![Laai cheung](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Laai_cheung.jpg)
A rice noodle roll (also translated as steamed rice roll) is a
Cantonese
Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding ar ...
dish from Guangdong Province in
southern China
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...
, commonly served either as a snack, small meal or variety of
dim sum. It is a thin roll made from a wide strip of ''
shahe fen
''Shahe fen'' (沙河粉), or simply ''he fen'' (河粉), is a type of wide Chinese noodle made from rice. Its Minnan Chinese name, translated from the Mandarin 粿條 (''guotiao''), is adapted into alternate names which are widely encounter ...
'' (
rice noodles
Rice noodles, or simply rice noodle, are noodles made with rice flour and water as the principal ingredients. Sometimes ingredients such as tapioca or corn starch are added in order to improve the transparency or increase the gelatinous and c ...
), filled with shrimp, beef, vegetables, or other ingredients. Seasoned
soy sauce—sometimes with ''
siu mei
''Siu mei'' () is the generic Cantonese name of meats roasted on spits over an open fire or a large wood-burning rotisserie oven. It creates a unique, deep barbecue flavor and the roast is usually coated with a flavorful sauce (a different sa ...
'' drippings—is poured over the dish upon serving. When plain and made without filling, the rice noodle is also known as ''jyu cheung fan''. The name, ''jyu cheung fan,'' “jyu” means “pig” in Cantonese, “cheung” means “intestine”, and “fan” means “noodles”. Combining means the pig intestine noodle roll because the appearance of the noodle roll looks like pig's intestine. There is no official recording of the history of the rice noodle roll. Most cooking books mention that the ''jyu cheung fan'' was begun in the 1930s. A snack or breakfast that sold in many street restaurants. In Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, people called it ''laai cheung'' because it is a noodle roll that pulled or pushed by hand.
Preparation
The
rice noodle
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...
sheets are made from a mixture of
rice flour
Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening ...
and
tapioca
Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but whose use is now spread throughout South America ...
or glutinous rice flour and water. The mixture has the consistency of
heavy cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this proces ...
. The rice flour provided bulk and flavor, while the tapioca flour gives the noodle elasticity and springiness. The tapioca or glutinous rice flour may be omitted when using rice flour made from certain kinds of aged rice, as chemical changes in the aged rice produce the same texture as the addition of the second starch.
This liquid mixture is poured into a specially made flat pan with holes (similar to a flat colander). Commercial restaurants instead use special oversized steamers that are lined with a steam-permeable cloth. The noodle mixture is steamed in the pan from the bottom up to produce the square rice noodle sheets. The noodles are typically very thin (roughly thickness).
Once the liquid mixture is ladled and set, fillings such as shrimp or beef may be added before the noodle is fully cooked. As the noodle is cooking, it will start to set around the filling and take hold without falling out when transferring from steamer to dish. After steaming for several minutes, the entire freshly steamed noodle sticks to the cloth and must be scraped off, usually on to a metal surface with a thin coat of oil to prevent sticking. The resulting noodle is lightly folded about three times. Traditionally, the noodles are finished with the addition of a warm, sweetened
soy sauce just before serving. Cantonese/Hong Kong style ''Cheungfan'' is usually lightly folded when there is filling inside.
The actual noodle by itself has little flavor. The fillings and the soy sauce that accompanies it provides the bulk of the flavor. Traditional fillings are marinated fresh or dried
shrimp,
beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus'').
In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantit ...
(heavily mixed with rice flour), or
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
and chopped green onions.
The rice noodle roll is generally served in "threes" and usually scored to reveal the filling inside. Most other countries will roll them plain with no filling inside and instead serve them with toppings and a thick sauce on top. The rice noodle roll is served hot and fresh and accompanied with a splash of plain or flavored (fried
shallot
The shallot is a botanical variety (a cultivar) of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, ''Allium ascalonicum''. The taxon was synonymized with '' Allium cepa'' (the common onion) in 2010, as the ...
