Aceh Noodles

One of the traditional foods from Nanggroe, Aceh Darussalam, is Aceh noodles. This dish's signature is its thick, spicy curry sauce that's poured over noodles along with a variety of side dishes.

Aceh noodles incorporate all of these side dishes, even though noodle cuisine typically employs beef, chicken, or different fish. This is a common Acehnese cuisine that combines processed seafood such squid and crab with beef, chicken, and goat.

You don't have to worry about the flavor because the main ingredients in this delicious curry sauce are a variety of common Acehnese spices like pepper, cumin, cardamom, and chile. Thus, the flavor of this food is comprehensive.

Noodles in general are not the same as Aceh noodles. The chewy, thick, and flat texture of the fundamental ingredients of processed noodles, along with their often brilliant yellow color, contribute to the dish's visual appeal.

Furthermore, there are three ways to serve this dish: mie goreng (dry), mie goreng, and mie goreng wet. A dish of Acehnese noodles will be garnished with fried onions, emping crackers, cucumbers, and limes as a compliment.

A Synopsis of Mie Aceh's Past.

The influence of foreign culture is inextricably linked to the creation of this Mecân gastronomic specialty on the Veranda. The Aceh Kingdom's port was one of the busiest ports at the period, drawing a lot of foreign commerce.

After that, these traders blended in with the community, introducing new culinary delicacies to go along with their mission of evangelizing Muslims. According to Sunarto Kadir's book "Cultivating Nutrition Based on Culture" (2022), Acehnese noodles' thick broth is a result of Indian cooking. However, Chinese food is the source of the noodles themselves.

The influence of Islamic principles in Aceh is inextricably linked to the preparation of Mie Aceh utilizing goat and cow meat. While Aceh's geographic location—it is surrounded by water—influences the addition of different marine animals or seafood in Mie Aceh. Mie Aceh, a specialty dish of Banda Aceh's capital city, was ultimately created by the fusion of both cultures.

According to folklore, the Mie Razali restaurant invented Aceh noodles, which are still in vogue today.

Razali’s noodle dish is recognized by the public as a pioneer of Acehnese noodle cuisine that endures to this day, even if it does not use the term 'Acehnese noodles'. The prima donna menu here combines Chinese noodle dishes with traditional Acehnese spices.

Hokkian noodles, also known as lidi noodles, are the primary ingredient and have a small, spaghetti-like cylinder shape. You can get Mie Razali with chicken, crab, shrimp, or squid.

 Customers really love the crab noodles on the menu. Acehnese noodles are known for their crimson, glossy, somewhat brownish, and pooling broth. Due to its reputation as the originator of Acehnese noodles, this restaurant attracts a lot of tourists from around the area.

At that time, as international trade routes developed, so did the fame of Acehnese noodle cuisine. Acehnese noodles were introduced by traders to Java and the Malaysian peninsula. Nowadays, you can find Acehnese noodles anywhere, particularly at restaurants that serve Malay or Acehnese cuisine.

Here are some key points about Mie Aceh :

1. Main Ingredients:

   1. Thick yellow noodles.
   2. Meat options such as beef, goat, or seafood (commonly shrimp or squid).
   3. A blend of spices including turmeric, chili, cumin, coriander, and cardamom.

2. Variants:

   • Mie Aceh Goreng: Fried noodles with a dry texture, cooked with spices and other ingredients.
   • Mie Aceh Kuah: Noodles served in a thick, spicy broth.
   • Mie Aceh Tumis: Similar to Mie Aceh Goreng but with a bit of gravy.

3. Accompaniments:

   • Typically served with pickled shallots, emping (melinjo crackers), and a squeeze of lime.
   • Some versions may include a fried or scrambled egg on top.

4. Flavor and Aroma : 

5. The savory taste from the meat or seafood, cooked with the spices, adds depth to the dish's             flavor. 

6. Mie Aceh is known for its spicy and aromatic profile, due to the generous use of                   spices.