This Taiwanese dish features cold noodles adorned with a vibrant medley of julienned vegetables, drizzled with a blend of sesame peanut butter sauce and sweet mayo. This dish is as colorful as it is delicious!

Before we get cooking, let’s take a moment to meet Yi, a Taiwanese native. Yi’s Chiayi liang mian, also known as Chiayi-style cold noodle in English is a unique rendition hailing from the charming city of Chiayi. While cold noodles are a common dish in Taiwan, Chiayi-style cold noodles, which incorporate mayo, are a bit less common. It’s considered a unique city recipe, offering an interesting taste to the traditional cold noodles. Trading recipes with her friend, Yi was surprised to learn that they added mayo to their cold noodles. Needless to say, she’s now Team Mayo!

First up, we tackle the Taiwanese sweet mayo—a velvety combination of vegetable oil, sugar, salt, egg and a hint of tanginess from white wine vinegar and lemon juice. Using an immersion blender, whip it up until it’s thick and creamy. For the peanut sauce, whisk together soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar and tahini until well combined.

With our condiments prepared, it’s time to julienne the carrot, bell pepper, cucumber and optionally, spam. If using spam, give it a good fry until golden brown. Cook noodles according to package instructions, then layer them in a bowl with an array of julienned veggies and crispy Spam. Finally, drizzle on the peanut sauce and sweet mayo.

Thanks to Yi’s introduction, we’ve uncovered a hidden gem from Chiayi, where mayo-infused noodles reign supreme. This just may be the perfect food.