) oil with a generous amount of warm sweet soy sauce added right before serving. Most establishments will have a slightly different flavor of sweet soy sauce such as an addition of
hoisin sauce
Hoisin sauce is a thick, fragrant sauce commonly used in Cantonese cuisine as a glaze for meat, an addition to stir fry, or as dipping sauce. It is dark-coloured in appearance and sweet and salty in taste. Although regional variants exist, ho ...
.
Regional
Cantonese cuisine
![Cha siu choeng](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Cha_siu_choeng.jpg)
In Cantonese cuisine, rice noodle rolls are most often served in
dim sum. The most common types traditionally offered as part of dim sum cuisine are:
* Beef rice noodle roll ()
* Shrimp rice noodle roll ()
*
Dried shrimp
Dried shrimp are shrimp that have been sun-dried and shrunk to a thumbnail size. They are used in many East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian cuisines, imparting a unique umami taste. A handful of shrimp is generally used for dishes. The fla ...
rice noodle roll ()
*
Char siu
''Char siu'' () is a Chinese, specifically Cantonese–style of barbecued pork. Originating in Guangdong, it is eaten with rice, used as an ingredient for noodle dishes or in stir fries, and as a filling for '' chasiu baau'' or '' pineapple ...
rice noodle roll ()
*
Zhaliang
''Zhaliang'' (), literally "fried two", is a Cantonese dim sum. It is made by tightly wrapping rice noodle roll around ''youtiao'' (fried dough). It can be found in Chinese restaurants in Malaysia.
It is often served doused in soy sauce, hoisi ...
()
Other modern varieties that may be offered include:
* Rice noodle roll with chicken and
bitter melon
''Momordica charantia'' (commonly called bitter melon; Goya; bitter apple; bitter gourd; bitter squash; balsam-pear; with many more names listed below) is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Afr ...
* Rice noodle roll with
conpoy
Conpoy or dried scallop is a type of Cantonese dried seafood product that is made from the adductor muscle of scallops. The smell of conpoy is marine, pungent, and reminiscent of certain salt-cured meats. Its taste is rich in umami due to its ...
and
pea shoot
* Rice noodle roll with fish
* Stir-fried rice noodle roll with
XO sauce
XO sauce is a spicy seafood sauce from Hong Kong with an umami flavour. It is commonly used in southern Chinese regions such as Guangdong.
History
Developed in the 1980s in Hong Kong for Cantonese cuisine, XO sauce is made of roughly-chopped dr ...
A version of cheungfan notably absent outside of
Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
is the sliced meat filling variety. This variety is typically found in street side restaurants as a meal in itself, and uses whole meat pieces, typically beef or pork, rather than ground meat. Prior to rolling the crepe, briefly blanched lettuce or romaine is added as part of the filling, giving the cheungfan a crunch as well as volume.
Southeast Asian cuisine
The Malaysian Penang style ''chee cheong fun'' is served with a
shrimp paste
Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed shrimp or krill mixed with salt, and then fermented for several weeks. They are ei ...
called ''hae ko'' in the Hokkien dialect and ''petis udang'' in the Malay language.
In
Ipoh, ''chee cheong fun'' is mainly served in two ways, the dry or wet versions. In the dry version, it is served with bright red sweet sauce and in most cases, chilli sauce as well as pickled green chilli. In the wet version, it is served with curry with pork rind and long bean or minced meat and shiitake mushroom gravy. Both dry or wet versions are topped with sesame seeds and fried shallots.
Teluk Intan
Teluk Intan is a town in Hilir Perak District, Perak, Malaysia. It is the district capital and largest town in Hilir Perak district and fourth largest town in the state of Perak with an estimated population of around 172,505, more than half o ...
, one of the towns in the state of Perak, has other variations of ''chee cheong fun'' that contain turnips, shallots and deep-fried shrimp.
''Chee cheong fun'' is a popular breakfast food in Singapore and Malaysia. ''Chee cheong fun'' is frequently served in
kopitiam
A ''kopitiam'' or ''kopi tiam'' () is a type of coffee shop mostly found in parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Southern Thailand patronised for meals and beverages, and traditionally operated by the Chinese community of t ...
s and Chinese restaurants. ''Chee cheong fun'' can also be found in
Bagansiapiapi
Bagansiapiapi or simply known as Bagan () is a city in Riau province on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The city is the capital of Rokan Hilir Regency in the Riau Province and is located on the east coast of Sumatra, on the Rokan River delt ...
