Name: Longevity Noodles
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 pack of e-fu noodles; 2 Spring onions, cut into 3cm segments; 80 g Beansprouts; One handful (approx 50g) Dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated; 1 tbsp Vegetable oil; 1 tbsp Oyster sauce; ½ tbsp Soy sauce; ½ tbsp Dark soy sauce; 1 tbsp Sesame oil; ½ tsp YumYum

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Deliciously springy noodles stir-fried in a simple savory sauce, these Longevity noodles are the perfect addition to any banquet or just a weeknight meal

Table of Contents

What are longevity noodles?

Longevity Noodles (yī miàn, 伊面), also known as yi mein, e-fu noodles, or long life noodles, are a traditional Chinese noodle dish that symbolizes a long and prosperous life. They are typically served at Chinese banquets and celebrations like Chinese New Year, or birthdays as a symbol of good wishes. The uncut long noodles symbolize longevity and bring fortune and health.

These noodles are typically stir-fried or served in a broth with a mix of meats, vegetables, and sometimes seafood. The noodles are unique in texture and taste due to the way they are made. Unlike other noodles that are made with sodium bicarbonate or soda water. These noodles are then deep-fried and dried before being packaged. As a result when cooked they have a very unique spongy texture and flavor.

Personally, I’ve never been a fan of yi mien as they are usually cooked in large batches at banquets. The noodles never have much flavor, and they get soggy quickly because of their unique texture. But when you cook them at home in smaller batches the uniqueness of the noodles makes for a delicious noodle dish.

Try this recipe out this Chinese New Year to wish your whole family a prosperous year!

Ingredients

Oil: Any kind of neutral oil is perfect for stir-frying, vegetable or canola oil are great options
Spring onion: Spring onion adds flavor and a pop of green to this noodle dish
Mushroom: I used dried shiitake mushrooms which had been soaked, and thinly sliced. But feel free to use any kind of mushroom.

E-fu noodles: Make sure you use the right kind of noodles! You can find these as packaged fried noodle rounds in every Asian grocery store.
Oyster sauce: Oyster sauce adds a sweet umami flavor to the noodles
Soy sauce: Soy sauce seasons the noodles while adding color
Dark soy sauce: Dark soy sauce is known for adding a darker color and a deeper umami flavor, and that is exactly what it’s doing here

Sesame oil: A must when making these noodles, the sesame oil adds a nutty fragrance to the dish, bringing it together
Beansprouts: The addition of beansprouts at the end of the cooking process gives the noodles a nice freshness and crunch

How to cook yi mien

Bring a wok full of water to a boil and add the noodles

Cook for 1 minute, or until softened, then drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in the wok on high heat add the spring onion and mushrooms, and stir fry for 30 seconds.

Add the noodles to the wok and top with oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, and YumYum.
Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry everything together for 2-3 minutes.
Once everything is well combined transfer the noodles to your serving platter and enjoy!

LET'S COOK RESTAURANT - QUALITY FOOD AT HOME!

If you like this yaki udon stir-fry recipe make sure you leave a rating and comment down below. I'd love to hear what you think about these stir-fried udon noodles. Don't forget to follow me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube to stay up to date with new recipes and follow my cooking journey!