A Variety of Noodles, Numerous Flavors: Exploring Hunan Rice Noodles
In 'Mifan Jianghu' (Rice Noodle), there will always be Hunan people who hold a place, they seem to have countless ways to turn plain rice noodles into flavorful dishes.
How much do Hunan people love rice noodles? They love them so much that when young people working abroad come home, they feel a deep regret if they don't slurp rice noodles; they love that every place in Hunan has different rice noodle recipes, but they all have one common characteristic – deliciousness!
A drying piece of rice noodle. Photo/Visual China
Changsha rice noodles | Rustic and clear meat thread noodles
Unlike the taste impressions people have of Hunanese food, everything about Changsha rice noodles must start with a bowl of plain meat and vermicelli noodles
A typical bowl of Changsha meat and vermicelli noodles doesn't have any chili flavor before it's served. Every rice noodle shop owner generously gives the decision-making power to the diners. A pile of chopped dried chilies, pickled vegetables, and fermented broad beans quietly wait on the counter, ready for diners to take as much as they like.
Photo/Network
A spoonful of bright red meat broth, brimming with chicken broth sweetness and heavy with the richness of bone broth. Only wide noodles can extract the most flavor. And of course, braised meat thread noodles are indispensable. Without meat thread noodles, how can they still be called meat and vermicelli noodles?
Changde rice noodles | 'Half of the Jiangshan' (Mountains and Rivers) of Hunan rice noodles
Within the Changde rice noodle faction, Tizhi ( ) beef noodles are probably the strongest. People in Changde don't prefer flat noodles like people in Changsha; here, both flat and round noodles are popular. However, Changde people assume that the noodles should be round, and flat noodles can only be called rice noodles
Beef noodles. Photo/Network
The beef is soft and chewy with a hint of chewiness, the spices don't mask the meat flavor, but instead subtly enhance it with a slight sweetness. The noodles are springy, transferring the richness of the broth without a trace. This is a deep communication between the lips and teeth, and every bite can get feedback from the rice noodles
Xiangxi rice noodles | 'Codfish and Chicken'
Sour and spicy is the soul of Xiangxi cuisine. Xiangxi people are known as 'chili as salt, pickled vegetables as rice'
Xiangxi rice noodles. Photo/Network
Similarly, Q-elastic round noodles are paired with sour chili, sour broad beans, and sour radishes, creating a blend of flavors, reminiscent of 'Full Year Guests, Plenty of Chicken and Pigs'
Zhuzhou rice noodles | A bowl of sizzling-hot fried noodles
People in Zhuzhou can dominate the circle of fried noodles, relying on the 'speed' of Zhilong fried noodles
To make a good bowl of Zhilong fried noodles, the key is the word 'fast'. Unlike other places in Hunan, Zhilong fried noodles use dry noodles. When frying noodles, the fine rice noodles must be soaked beforehand, otherwise they will be difficult to handle
Chenzhou fish noodles | A bowl that makes you faint from chili
When you get a bowl of fish noodles, the bright red soup alone makes you sweat. Freshly killed carp simmered in soup, combined with chili oil made from locally grown Five-Toed Red Peppers, plus a spoonful of tea oil, and you have fish noodle soup
People in Chenzhou are terrified to see fish noodles. The hotter the fish noodles are, the more they want to eat. Hot fish noodle soup forcefully opens people's pores, making them gasp for breath, but also feels extremely comfortable
The characteristic of Quifengdu () fish noodles is bright red soup
When Hengyang fish noodles, 'Fish's freshness, noodle's elasticity'
If people in Chenzhou are obsessed with using fish broth to enhance the fiery chili oil, then people in Hengyang are obsessed with the freshness of the broth
Hengyang fish noodles' broth requires a whole night to simmer with the bones of pig trotters, and only with the bone broth will the broth not be thin. The fish blocks must be oiled before simmering, not only to shape them, but also to let the broth be whiter
Hengyang people also eat fish noodles with chili. However, they use spoonfuls of chopped chilies, instead of chili oil, to enhance the flavor
Yongzhou brine noodles | Fragrant with the aroma of brine
Compared to soup noodles and fried noodles, people in Yongzhou love brine noodles with toppings
Brine noodles, as the name suggests, must have brine. Clear and translucent rice noodles absorb brine, paired with original broth beef or eggs, the fragrance is full-bodied, it's no wonder people in Yongzhou can't stop themselves
A brine noodle with rich toppings
Shaoyang rice noodles | 'Hunan's 'Udon'
If you're seeing Shaoyang rice noodles for the first time, you'll probably say, 'Isn't this like udon'?”
Shaoyang people like to pair this plump rice noodles with beef or tofu wood ear mushrooms, then scoop a spoonful of red oil, and skillfully stir it with chopsticks. Their eyes are always following the movement of the chopsticks, fearing that a drop of it would be spilled. Only when they slurped the first bite of noodles, would they truly start
After seeing so many rice noodles, which one do you think is the best?
