Qifengdu Fish Noodles

Qifengdu Fish Noodles

　　Qifengdu Fish Noodles is a specialty snack from Qifengdu Town, Suxian District, Chenzhou City, Hunan Province. When Qifengdu Fish Noodles are mentioned, any native of Chenzhou would instinctively smack their lips and swallow their saliva, as the intense aroma of fish mixed with spiciness lingers in their mouth.

　　The origin of Qifengdu Fish Noodles lies in the ancient town of Qifengdu in Suxian District. Legend has it that Qifengdu has a connection to the famous Three Kingdoms scholar Pang Tong. Initially, Pang Tong was not highly valued by Liu Bei and was only given the minor position of magistrate of Leiyang County. Once, he stayed overnight at the ancient ferry town of Qihé. Preoccupied with worries, he had no appetite and tossed and turned all night. By the time he got up, it was already noon, and he was famished. However, the inn had run out of food. Coincidentally, a fisherman returning with his catch passed by the inn. The innkeeper, thinking on his feet, bought a river carp, quickly killed it, and boiled it into a fish soup. He then added locally produced five-spice red chili powder, along with special local ingredients like bean paste and tea oil, and used some dried rice noodles prepared for festivals to make a bowl of fish noodles. After eating it, Pang Tong broke into a sweat, his appetite soared, and he felt thoroughly refreshed. He exclaimed loudly, “This rustic flavor can also grace refined tables. Excellent, excellent!” Later, in Leiyang, he worked diligently and eventually achieved great success. Because Pang Tong’s courtesy name was Fengchu, later generations named the ancient ferry where he stayed Qifengdu, and the bowl of fish noodles that inspired him came to be known as “Qifengdu Fish Noodles.” This is the origin of Qifengdu Fish Noodles.

　　By the 1980s, many people from Qifengdu started selling fish noodles as individual vendors in Chenzhou, and Qifengdu Fish Noodles gained considerable fame in Chenzhou and many other counties and cities.

　　I. How Qifengdu Noodles Are Made

　　It seems that long ago, toward the end of each year, residents of Qifengdu would usually start preparing some handmade rice noodles for entertaining guests at home. Later, as living standards improved, Qifengdu people only made these noodles for celebrations or gatherings with relatives and friends. With the increasing popularity of machine-made rice noodles, people gradually got used to buying noodles from the streets, and the authentic Qifengdu noodle-making techniques and tools were forgotten in the corners.

　　The authentic Qifengdu Fish Noodles are not the wet sliced noodles sold on the street, nor are they machine-made extruded noodles, but rather hand-made dry sliced noodles, usually stored in bundles. When eating, they are taken out, soaked in warm water, then boiled in boiling water until soft—no matter how long they are boiled, they won’t fall apart or become cloudy.

　　Making Method:

　　1. Grind rice into a paste using a stone mill. To ensure toughness, a small amount of glutinous rice is usually mixed in. The ratio depends on experience—too much glutinous rice makes the noodles too soft and lacking chewiness, while too little makes them prone to breaking and not tough enough.

　　2. Scoop the ground rice paste with a spoon and pour it onto a round or square tin plate with folded edges. Gently shake it to spread it evenly, then steam it in a steamer. (I’ve seen the round version used.)

　　3. Fold the steamed rice noodles and cut them into thin strips with a knife, then separate them evenly by hand (usually one portion per person per meal). Shape the cut noodles into round bundles, symbolizing reunion and completeness. Dry them on a stone slab or tray before storing them for when guests arrive.

　　4. Some families also use thin bamboo slices to gently lift the steamed rice noodle sheets from one side, then spread them on bamboo poles to dry. The whole sheet is sun-dried. This becomes a snack—rice noodle sheets. During the New Year, families gather around the stove, roast a few sheets over the fire, and enjoy their crispy, fragrant taste. However, they can easily cause internal heat, but in those materially scarce times, they were considered a delicacy.

　　II. How to Make Qifengdu Fish Noodle Soup

　　The soup for Qifengdu Fish Noodles is very particular—the fish must be live silver carp from Qihé River, and it requires the use of Matian soybean oil (dark brown, paste-like) and local tea seed oil.

　　Making Method: Remove the gills and chop the live Qihé carp into pieces, then add ginger, red chili peppers, soybean oil, and other seasonings (some ingredients are special and temporarily kept secret) into the pot. First boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat. Finally, add salt, MSG, raw tea oil, and scallion segments.

　　Pour the fish soup over the cooked noodles, and a delicious bowl of Qifengdu Fish Noodles is ready.

　　Unfortunately, even if you go back to your hometown now, it’s hard to find an authentic bowl of fish noodles. What I miss most is having a bowl made by my grandmother or mother. It’s said that my grandmother’s family ran a noodle shop at Qifengdu Railway Station before liberation. Now, all of this remains only in memory. Occasionally, when I eat a bowl of fish noodles on the street, I can no longer taste that rich aroma or feel that deep sentiment.

　　In fact, besides fish noodles, Qifengdu also offers local delicacies such as Si Jing Ba Zi (rice tofu) and Rou Ba Zi, which are great dishes for entertaining guests.

　　On October 18, 2012, more than 60 Qifengdu Fish Noodles operators gathered in Qifengdu Town, Suxian District, to attend the founding conference of the Qifengdu Fish Noodles Association. He Guoping, a member of the district government party group and a deputy division-level official, was present. They discussed how to make authentic Qifengdu Fish Noodles, how to protect the Qifengdu Fish Noodles brand, and how to promote healthy industry development. As a well-known delicacy among locals in Chenzhou, Qifengdu Fish Noodles have nourished the taste buds of generations of Chenzhou people. However, the taste and quality of Qifengdu Fish Noodles currently sold on the market vary greatly. The Qifengdu Fish Noodles Association will unify the trademark, establish industry standards, build a specialty food street, regulate the market, and strengthen the “Qifengdu Fish Noodles” brand, allowing more people to enjoy this regional specialty.