Malaysian noodles: a family business

A family-run business in Malaysia is keeping alive the tradition of making mee-suah noodles by hand.

Known as thread noodles, mee-suah noodles are long and thin. They originated in China's southern Fujian province and were brought to Malaysia by Chinese migrants. Jie Fatt Noodle has been making them in the traditional way for over 100 years. Ding Jhun Jie is the company owner's son.

Ding Jhun Jie: "This is part of our Chinese traditions, if it were to be lost it would be a real pity, it was passed down by our ancestors after all."

Some minor changes are now part of the process, with the dough being mixed by machine. However, the stretching and hanging out to dry in the baking sun are all done by hand. This is a skill that Ding Jhun Jie would like to see his children acquire in the future.

Ding Jhun Jie: "Yes, I would worry that this noodle making profession would disappear, because it's a lot of work and it's very hard work. Not many young people nowadays would choose such a difficult job. If possible, I would teach my kids how to continue this work. It doesn't matter if they don't want to do the job. But at least, they would learn the skill, so it won't disappear."

Mee-suah noodles, unlike vermicelli or glass noodles, are made from wheat rather than rice. They signify long life and are frequently served for birthdays, accompanied by eggs, oysters, shiitake mushrooms, beef, onions, roasted nuts or fried fish.

Eating the noodles is seen as auspicious not just for longevity, they're also referred to as 'peace noodles' and are served to people returning from overseas or to women who are due to give birth. As a result, mee-suah noodles are growing in popularity.

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