"Cross-bridge" Rice Noodle        2008-5-30 11:31:16

  This is a special dish from Yunnan Province, a snack with rice noodles as its principal substance. It consists of: (1) a bowl of pre-cooked plain rice noodles, (2) a big bowl of rich and piping hot chicken (or meat) broth, and (3) a plate of assorted paper-thin slices of raw pork, liver and chicken with fresh vegetables. When these are served, all the diner has to do is to put the slices, vegetables and noodles, in that order, into the big bowl and the result will be a very tasty dish of "noodles in soup." But why the unusual name of "cross-bridge" noodles?
    Legend has it that a scholar in the old days was jailed on an island in the middle of a lake and his wife had to cross a long bridge to bring him his meals. The food invariably became cold when she arrived at the prison. As greasy chicken broth does not get cold easily, she hit upon a solution of the problem by bringing this dish "cross-bridge" rice noodles.