Instant Noodles Pre-1945 Taiwan

 


佐榮寫真館 https://www.youtube.com/@fototaiwan

Recent conversations with 王佐榮 (a cultural historian and prolific writer of in particular Taiwan under Japanese Rule 1895-1945) allow me to confirm there are (at least) two types of instant noodles made and served in Taiwan as early as between 1910 and 1930. 

Both 雞絲麵 Jī-sī  mī  and 鍋燒 意麵 Guō shāo ì-mī, in my opinion, indicate strong Japanese impact.

‘These are NOT 小吃 xiaochi but 點心 tiám-sim （Holo）/deem^ sim (Hakka) as the former is traditionally under Chinese street food and when these noodles were made and enjoyed in Taiwan there was no such known Chinese Xiaochi’ - 王 specifically pointed out on【有圖有真相】古早台北的美食聖地！

雞絲麵 Jī-sī  mī  (Shredded-chicken-breast-flavor noodle)

立石鐵臣 Tateishi Tetsuomi in his illustrated explanations:
廣萬昌 a shop/manufacturer located in 台北市太平町一 ~三五番地 (Now Dadaocheng) celebrates 25th anniversary launching the first invention chicken-flavor noodle 雞絲味麵. 
To Serve - Add Boiling Water.

PS
1. 王佐榮  is in the opinion 廣萬昌  sold and served chicken flavor instant noodles in now Dadaocheng Taipei as early as 1910s. 
2.雞 is written in Kanji 鶏 - specially refers to chicken a 'bird'.



鍋燒意麵 Guō shāo (Nabeyaki in Japanese) ì-mī (deep-fried noodle Taiwanese style cooked in mini hot pot). This dish and noodle type documented in 1920s traditionally and most popularly in Tainan.

佐榮寫真館 https://www.youtube.com/@fototaiwan 

Fascinating details of a noodle stall HERE on 臺北圓環/建成圓環  Taipei Circle/The Chien-Cheng Circle 90 years ago.
- 滷肉燥 lǔ ròu zào （braised minced pork) to add to  ì-mī 
- 香油 xiāngyóu (sesame oil) bottle
- 意麵 ì-mī noodles (deep-fried) ready to sell in paper wraps

PS 意麵 Also written as 薏麵 - 薏 the character probably the Japanese manipulation my guess - Japanese had a habit of adding 草 艹 to Taiwanese word. Most historically - 番 to 蕃 when refers to Taiwanese indigenous peoples.

Additional notes - turkey



1. 立石鐵臣 Tateishi Tetsuomi illustrated explanation on turkey meat in Taiwan - 七面鳥 (Japanese word for turkey literal 7-faced-bird) turkey meat consumption increased at the end of WWII. Some said to cater westerners' needs in Taiwan.

2. "Turkey production grew more than tenfold between 1945 and 1976 because it was cheaper, pound for pound, than chicken. But by 1995 it had declined to less than a third of its peak, after Taipei was pressured by Washington to accept American imports to restore balance to the US-Taiwan trade relationship.82 Nowadays, much of the meat used for shredded turkey with gravy on white rice—a dish associated with Chiayi—is imported." (Crook and Hung A Culinary History of Taipei page 109)

3. shredded chicken (breast) impressed me as none-Taiwanese, I would be interested in knowing if dishes made of chicken in this style were served or common in Taiwan before 1895.




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