Stir-fried Rice Noodles of Liling

Stir-fried Rice Noodles of Liling

　　Stir-fried Rice Noodles of Liling are a specialty of Liling City, Zhuzhou, Hunan Province. The rice noodles in this dish are golden yellow, tender yet chewy, while the bean sprouts are crystal clear, refreshing with a hint of sweetness, and the egg is golden brown and richly aromatic—making it a perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste.

　　Liling truly lives up to its reputation as a southern rice-growing area. In addition to serving rice as a staple, the locals also process rice by applying pressure and heat to create “ginseng rice,” or they dry cooked rice and then fry it in hot sand to make “frozen rice” for snacks. But the most delightful use of rice is turning it into rice noodles for breakfast.

　　To make the rice noodles, first grind japonica rice into a slurry, then cook it into a paste in a pot, spread it onto a wide aluminum tray to cool and solidify, and then cut it into wide strips called rice noodle sheets. Using a sieve with holes, the mixture is extruded into cylindrical shapes known as rice vermicelli. The noodle sheets are tender and not suitable for prolonged cooking—they are best eaten fresh and are not easy to store. The vermicelli, on the other hand, can be dried for long-term preservation, is tough and resistant to overcooking, much like noodles. Combining the two gives you the Liling Stir-fried Rice Noodles.

　　Making Liling Stir-fried Rice Noodles is just like cooking a stir-fry dish—one pan at a time. If several customers come in together, each portion has to be cooked separately. The dish requires high heat, starting with oil sizzling loudly in the wok. The traditional method begins with frying an egg until both sides are just set, then gently pushing it to one side of the wok before immediately adding the bean sprouts. The bean sprouts should also hit the pan with a crisp sizzle—that’s the sign they’re cooked properly. If there’s no sound, the wok isn’t hot enough, the sprouts won’t cook well, and over time they’ll release water, making the rest of the process nearly impossible. Once the bean sprouts are about half-cooked, add the soaked rice vermicelli next to them, then sprinkle in dried chili powder, soybean oil, salt, MSG, and chopped scallions. Stir-fry until the soybean oil turns the vermicelli a deep brown. Then give the wok a few shakes over the flame to mix the noodles, bean sprouts, and egg together. The result is a plate of stir-fried noodles with golden, tender rice vermicelli, crystal-clear bean sprouts that are refreshing with a hint of sweetness, and a golden, richly aromatic egg—perfect in color, aroma, and taste. This is the most common way to prepare Liling Stir-fried Rice Noodles. The key to cooking it lies in adding salt only to the noodles. Adding it too early or directly to the bean sprouts will cause them to release water.

　　What makes Liling Stir-fried Rice Noodles even more wonderful is that it’s not limited to using just bean sprouts. In Liling, almost any vegetable can be used as a substitute. However, the cooking heat may need slight adjustments depending on the ingredient. Cabbage can be shredded, the white parts of napa cabbage can be cut into vertical strips, and carrots can also be julienned—all of which have low moisture content and can handle high heat, so their cooking method is similar to that of bean sprouts. For more delicate greens like bok choy, lettuce leaves, or spinach, since they’re too tender, it’s better to cook the noodles first and then the vegetables. Otherwise, the vegetables will overcook and lose their refreshing, grease-cutting quality.