Traditional Shanghai Lard and Scallion Yang Chun Mian

There are dishes that impress with their complexity, and then there are dishes that stop you in your tracks with their simplicity. Yang Chun Mian is firmly in the second camp. A whisper of soy sauce, a pinch of sugar, a teaspoon of rendered pork lard, and a ladleful of piping hot clear broth poured over a nest of perfectly cooked thin noodles and freshly chopped scallions. That's it. No elaborate toppings, no complex technique, no long list of ingredients. Just pure, clean, profoundly comforting noodle soup that has been feeding Shanghai locals for generations. Here at Yunion, our Yang Chun noodles were made for exactly this dish.

Serves: 2 Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the noodles:

• 1 packet Yunion Yang Chun Noodles

  
  

For the broth base (built directly in the serving bowl):

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 tsp dark soy sauce

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp premium rendered pork lard per bowl

• Pinch of white pepper

• 500ml clear chicken stock or pork bone broth, piping hot

  
  

To garnish:

• 3 spring onions, finely chopped

• Extra white pepper to taste

Method

• Heat chicken stock or pork bone broth in a pot over medium high heat until piping hot. The broth needs to be genuinely steaming when it hits the bowl — this is what melts the lard and brings the whole dish together.

• While the broth heats, prepare each serving bowl. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, and exactly one teaspoon of rendered pork lard to each bowl. Do not stir — the hot broth will do that work.

• Cook Yunion Yang Chun Noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes until just cooked through with a firm, delicate bite. Drain thoroughly.

• Divide noodles between the prepared bowls.

• Ladle the piping hot broth over the noodles immediately. The heat of the broth will melt the lard instantly, creating a gorgeous, fragrant, velvety soup base as it combines with the soy and sugar seasoning.

• Scatter generously with freshly chopped spring onions and a pinch of extra white pepper.

• Serve immediately and eat at once.

Tips

• The quality of your broth is everything in this dish. Because there are so few ingredients, there is nowhere to hide. A good homemade chicken stock or a premium store bought broth makes an enormous difference to the final result.

• Rendered pork lard is the traditional fat for Yang Chun Mian and is what gives it that signature velvety richness and fragrance. It's available at select Asian grocery stores across Perth. If you'd prefer a non-pork version, a good quality neutral oil with a few drops of sesame oil makes a decent substitute, though the flavour profile will be slightly different.

• Eat this dish the moment it's served. Yang Chun Mian is one of those soups that loses its magic quickly as the noodles absorb the broth and the lard solidifies. It's designed to be eaten immediately, piping hot, straight from the bowl.

Find Yunion Noodles Near You

Our full range of fresh noodles is available at select supermarkets and Asian grocery stores across Perth. Find your nearest stockist and make your next family gathering one to remember.