Vermicelli Paste (Mee Sua Hoo)

Vermicelli paste is a regional favorite across Xiamen, Quanzhou and Taiwan: ultra-fine wheat noodles cooked down with sweet-potato starch into a smooth, thickened soup, often dressed with seafood, braised bits or fried dough—gentle and warming.

The dish originated in Quanzhou and spread through Minnan to Xiamen. Easy to digest and endlessly customizable with add-ins, it became a classic everyday breakfast and late-night bowl for Minnan locals.

Eaten mostly at breakfast or as a late-night bite, ladled out hot and finished to taste with seafood, braised egg, offal or fried dough, then dusted with pepper and coriander.

Its charm lies in a paste that is silky but never gluey and noodles that dissolve on the tongue, with toppings to taste—the warming taste of a Minnan morning.