Lao shu fen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Various names^[1] :-
English name : Lao Shu Fen / Yin Zhen Fen / Short Rice Noodles
Other English names : Lou Syu Fan / Ngan Jam Fan / Loh See Fun etc
Simplified Chinese name : 老鼠粉 / 银针粉
Traditional Chinese name : 老鼠粉 / 銀針粉
Mandarin PinYin : lǎo shǔ fěn (lao3 shu3 fen3) / yín zhēn fěn (yin2 zhen1 fen3)
Hokkien name : Niao Chu Hoon.
Cantonese PinYin (Yale) : lóuh syú fán (lou5 syu2 fan2) / ngàhn jām fán (ngan4 jam1 fan2)

"Short Rice Noodles" or "Lao Shu Fen" or "Yin Zhen Fen" (老鼠粉 / 银针粉) is a variety of Chinese noodles. Unlike the common noodle, it is short - about 5cm long and 5mm in diameter. It has a white semi-transparent colour.

The noodles may be stir-fried, scalded and flavored with a mixture of sauces; cooked in soup; or cooked dry in clay-pot. As with most Chinese noodles, it can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner; as a main course or supplementing a rice meal. Many Chinese restaurants, hawkers and roadside stalls serve Lao Shu Fen / Yin Zhen Fen in various forms.

The noodles are made from ground rice flour but sometimes added with some cornstarch to reduce breakage during frying^[1]. Just like most Chinese noodles, they are commercially produced and seldom homemade as it’s too tedious to make a small amount for home consumption.

In Chinese, Lao Shu Fen (老鼠粉) literally means ‘Rat Noodles’ while the other name, Yin Zhen Fen (银针粉) literally means ‘Silver Needle Noodles’. The noodles are neither made from rodents nor from needles but so called because the shape of the noodles is long and tapered much like a rat’s tail or a needle.

Lao Shu Fen / Yin Zhen Fen is available in many Chinese markets in Chinese populated areas such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. The noodle is more commonly known as Yin Zhen Fen (银针粉) in Hong Kong and Taiwan but Lao Shu Fen (老鼠粉) in Malaysia and Singapore.

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