Satay Noodles (Shacha Mian)

Satay noodles are Xiamen's most iconic bowl: springy Minnan oil noodles bathed in a thick, fragrant broth built on satay paste, then crowned with your pick of prawns, squid, pork liver, tofu or duck blood—savory, rich and gently spicy.

Satay arrived from Southeast Asia—originally 'sate'—carried home by overseas Chinese and maritime trade. In tea-drinking Xiamen the name softened to 'shacha,' and the seasoning was reworked into a noodle soup, a vivid mark of the city's links to the Nanyang world.

Usually eaten as a meal or late-night bite: you choose your toppings, they are blanched to order, and the whole bowl is slurped hot, broth and all—an everyday star of Xiamen's lane-side eateries.

The soul is the broth—a true satay soup runs thick, ruddy and heady with peanut and spice. Veteran shops such as Wutang and Dazhong are counted among Xiamen's celebrated 'four greats' of satay noodles.