Rice noodle roll

Rice noodle roll

　　Rice noodle roll (Cantonese shorthand: 拉肠 or 肠粉) is a Cantonese dish made from rice flour. The version made using a cloth (布拉) is called 布拉肠粉, while the one made without it is called hand-pulled rice noodle roll, though it’s not as thin as the 布拉 type. It was first created in the 1930s to 1940s at Zhuo Hexian Guan in Pan Tang, Xiguan, Guangzhou. The roll traditionally featured fillings such as minced meat, fish slices, and fresh shrimp, and it remains a common dim sum item in Guangzhou restaurants, commonly served in variations like shrimp rice noodle roll, beef rice noodle roll, and barbecued pork rice noodle roll.

　　Rice noodle roll is a staple item in Cantonese-style tea houses, restaurants, morning tea sessions, and night markets. Typically, breakfast rice noodle rolls are made with meat fillings or served plain as "vegetarian" rolls (斋肠). There's also the fried two (炸两), where youtiao (fried dough stick) is wrapped inside the roll. The roll is usually cut into sections before serving and seasoned with sesame seeds, sweet sauce, and chili sauce.

　　The original 布拉肠粉 was created by Zhuo Tang Hexian Guan and initially had no filling, hence also referred to as vegetarian roll (斋肠). Later, a restaurant began wrapping the rice noodle sheets with fresh shrimp, beef, and other ingredients to create a filled version, which became hugely popular in the market. This led other tea house chefs to follow suit, resulting in an increasingly diverse range of fillings that have been passed down to this day. The shape resembles a pig’s intestine, hence the name 拉肠. The texture is delicate, soft, smooth, and delicious, making it a great breakfast choice.