Tian Qiheng's Rice Paste Noodles

Tian Qiheng's Rice Paste Noodles

　　Tian Qiheng's Rice Paste Noodles is one of the top ten famous snacks in Wuhan. The Tian Qiheng Rice Paste Noodles shop is located on Hualou Street in Hankou. With a long history and unique flavors, it enjoys great fame across the three towns of Wuhan.

　　The Tian Qiheng Rice Paste Noodles shop is known for its slightly thick rice paste with an elegant color, snow-white and firm rice noodles, rich and flavorful fish-flavored broth, delicious taste, and high nutritional value.

　　Introduction to Tian Qiheng's Rice Paste Noodles: Rice paste noodles are typically served with fried dough sticks (youtiao). Any vendor selling rice paste noodles will also sell youtiao. When making the rice noodles, non-glutinous rice is ground into a slurry, formed into noodles, then kneaded, boiled, and steamed before being pressed and cooked into shape. Fresh small crucian carp (or eel) is then boiled to make a broth, which is mixed with water and raw rice flour to form the rice paste soup. Various seasonings are added, and when served, the bowl is topped with chopped scallions and pepper, and enjoyed with youtiao for a distinctive flavor. The rice paste is slightly thick, with an elegant color, snow-white and firm rice noodles, rich fish-flavored broth, delicious taste, and high nutritional value. How to eat Tian Qiheng's Rice Paste Noodles: This snack is always served with youtiao, and any vendor selling it will also offer youtiao.

　　Preparation of Tian Qiheng's Rice Paste Noodles: When making the rice noodles, non-glutinous rice is ground into a slurry, formed into noodles, then kneaded, boiled, and steamed before being pressed and cooked into shape. Fresh small crucian carp (or eel) is boiled to make a broth, which is mixed with water and raw rice flour to form the rice paste soup. Various seasonings are added, and when served, the bowl is topped with chopped scallions and pepper, and enjoyed with youtiao for a distinctive flavor.

　　Historical Background: The “noodles” in rice paste noodles are just ordinary round rice noodles. What makes them unique is the “rice paste.” Originally, the rice paste was not made with fresh crucian carp or even eel as it is today. Back then, the fish used were unsold, spoiled fish, fish offal, and fish heads collected from the seafood stalls in the market in the evening. These were boiled overnight until the fish bones turned to mush and the flesh fell apart. To mask the strong fishy smell, a large amount of pepper was added. Since most customers were dockworkers doing heavy labor, the dish was made thicker and heartier by adding raw rice flour to create a sticky and thick consistency. On winter mornings, these laborers would enjoy a warm, spicy, and filling bowl of thick rice paste noodles with a bit of meatiness as a small luxury. One day, a customer who wasn’t quite full and had a little extra money bought a golden, crispy youtiao from a nearby stall, broke it into pieces, and dipped it into the leftover rice paste. And so, the uniquely Wuhan dockside-style rice paste noodles with youtiao was born.