Taiwanese pumpkin rice vermicelli noodles

These Taiwanese pumpkin rice vermicelli noodles make an easy one pot meal, packed with savory, umami flavor. It's a tasty combination that's comforting yet relatively light. Perfect for any night of the week. 

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Despite not growing up with pumpkin being a vegetable we had, it's one I have grown to enjoy and look forward to using each year. Though when I say pumpkin, I mean REAL pumpkin, not just a vague flavor. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but pumpkin is way more versatile than in a few sweet baked goods and drinks.

Pumpkin can be enjoyed in both sweet and savory recipes, from pumpkin pie and pumpkin souffle to pumpkin risotto. In fact right when I started this blog my first ever recipe included pumpkin (pumpkin broccoli soup – still one I really like!). And these Taiwanese noodles (pumpkin bee hoon) are another delicious way to enjoy it.

Pumpkin around the world

"Pumpkin" is part of the squash family (genus Cucurbita) that originated in Mesoamerica but these days has a broad range of varieties grown around the world. In fact, there are over 100 different cultivars. It has become a staple vegetable in fall and you'll find it used around the world in a broad range of dishes, like Afghan kaddo bourani and Japanese kabocha no nimono.

While in the US, "pumpkin" tends to mean either sugar pumpkins (the classic for pumpkin pie) or the larger Jack-o'-lantern pumpkins, the name pumpkin can be used elsewhere for varieties that might be called squash in the US. For example in Australia, I think we only say the name pumpkin rather than squash.

Some go by a few names, like kabocha, sometimes known as Japanese pumpkin, popular across Asia and nowadays elsewhere. Hokkaido pumpkin, also known as red kuri squash, is another popular variety that's one of the more common varieties in Europe. Sometimes while one variety might be the most common locally, others will also work well with similar texture, sweetness etc.

Discovering Taiwanese food

We visited Taiwan a number of years ago now and I really enjoyed the many dishes we tried (like Taiwanese oyster omelette and the dumplings I made at the cooking lesson I took). The night markets were a true feast for the senses with lots of tasty things to try, and watch being made, and we had some other traditional dishes as part of the conference we were there for.

Some dishes, however, are always more things you would make at home rather than dishes you necessarily see to eat out, and this stir fry noodle dish is one of them. It's more of a homestyle dish, that stretches a small amount of meat but also results in a well rounded meal. In other words, perfect to make and enjoy at home.

Ingredient notes

On the whole, this uses pretty common ingredients but a few things to note:

• Rice vermicelli noodles - also known as "maifun", these are very thin noodles made from rice. As a result, they are gluten free. They are actually easier to find than you might think and I can get them in my local supermarket, or you can get maifun rice noodles online (affiliate link).
• Pumpkin - kabocha is the variety used locally (known as chestnut), but you could also use sugar pumpkin, butternut and red kuri/hokkaido squash.
• Ground pork - I've used ground pork (pork mince) as it's really easy and works well. It's common for other dishes with rice vermicelli, but for this I've often seen sliced pork used instead, or chicken. Use as you prefer - notes on preparation are in recipe. For all, a little goes a long way in this.
• Onion, green onion and garlic - these give the aromatic base to the dish.
• Dried shrimp - this might be a less known ingredient, but you'll find it in most Asian markets. They provide a great depth of flavor to the dish, though if you're unable to find or unsure, you could skip.
• Dried shiitake mushrooms - this also gives a lot of depth of flavor and lovely savory, umami notes. Dried is actually better for this than fresh as the flavor is stronger, plus you get that soaking liquid.
• Soy sauce and oyster sauce - these both add a little salty (and in the case of oyster sauce, also sweet) depth of flavor.
• White pepper, sugar and salt - just a little of each to balance out the flavor. White pepper is more common in Taiwanese cooking (as in Taiwanese fried rice) but you could use black if that's all you have.

Tips for making these stir fried noodles

This dish comes together in a few easy steps, but it's worth keeping a few things in mind. First, I recommend soaking your noodles and shiitake mushrooms first so they can soak while you prepare other things. Then, get everything prepared before you start cooking. While this is true for many dishes, it's especially true for stir fried dishes like these where things move quickly.

As you cook, add things in the order given to make sure everything cooks properly. The onion needs to soften a little to bring out it's flavor, for example. And you want to brown the meat a little before adding the pumpkin. The pumpkin doesn't need long to cook and you want to try to avoid over-cooking or it can become mushy.

If you find the pumpkin is cooking unevenly, then move everything around a bit. Getting the pieces on the top down under the liquid helps them cook, and the pieces at the bottom up helps avoid them cooking too much.

The liquid should be enough to help the pumpkin cook and keep things moist, but it's not really a "sauce" as such - if it still seems relatively liquid after the pumpkin is cooked, continue to cook, uncovered, for a minute to help it reduce.

These Taiwanese pumpkin rice vermicelli noodles are an easy one pot meal with only a handful of ingredients. Just a few minutes prep then a short cook, it's a meal that comes together quickly, too. With wonderful umami flavors, it's just the right level of filling to be perfect for any night of the week.

Looking for more savory pumpkin recipes? Try these:

• Traditional Italian pumpkin ravioli
• Less traditional but also delicious pumpkin pasta (with pumpkin in the dough)
• Pumpkin broccoli soup with cheddar
• Homemade pumpkin gnocchi with sage browned butter
• Plus get more Chinese recipes, including Taiwanese, and seasonal fall recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

I've drawn on a few recipes for this, including this Food Makes Me Happy recipe and this Casually Peckish recipe.

This post was first shared in September 2018 and has been updated with a couple recipe tweaks, added information and updated photos.

Get more pumpkin inspiration:

Pumpkin Quiche from Jonesin' For Taste
Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce from House of Nash Eats
Pumpkin Chili from The Chef Next Door
Pumpkin Carbonara from The Redhead Baker
Chai Frosted Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies from Who Needs A Cape?
Chocolate Swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Pumpkin Cheesecake Ebelskiver from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
Chai Frosted Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies from Who Needs A Cape?

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