Noodle Nomads
There are only a few certainties in life, one of which is that all humans must eat to live. Wherever people exist, we invent cuisine, and the ingredients, techniques, and recipes travel with us. Across Asia, food has historically connected regions via trade along the Silk Road, with similar spices used in multiple cuisines. This interconnection is evident in dishes from Chinese and Pakistani food to subgenres like Indo-Chinese cuisine
As communities migrate globally and their diaspora settles in places like America, their dishes disperse like nomads. This dispersion leads to new culinary iterations, a concept we explore in Noodle Nomads. One of Umair’s favorite dishes growing up in Pakistan was Nihari, a beef stew with chili, ginger, fennel, and other warming spices, thickened with flour and eaten with naan throughout the year. When he first tried Beef Noodle Soup in Taiwan, he found a familiar comfort in the hearty, spiced beef soup with wheat noodles. He has experienced this feeling multiple times in different countries, yearning for the great fusion food that can evoke such comfort. When parallel dishes from various cultures combine in a way that honors both traditions, it can evoke this nostalgic feeling in people from both cultures. When Sean tried Nihari, he also noticed familiar elements of the beef noodle soup he grew up with in his Fujianese household.
Nihari has a rich history in Pakistan and other South Asian regions, originating in the Mughal Empire during the 18th century. It was traditionally cooked overnight and eaten by laborers for breakfast to sustain them through their day of hard work. Over time, it evolved into a beloved dish enjoyed by people from all walks of life. The name "Nihari" comes from the Arabic word "Nahar," meaning "day," reflecting its status as a dish typically enjoyed at the start of the day. Nihari is known for its deep, complex flavors derived from slow-cooking beef shank with a blend of spices like chili, ginger, fennel, and cloves. It is thickened with atta (whole wheat flour) and traditionally served with naan or roti, topped with fresh ginger, cilantro, and lime.
Niu Rou Mian, or beef noodle [soup], has connections all across East and Southeast Asia, with Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup being a common association with the dish, which has its roots in the mainland Chinese province of Sichuan. It was brought to Taiwan by Kuomintang soldiers who fled China during the Chinese Civil War in the late 1940s. This dish became a staple in Taiwanese cuisine, evolving to include local ingredients and flavors over the decades. This noodle soup features a savory broth made from beef bones, soy sauce, sometimes tomatoes, and various spices such as star anise, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns. The beef, usually brisket or shank, is braised until tender and served with wheat noodles, pickled vegetables, and fresh herbs. The dish has become so popular in Taiwan that it has its own annual festival, where chefs compete for the best beef noodle soup title.
There are many categories of fusion food in the US, some of which receive a bad reputation for being voyeuristic. Often, someone from one culture visits another, finds ingredients or dishes they like, and introduces them to their own culture by taking flavors out of context and incorporating them into familiar dishes. Ramen burgers, Chicken Tikka Masala Burritos, Italian sushi, and Birria-filled carbs capitalize on food trends that become gimmicks.
However, many people forget that dishes like salmon sushi, banh mi, potato samosas, and fortune cookies were once fusion dishes that stood the test of time. These are not fusions for fusion's sake but cultural fusions with rich stories. Salmon sushi was introduced to Japan by Norwegian businessmen in the 1980s. Banh mi emerged in Vietnam during French colonization. Potato samosas resulted from the introduction of potatoes by the Portuguese and peas by the British, combined with a Central Asian pastry called Samsa. Fortune cookies, associated with Chinese takeout, were brought to San Francisco from Japan.
These examples of cultural fusion show how ingredients and recipes merge into new dishes out of necessity and become important to the communities that invent them. So, how do we create a cultural fusion dish that draws from similar dishes in two different communities and appeals to both?
This is how Nihari Noodle Soup was born. We combined aspects of both Nihari and Niu Rou Mian. From Nihari, we used Shan Nihari Masala in the spice blend, thickened the soup with gram flour, added fried onions, and topped it with fresh ginger and a squeeze of lime. From Niu Rou Mian, we incorporated soy sauce, black sugar, five spice, orange peel, and mushroom stock from rehydrated shiitakes. We also wanted to feature different noodles commonly used with beef noodle soups across East and Southeast Asia.
Through the development process, we honed into what we feel is something neither purely a Pakistani Nihari nor a Taiwanese Niu Rou Mian. We found pleasant similarities to flavors from Southeast Asia, parts of Bangladesh, China, and Japan, all with a simple change of noodle type. We learned how to hone into what makes homestyle dishes so familiar - the nostalgia from a specific spice packet, the small touches of msg and mushroom powder, a pinch of sugar, and freshly toasted masalas.
We invite you, as a Noodle Nomad, to try different combinations and decide which elements seem familiar and where you might geographically place this dish. Is this Indo-Chinese food, or is it American food?
Written by Umair Khakoo, Gastro Nomads NYC
Cover image credit: @studiomisch
Read More:
Pakistani Nihari:
https://artsandculture.google.com/
Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup:
Fusion Food:
