Ningde Clear Soup Noodles

Ningde Clear Soup Noodles

　　You see, I’m a northerner who absolutely loves noodles, but I only go for the kind served in broth—slippery, smooth, and incredibly satisfying. And when the weather turns cold, it’s the perfect season for hot noodle soup… anyway, I just love it.

　　I’ve never really understood what Fuzhou’s “laohua” means. It seems to be something lightly blanched in clear broth—it might be a regional dialect term. Fuzhou folks are huge fans of this light and refreshing style of laohua. Basically, ingredients are blanched in water and then served over noodles, but the flavor is amazing—clean, light, and palate-cleansing. When eating it, the Fuzhou custom is to dip the blanched bits in shrimp oil. To this day, I still remember how my dad used to make me clear soup pork liver noodles when I got hungry at night as a kid. So delicious… the broth was crystal clear, with a few slices of pork liver and some chopped scallions. After eating, I’d sleep like a log.

　　The place I’m talking about today is pretty off the beaten path, located on the way to Minhou. Business is booming—their front entrance is always packed with cars. People drive from all over just to eat their noodles, and sometimes there’s no parking left, with cars coming and going nonstop. The owner is always super busy. The ingredients are fresh, cheap, and hearty. A bowl of noodles, loaded with toppings, comes out steaming hot in a big portion. Add a side of mixed greens, and you’re guaranteed to leave full.

　　All kinds of fresh toppings: squid, pork liver, beef tripe, beef tendons, duck intestines, fish skin (Fuzhou people are oddly obsessed with it!)… and so many more.