, a small town in
Riau
Riau is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of Sumatra along the Strait of Malacca. The province shares land borders with North Sumatra to the northwest, West Sumatra to the west, and Jambi to the south. Acco ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. It is called ''tee long pan'' or ''tee cheong pan'' in the Hokkien dialect. ''Tee long pan'' is served with red chilli sauce, crushed roasted peanuts, fried shallots, and dried shrimp.
Vietnamese cuisine
In
Vietnamese cuisine
Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes ( vi, ngũ vị, links=no, label=none): sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish refle ...
, there is a similar dish called ''
bánh cuốn
''Bánh cuốn'' (, ''rolled sheets'') is a Vietnamese dish originating from Northern Vietnam.
In Vietnamese cuisine
''Bánh cuốn'' is made from a thin, wide sheet of fermented rice batter filled with a mixture of cooked seasoned ground p ...
'', and it is mostly eaten for
breakfast. It is a
crêpe
A crêpe or crepe ( or , , Quebec French: ) is a very thin type of pancake. Crêpes are usually one of two varieties: ''sweet crêpes'' () or ''savoury galettes'' (). They are often served with a wide variety of fillings such as cheese, ...
-like roll made from a thin, wide sheet of
rice noodle
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...
(similar to
shahe fen
''Shahe fen'' (沙河粉), or simply ''he fen'' (河粉), is a type of wide Chinese noodle made from rice. Its Minnan Chinese name, translated from the Mandarin 粿條 (''guotiao''), is adapted into alternate names which are widely encounter ...
) that can be filled with ground
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
and other ingredients. Side dishes usually consist of ''
chả lụa
''Chả lụa'' (() or ''giò lụa'' () is the most common type of sausage in Vietnamese cuisine, made of pork and traditionally wrapped in banana leaves.
Production and consumption
Traditionally, ''chả lụa'' is made of lean pork, potato st ...
'' (Vietnamese pork sausage) and
bean sprout
Sprouting is the natural process by which seeds or spores germinate and put out shoots, and already established plants produce new leaves or buds, or other structures experience further growth.
In the field of nutrition, the term signifies ...
s, while the dipping sauce is called ''
nước chấm
(, Chữ Nôm: 渃㴨) is a common name for a variety of Vietnamese " dipping sauces" that are served quite frequently as condiments. It is commonly a sweet, sour, salty, savoury and/or spicy sauce.
(mixed fish sauce) is the most well kno ...
''. Sometimes, a drop of
cà cuống, which is the essence of a giant water bug, ''
Lethocerus indicus
''Lethocerus indicus'' is a giant water bug in the family Belostomatidae, native to South and Southeast Asia, as well as southeast China, the Ryukyu Islands, and New Guinea.P. J. Perez-Goodwyn (2006). ''Taxonomic revision of the subfamily Lethoc ...
'', is added to the ''nước chấm'' for extra flavor, although this ingredient is scarce and quite expensive.
See also
*
List of steamed foods
This is a list of steamed foods and dishes that are typically or commonly prepared by the cooking method of steaming.
Steamed foods
* Ada – a food item from Kerala, usually made of rice flour with sweet filling inside.
* Bánh – in Hanoi ...
*
List of stuffed dishes
This is a list of stuffed dishes, comprising dishes and foods that are prepared with various fillings and stuffings. Some dishes are not actually stuffed; the added ingredients are simply spread atop the base food, as one cannot truly stuff an oy ...
*
Zhaliang
''Zhaliang'' (), literally "fried two", is a Cantonese dim sum. It is made by tightly wrapping rice noodle roll around ''youtiao'' (fried dough). It can be found in Chinese restaurants in Malaysia.
It is often served doused in soy sauce, hoisi ...
References
{{Thai cuisine
Cantonese cuisine
Chinese rice dishes
Dim sum
Hong Kong cuisine
Steamed foods
Stuffed dishes