Fish Soup Paste Powder

Fish Soup Paste Powder

　　　The "powder" in fish soup paste powder refers to ordinary round rice noodles. What makes it unique is the "paste soup," which is made from fish stock simmered with fresh fish and thickened with starch. The soup is further seasoned with pepper and scallions. It is famous for its slightly thick consistency, snow-white and firm rice noodles, rich fish aroma, flavorful broth, and delicious taste. Fish soup paste powder is a snack that is traditionally served with youtiao (Chinese fried dough sticks). Any vendor selling fish soup paste powder will also sell youtiao. Legend has it that one day, a customer who wasn’t quite full and had a bit of spare cash bought a golden, crispy youtiao from a nearby stall, broke it into pieces, and dipped them into the leftover fish soup. Thus, the iconic Wuhan-style pairing of fish soup paste powder and youtiao—steeped in the city’s dockside culture—was born.