient. The flattened sheet is folded back and forth and dusted with starch, then cut into strands and gathered into bundles. Judging the proportions, moisture, firmness and thickness requires experience.

How it is eaten

The cooked noodles can be served with wontons, dumplings or beef brisket in a broth made with ingredients including dried flatfish, small shrimp and pork leg bones. They can also be prepared as tossed noodles.

Where it comes from

Traditionally, the craft passes from master to apprentice, with training lasting several months to a year. During the 1970s, mechanization replaced part or all of the noodle-making process in Macau, increasing output and reducing costs while contributing to the decline of bamboo pressing.

Sources & reading

Written from the linked sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer on 2026-09-27. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.