Beef Noodle Soup (Niu Rou Mian 牛肉麵)

The flavorful, spicy beef noodle soup is Taiwan's national cuisine and a source of great pride for its people. In Taipei, you can get the world's most expensive bowl of beef noodle soup, but there are also reasonably priced beef noodle businesses on every corner. Beef, broth, vegetables, noodles, and spices are often used in this recipe, which is perfect for winter comfort food.

Beef noodle soup has a strong Sichuan influence, dating back to the 1940s, when China was in the midst of civil war and many Chinese people fled to Taiwan, resulting in the creation of this cross-provincial cuisine with chili bean sauce and Sichuan peppercorns.

When it comes to cooking this long-simmering stew, the possibilities are unlimited, and there are several side dishes to accompany it in Taiwan, including seaweed and braised dried tofu. Today, the annual Beef Noodle Festival in Taipei pits several restaurants and chefs against one another for the title of Best Beef Noodle.