The soup consists of stewed beef (such as brisket) in beef-based broth served on top of noodles and garnished with half a hard-boiled egg and chopped green onions.[1]Cajun or Creole seasoning and chili powder are often added to the broth.
Culture and variations
Yaka mein is sometimes referred to as "Old Sober", as it is commonly prescribed by locals as a cure for hangovers.[2] Vendors are common at New Orleans second lines, along with other settings including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, alongside many other Creole and Cajun specialties.[1] One of the major proponents of yaka mein since 2006 is Ms. Linda Green, who caters the dish at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, JazzFest, Oak Street Po’Boy Fest, among other locations and cultural events in New Orleans.[3] The soup is well loved by locals but not well known outside of the city and its surrounding region.[4]
One possible etymology for "yaka mein" is a Cantonese phrase meaning "one order of noodles" (一個麵; jat1 go3 min6), used by small restaurant waitstaffs to their kitchen to prepare an order of noodles. Numerous variant spellings exist.
Origins
The origins of yaka mein are uncertain.[1] Some sources, including the late New Orleans chef Leah Chase, have claimed that yaka mein originated in New Orleans's now extinct Chinatown that was established by Chinese immigrants brought from California during the mid-19th century to build the railroads between Houston and New Orleans[1] and work in the sugar plantations of the American South. It was during this period that the Chinese noodle soup adapted to local Creole and Chinese clientele.[8]
Regardless of its North American origins, by the 1920s yaka mein was already known in other parts of North America. In a 1927 article published in Maclean's magazine, the author indicated that "yet-ca mein" consisted of noodles or vermicelli boiled in rich stock, divided into individual bowls and garnished with sliced hard-boiled egg and sliced and chopped cooked meats.[9] The author also indicated that other noodles dishes served in disparate fashions may also be collectively known as yet-ca mein.[9]
In the movie Whipsaw, from 1935 starring Myrna Loy, a character in New Orleans places a phone order with a Chinese restaurant for, among other things, yaka mein.[10] This mention supports the origin story cited by Leah Chase.
Noodle type
Yaka mein is also referred to as a type of dried wheat Chinese noodles. In Canada Yet Ca Mein was introduced in the 1950s by Toronto-based Wing's Food Products[11] and Montreal based parent Wing Noodle Company (Wing Lung or Wing Hing Lung).[12]
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