Cailinji Hot Dry Noodles

Cailinji Hot Dry Noodles

　　    Hot dry noodles are ranked among China’s five most famous noodle dishes, alongside Shanxi knife-cut noodles, Liangguang yifu noodles, Sichuan dan dan noodles, and northern zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste). Unlike cold noodles or soup noodles, hot dry noodles are first partially boiled, then drained, oiled, and cooled. Before serving, they are briefly blanched in boiling water, drained, and then tossed with sesame paste, dried shrimp, chopped scallions, pickled radish cubes, a dash of sesame oil, and vinegar. The result is aromatic and chewy, with rich flavor. The dish originated in the early 1930s when Li Bao, who sold soup noodles on Changdi Street in Hankou, was concerned that unsold noodles might spoil. He scooped the leftover noodles onto a workbench to dry but accidentally knocked over a bottle of sesame oil, spilling it onto the noodles. The next day, he briefly blanched the noodles in boiling water, added seasonings, and served them steaming hot and fragrant—customers flocked to buy them. When asked what kind of noodles these were, he spontaneously replied, “Hot dry noodles.” The positive feedback encouraged him to specialize in this dish. Other street vendors, seeing his success, learned the recipe and began selling hot dry noodles too. Today, hot dry noodle shops and stalls can be found all over Wuhan, making it one of the city’s favorite breakfast foods. Cailinji is among the most distinctive and renowned of these establishments. (Wuhan)