Yichang Red Oil Noodles

Yichang Red Oil Noodles

　　Red Oil Noodles are a favorite among the people of Yichang and one of the local specialty snacks. They are named for their rich, spicy, and numbing broth that boasts a bright red color, smooth yet chewy texture, and a savory, salty, and spicy flavor.

　　If you ask the people of Yichang what local specialties are worth trying, “Red Oil Noodles” will definitely be on the list. Yichang serves as the gateway to Sichuan, and whether by road, rail, or waterway, all routes to Sichuan pass through Yichang. As a result, the local cuisine here leans toward Sichuan flavors. Red Oil Noodles, as the name suggests, naturally carry a Sichuan-style taste. While the flavor in Yichang leans toward the spicy and numbing profile of Sichuan cuisine, it’s not as numbing as the original. Over time, locals have expanded beyond just eating plain noodles—they often add a handful of boiled soybeans, slices of beef, or a spoonful of braised intestines to enhance the flavor and variety. Many friends from other regions who come to Yichang for work or study have also grown fond of starting their day with a bowl of these noodles, not for any other reason than their satisfying and hearty nature.

　　Red Oil Noodles are a breakfast favorite among the people of Yichang. Just as people in Wuhan love hot dry noodles in the morning, in Yichang, most people opt for Red Oil Noodles about 8 or 9 times out of 10. Originally brought over from Sichuan and Chongqing, these noodles became a breakfast staple in Yichang due to their low price and generous portions—especially in winter, when finishing the noodles and then sipping the broth is an especially comforting experience. Among all the breakfast options in Yichang, Red Oil Noodles are undoubtedly the best-selling.

　　“Red Oil Noodles” is the local Yichang term for a type of noodle dish. In standard Mandarin, it simply means plain noodles served in a red-colored broth. The “red oil” refers to the rich, spicy, and numbing broth with a bright red hue and a savory, salty, and spicy taste. The term “small noodles” has two meanings in the Yichang dialect: first, it refers to plain noodles without any meat toppings, similar to how Shanghai calls plain noodles without toppings “Yangchun noodles”—“small noodles” are essentially noodles served plain. Second, it refers to the small bowl used to serve the noodles, unlike the wide, open bowls used for “soup noodles” during breakfast in Wuhan.

　　In Yichang, the beloved snack “Red Oil Noodles” enjoys a level of popularity among locals that can rival the love Wuhan residents have for “hot dry noodles” or the affection that people in Jingzhou (Shashi) have for “morning hall noodles.”

　　“Small noodles” are essentially plain noodles without any meat toppings—a term unique to the Yichang dialect, much like how plain rice noodles in Hunan are called “bald noodles.” Among Red Oil Noodles, those from Beimen in Yichang are the most famous. Although they are plain noodles, the broth is still quite flavorful, making them a great value. It’s not just a random bowl of noodle water with a bit of doubanjiang (spicy bean paste) added. Each shop has its own broth recipe, and the flavors vary, but they generally stick to the spicy and numbing theme, with most noodle shops offering quite tasty versions.