Tà-á-mī

The primary ingredients of the soupy snack known as tà-á-mī noodles or danzi noodles are thick Chinese wheat noodles, shrimp-flavored broth, minced pork, pork sauce, and a single cooked shrimp that sits on the top. A few spices and the amount of ingredients added are kept a secret by vendors and restaurants, creating an air of mystery around the classic snack. Created in 1895 by a local fisherman as a means to earn a living in the off-season, the noodles were carried on shoulder poles on the streets of a small Taiwanese town, giving them the name tà-á-mī or shoulder pole noodles.