Mifen (Rice vermicelli), Hsinchu(炒米粉，新竹), Taiwan

Hsinchu is the city it takes one and half hour from Taipei. This city is known as the city of wind. The winds come from east for whole year. When I have visit, there is very nice dry and cool winds going through the city. This city is also the cilicon valey in Taiwan.

This winds are good to dry the rice noodle at the factory.

Mifen is very popular rice noodle in Asian area. There are a lot of variation in the rice noodle around the South eastern Asian countries. semmie in Thailand, pho in Viet num, Laos, Cambozia, When you go to the Aisian countries, you will find a lot of types of rice noodle in each country. The mifen does not generally have so strong chewy in itself. But the mifen from Hsinchu is special with it has the chewyness. The Hsinchu mifen were dried with the cool, dry and strong winds coming through the Hsinchu city. The noodle got chewy firm and good texture in itself.

Taiwanese people cook this noodle to braise with soy source or to be dipped in the chicken soup stock. I prefer to the braised one, because I can feel the texture of the noodle well.

The noodle stand usually has ordering sheet listed the dishes they can serve. Only you should do to order is check on the menu list sheet and hand the sheet to the staff. The Ding tai fen has similar ordering system for the customer.
I just list the translation between the Kanji and English to be comvinience for your ordering. Please find the ordering sheet at the stands.
米粉--- Mifen, rice noodle
炒 --- braised
湯 --- served with soup stock. The soup stock is changeable depend on the stand
貢丸--- pork meat ball. This pork meat ball is also famous as the Hsinchu food.

It is very reasonable to eat these fast food from Hsinchu at chénghuángmiào (都城隍廟(廟口小吃)). Some fast food stand were geathered in the temple.


When I go to Taiwan, I love to go to the food court or the stand bar in the city to have Mifen. I hope you will enjoy as I have.