Mee Sua

Fine Rice Noodles in Soup with Meatballs

My mother observed our birthdays on both the Chinese and Western calenders. Our Chinese
lunar birth dates and animal zodiac signs were recorded on square white pieces of cloth,
inked in Chinese characters. My mother had the habit of slotting her jewellery, cash and
such family documents behind her cupboards and under the paper slips lining her drawers.
She rarely took those cloths out and we have never found them.

Each year, sometime close to our Western birthday, we would wake up to find her
preparing birthday mee sua. “It’s your Chinese birthday so you must eat this for long life,”
was her command. I gather that she must have referred to these white cloths to recall our
lunar birth dates. The birthday breakfast consisted of rice vermicelli served in a sweet syrup
with one hard-boiled or half-boiled egg. I never knew how to react because the noodles
were very sweet indeed but I was always terribly flattered that my mother would go a long
way to ensure I had a long (hence the noodles) and sweet (represented by the syrup) life.

The recipe below is not the sweet version. It is the usual mee sua that we ate more
commonly for breakfast or when we did not feel too well. My children love it and it takes
very little time to make.

makes 4 servings

230 g or 8 ounces minced pork
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
Dash of white pepper powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 cups Chinese chicken broth
(e.g. Swanson brand) or 2 cups water
with 1 cube chicken flavouring
(e.g. Knorr brand)

2 bundles fine rice vermicelli (mee sua)
1 egg, optional
Salt to taste

1.   Combine the minced pork, light soy sauce and
white pepper. Fashion lightly into meatballs

2.   Heat oil in a saucepan. When the oil is glistening, add
the minced garlic and fry until light brown and fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth or the plain water with the cube
of chicken flavouring. Bring to a gentle boil.

3.   Drop meatballs into the saucepan. Add the rice
vermicelli and cook until are soft. Add egg to poach,
if desired. Season with salt according to taste.

4.   Serve immediately as rice vermicelli tends to absorb
liquid very quickly.

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