Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles        7/22/2008 8:16:38 PM

Having originated in Mengzi County of Southwest China's Yunnan Province, the Rice Noodles Crossing the Bridge dish boasts a history of more than 100 years. With continuous renovation by chefs specializing in Yunnan Cuisine , the dish has enjoyed growing fame both at home and abroad, and every visitor to Yunnan should definitely try the famous snack besides taking in the breathtaking natural scenery.

There is a beautiful legend concerning the birth of the rice noodles. Legend has it that South Lake in Mengzi County once boasted extremely beautiful scenery, where a great many literary scholars would work hard to become an official. One of them was a Xiucai (person who passed the imperial examination at the county level in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties) surnamed Yang.

Yang often went to read books at the pavilion located in the middle of the lake. Although his wife would always take him something to eat, Yang was always so deep into his studies that he often forgot to eat. By the time he would remember, the food had already become cold, and thus his health deteriorated.

One day, much concerned about her husband, the wife killed a hen, and cooked it in a pottery pot. Then, she took the chicken and soup to her husband. After a while, she came back to clean up. However, what she saw was the food left untouched by her husband who was intently concentrating on his book.

With a sigh, she decided to heat it for her husband to eat later, but to her surprise, the pot was still warm when she touched it. Uncovering the pot, she found a layer of chicken oil floating atop the soup, which, together with the pottery container, helped preserve the heat. From then on, she cooked in this way to keep the food warm, and her husband was always able to eat warm food.

Later, many people cooked rice noodles in the wife's innovative way, and found it really delicious and fresh. Since Yang had to cross a bridge to reach the pavilion in the middle of the lake, the rice noodles cooked in this way was named "Guoqiao Mixian " (literally "Rice Noodles Crossing the Bridge").

The rice noodle dish contains three parts: the soup, any kind of sliced meat, and rice noodles and fresh vegetables.

The soup is cooked in a delicate way. First, the ingredients are carefully selected. Usually, fat hens from nearby Wuding County, or local old ducks or stewed pork ribs are used. Then, ingredients and water are added in strict proportion, and then cooked with the stove turned to the highest degree. Once the mixture is boiling, the foam atop the soup is skimmed off, and the stove is turned down a little bit, for the soup to stew for some time. When ready, the soup is flavored with condiments, such as salt, gourmet powder, and pepper powder. When the soup is scooped into bowls, chicken oil is added, to keep the soup warm.

Meat slices fall into different kinds. The most popular and also the least expensive kinds include white meat slices, ham slices and kidney slices. The more superior as well as the more expensive kinds include snakeheaded fish slices, squid slices and chicken meat slices. Generally, the grade of meat slices determines the quality of the rice noodle dish.

Apart from meat slices, fresh vegetables and other ingredients, such as peas and hotbed chives, are also used.

As the soup's temperature is generally above 80℃, the Rice Noodles Crossing the Bridge dish should not be tasted immediately after it is served.

With a strongly local flavor, the snack can be made and seasoned according to each eater's likes and dislikes. Self-making means every eater can choose to add half-cooked meat slices, vegetables, and rice noodles as he likes to the soup warm enough to fully cook them. After the dish is cooked, people can then spice up the dish to their liking by adding the various condiments laid out on the dining table, which is so-called "self-seasoning".

The tasty soup, with its tasty and fresh meat and vegetables, is suitable for people, young and old, men and women, from all over the country as well as from all over the world. So the next time you're in Yunnan, why not have a try?