Guilin rice noodles

Background

Guilin rice noodles originated in Guilin's old town, and in 2021 the "rice noodle making technique (Guilin rice noodle making technique)" was added to the fifth batch of the national list of representative items of intangible cultural heritage. According to the China Intangible Cultural Heritage website, the noodles are made from early indica rice, late indica rice and two-year-old rice mixed in proportion; the rice is soaked, ground into a slurry, drained and fermented, kneaded into a dough and pounded repeatedly in a stone mortar, then pressed into noodles. The brine is simmered from stock with dozens of spices such as star anise, fennel and cinnamon, plus Guilin specialties such as monk fruit, and most recipes are family secrets. To serve, the fresh noodles are dipped for a few seconds in water at 85 to 90 degrees Celsius, topped with braised beef, braised beef tripe, crispy roast pork and so on, doused with brine and sprinkled with soybeans, green peppers and garlic. The city has more than 5,000 rice noodle shops.

Local customs

• The most common local way to eat it in Guilin is "luocai fen" (noodles with braised toppings): first eat them dry-tossed, then halfway through ladle bone broth from the soup pot into the bowl. Order by portion, "2 liang" or "3 liang"
• pickled bamboo shoots, pickled long beans, chili, chopped scallions and coriander are usually set out on the tables for you to help yourself.

Religion & beliefs

• The braising broth is made from pork and beef bones with spices, and guoshao is pork, so the dish is not vegetarian
• horse-meat rice noodles can be found in some places but are not traditional Guilin rice noodles. If you need halal food, please look for a separate halal noodle shop. Vegetarians can ask for only pickled bamboo shoots, pickled long beans and chopped spring onion, but the braising broth contains meat.

Rules that apply here

Travel tips

• Almost every street in central Guilin has a rice noodle shop, opening early in the morning and serving mainly breakfast
• a bowl of 2 liang of noodles makes a meal, and big eaters can order 3 liang. Flavor: the brine is savory with a hint of sweetness and not spicy in itself
• adjust the heat and sourness with the toppings you add. Dietary notes: the braised toppings are mostly pork, beef and beef tripe, and some shops add soybeans and peanuts
• pickled bamboo shoots have a strong fermented smell. You can combine it with Elephant Trunk Hill, the Two Rivers and Four Lakes and Dongxi Lane, setting off for the Li River after a morning bowl of noodles. Rice noodle shops usually charge by the liang, so you can start with 2 liang to try. Prices, opening hours and the day's availability are as announced by each shop
• popular places often have queues at peak mealtimes, so eating off-peak is more relaxed.