Easy Cold Sesame Noodles with Shredded Mushrooms (杏鮑菇涼麵)

The Toppings

• King Oyster Mushrooms: We'll be using shredded king oyster mushrooms to mimic shredded chicken. They might be lower in protein, but definitely not in taste!
• Carrot & Cucumber: They are a must in Taiwanese-style cold sesame noodles! You would also see bean sprouts sometimes, but I didn't use them in this recipe. Feel free to add them to enhance the textural contrast!
• Eggs: Also a must in Taiwanese-style cold sesame noodles! I have mostly seen them in noodle form, but you would also see them in hard or soft-boiled forms. You can skip them and make the noodles vegan.

The Noodles

• Noodles: Traditionally, the kind of noodles used in Taiwanese cold sesame noodles is Yóu Miàn (油麵) or "Oil Noodles". They are usually pre-cooked, mixed with some oil to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other, then packaged for sale in the refrigerated aisle. They are alkaline noodles made with edible alkaline. Alkaline is added to make the noodle texture more al dente and chewy (similar to ramen noodles), which turns the noodles yellow. Noodle manufacturers sometimes add food coloring to achieve the same appearance. So, make sure to read the ingredient list! 👀
  • Substitution: I have never been a huge fan of alkaline noodles, so I often opt for thin wheat noodles or wonton/egg noodles (thin wheat noodles made with eggs). If you do not consume gluten, close substitutes similar in texture are vermicelli rice noodles or 100% buckwheat soba noodles. If you don't have any Chinese/Asian noodles, thin Italian pasta like angel hair is a close substitute.

The Sauce

• Peanut Butter: While the dish is mostly referred to as cold sesame noodles, there is actually more peanut butter in the sauce (it should really be called cold peanut sesame noodles, but that's a mouthful 🥴). Peanut butter balances the slightly bitter sesame flavor that lingers at the back of your tongue.
• Tahini or Chinese Sesame Paste: As long as sesame is the only ingredient, tahini from a non-Asian market and Chinese sesame paste should be interchangeable, and the difference becomes barely noticeable in a sauce with other strong flavors (like this one!).
  • The optimal ratio for the base of the creamy sauce is 20% sesame paste or tahini and 80% peanut butter, which is why the sauce is often referred to as the Two Eight Sauce (Èr Bā Jiàng, 二八醬). Literally, the 80/20 rule in cooking!
• Water: A few tablespoons of water are needed to thin out the peanut-sesame sauce. I've tried both hot and room temperature water, and both worked just fine.
• Soy Sauce: I am using regular Japanese soy sauce. You can also use light soy sauce (I would not recommend dark soy sauce, as it's too strong and would take away from other flavors 🌚).
• Rice Vinegar: Personally, I prefer the taste of white rice vinegar in my cold sesame noodles, but you can also use Chinese black vinegar.
• Sugar: A must! Just a small amount elevates the entire flavor profile.
• Garlic: This is also a must! If you can only do cooked garlic, you can slowly bake or air fry the garlic while preparing the other parts of this recipe. Alternatively, you can use a chili garlic sauce (since most people like to add chili oil to their noodles).
• Sesame Oil: This really adds to the overall aroma of the dish! You can either add sesame oil to the sauce or to the cooked noodles; I have done both and didn't notice a huge difference.

Toppings & Noodles Preparation

Step 1: Use a fork to shred the king oyster mushrooms into thin strips. You don't have to shred them very finely, as they will shrink during baking or air frying.

Step 2 (Oven): If you are using an oven, bake the mushrooms at 425℉ for about 20-25 minutes. Baking seemed to yield a more even result, but it takes longer.

Step 2 (Air Fryer): If you are using an air fryer, air fry the mushrooms at 385°F for 8-10 minutes. Air frying was quicker, but some pieces seemed way more cooked than others.

Step 3: Prepare the carrot and cucumber by julienning them.

Step 4: Make egg noodles by first making an egg pancake, then slicing it into noodle-like ribbons.

Step 5: Boil a pot of water to blanch the carrots for 2-3 minutes.

Step 5: Using the same pot, cook the noodles as instructed by the package.

Step 6: Add sesame oil to prevent the cooked noodles from sticking.

Sauce Preparation

Step 7: Prepare the sauce base by using a 1:4 ratio of tahini and peanut butter. Then, add some water to thin out the sauce.

Step 8: Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar.

Step 9: Add minced or crushed garlic.

Step 10: Mix the sauce until it has a smooth consistency.

Assemble

Step 11: Layer on all the toppings.

Step 12: Add the sauce on top, sprinkle some white sesame seeds, and it's ready to be served!