Chili Crisp Mazesoba (Mazemen)

Mazesoba (まぜそば) — more widely known as mazemen in the United States — is a broth-less type of Japanese noodle dish that I fell in love with immediately after the first time trying it. It’s a saucy, savory, and delightfully slurpable dish of thick noodles coated in a flavorful oil that’s topped with a variety of delicious toppings, such as seasoned meat, fresh chives, and raw egg yolk. Because you don’t need to prepare a broth, it’s an easy weeknight meal that will instantly transport you to a noodle restaurant in Japan.

Originating in the 1950s in Nagoya, Japan’s fourth most populated city, mazesoba means “mixed noodles” in Japanese. It’s also referred to as “Taiwan maze soba” because the flavors of Taiwanese noodles inspired the dish. Even though the dish goes by a few different names, it always features these key components: thick noodles, a seasoned meat mixture (often made with ground pork), and a number of various toppings, including fresh chives and egg yolk. 

Mazemen (まぜ麺) is a catch-all term for Japanese broth-less style ramen. Instead of having one particular style, it can be as creative as the chef wants, but it often has thick noodles, tare (liquid seasoning) or flavored oil, and toppings. There are many creative variations, which include uni, steak, and even soft-shell crabs.

Mazesoba, on the other hand, has to be served with a seasoned pork mixture, while mazemen can be topped with anything from chashu to smoked salmon! Mazesoba is a type of mazemen, but not all mazemen are considered mazesoba.

Thick ramen noodles or fresh udon noodles are the best choices for mazesoba.

The word “soba” is associated with soba noodles, a type of Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. But, for this particular dish, soba refers to the noodles in Japanese (this is similar to other popular Japanese noodle dishes like yakisoba). Here “men,” a Japanese term for noodles, is used interchangeably with “soba,” which is why mazesoba is often called mazemen. 

The recipe starts with making the seasoned ground pork. Traditionally, doubanjiang (spicy chili sauce) is used to season the pork, but my version uses one of my favorite ingredients: chili crisp. It flavors the meat while adding a nice, subtle heat. If your chili crisp is oil-heavy, use more flavorful bits than the oil itself. 

Aromatic toppings include fresh Chinese chives, scallions, garlic, and roasted seaweed (nori). Because they are prepared fresh, the flavors are more intense when mixed into the noodles. The most important topping is a raw egg yolk, which becomes part of the sauce when incorporated into the noodles, similar to a carbonara. You can use a sous vide egg, but I highly recommend using raw egg yolk for its richness.

When all the components are ready, the last step is to cook the noodles. Once cooked, I coat them with toasted sesame oil, which adds a nutty flavor. Then, it’s time to build your own mazesoba by adding noodles, seasoned pork, and all the aromatic toppings to your bowl. You can be creative with other toppings — fresh basil or chopped-up kimchi would be delicious additions! Just don’t forget to add the egg yolk at the end, and be sure to mix everything well before slurping the noodles.