Mie Noodles: What They Are, How to Cook Them and the Difference from Ramen and Udon
Mie noodles are thin wheat noodles with egg from Chinese and Indonesian cooking. Most stores sell them dried in nests; you cook them for three to five minutes and then stir-fry them in a wok with vegetables, meat and sauce, for example for bami goreng.
Fact sheet
- Also known as
- Mie, Mi, Mee, Bami, Bakmi, Ba Mee, chinesische Eiernudeln, 麵
- Origin
- China, verbreitet in Indonesien, Malaysia und Thailand
- Taste
- mild, leicht nach Ei, fester Biss
- Substitute
- Ramen-Nudeln, dünne Spaghetti (mit Natron im Kochwasser asiatischer im Biss)
- Storage
- getrocknet trocken und verschlossen im Schrank, frisch im Kühlschrank oder eingefroren
- Where to buy
- Asia-Regal im Supermarkt, frische Eiernudeln im Kühlregal des Asialadens, online
Origin and name
Mie is the Indonesian spelling of the Chinese word for noodle, 麵, pronounced roughly “mī” in the southern Chinese dialect Hokkien. Chinese immigrants brought wheat noodles to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. That is why the noodles are called mie, mee or ba mee there. Bami, roughly “meat noodle” in Hokkien, reached the Netherlands through Indonesian cooking. Chow mein, Cantonese for “fried noodles”, follows the same principle.
Ingredients, taste and allergens
Mie noodles are made from wheat flour, egg, water and salt. The egg gives them their yellow color, a mild, slightly eggy taste and a firm bite that holds up in the wok. Some producers replace part of the egg with coloring; the ingredient list shows how much egg is really in there. There are also mie noodles without egg.
Mie noodles contain gluten and usually egg. If you have allergies, check the information on the package.
Mie, ramen and udon: the difference
All three are wheat noodles. They differ in the dough, and the dough determines color and bite:
| Mie noodles | Ramen | Udon | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dough | wheat, egg, water, salt | wheat, water, kansui (alkaline salt), usually no egg | wheat, water, salt |
| Color | yellow | light yellow | white |
| Thickness | thin | thin to medium | thick |
| Bite | firm | springy, elastic | soft and elastic |
| Typical use | fried noodles, noodle soups | ramen soups | broth, cold dishes |
The lines blur: many Chinese egg noodles also contain alkaline salts, and ramen have their origin in Chinese wheat noodles. You can read more about the thick Japanese noodles under Udon noodles.
How to cook mie noodles
- Bring plenty of water to a boil, about one liter per 125 grams of noodles.
- Put the nests into the boiling water. After a minute, loosen them with chopsticks or a fork.
- Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the package. For the wok, take them out one minute early; they finish cooking in the pan.
- Drain, rinse briefly under cold water and drain well. Mix in a teaspoon of neutral oil so they don't stick.
- At the end, toss them in the hot wok with vegetables, meat and sauce for 1 to 2 minutes.
Some packages only ask you to pour boiling water over the nests and let them stand for a few minutes. Then follow the package. For noodle soups, cook mie noodles separately and add them to the broth only in the bowl, otherwise the soup turns cloudy.
Common mistakes
- Cooked too soft: The noodles break in the wok and turn gluey.
- Wet into the pan: Dripping wet noodles steam instead of fry and get no roasted flavor.
- Too much at once: A crowded wok cools down. For more than two portions, cook in batches.
Dishes with mie noodles
You stir-fry the classic Bami Goreng with chicken and vegetables. The Indonesian Mie Goreng gets its dark color and sweetness from kecap manis, while Bakmi Ayam serves the noodles with seasoned chicken and broth on the side. From Malaysia comes the spicy Mee Goreng Mamak with egg and tofu, from Thailand Ba Mee Moo Dang with red roast pork.
For the sauce you usually need soy sauce, often oyster sauce too. Light and dark soy sauce explains which soy sauce goes where, and everything about the thick, savory sauce made from oyster extract is under Oyster sauce.
Substitutes, buying and storage
Ramen noodles work as a substitute, fresh or from instant packs without the seasoning packet. Thin spaghetti works too. If you add a tablespoon of baking soda to two liters of cooking water, the pasta turns yellower and more elastic and comes closer to Asian noodles.
You find dried mie noodles in the Asian aisle of almost every supermarket. An Asian grocery store also has fresh egg noodles in the refrigerated section, in different thicknesses, from hair-thin wonton noodles to thick noodles for lo mein.
Store dried noodles dry and sealed; they keep until the best-before date and usually beyond. Keep fresh mie noodles in the refrigerator and use them as the package says; you can also freeze them in portions and add them frozen to the boiling water.