Rong'an Filtered Rice Noodles

Rong'an Filtered Rice Noodles

　　Filtered rice noodles, one of the signature local dishes of Rongshui Miao Autonomous County and the neighboring Rong'an County, are particularly renowned in Rong'an. They are a type of rice noodle. Over time, filtered rice noodles have become a staple food for the people of Luocheng region. In Luocheng and the surrounding towns and rural areas, they are commonly eaten for breakfast or lunch. It has almost become a daily necessity for villagers to enjoy a bowl of filtered rice noodles as lunch or afternoon tea during market days.

　　Story & Origin:

　　Legend has it that filtered rice noodles were created by farmers in the rural areas of Rong'an County. During the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, a wave of farmers migrated from provinces such as Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Guizhou to settle near Chang’an Town. They made a living by reclaiming wasteland and cultivating crops. A few decades later, the cultivated land gradually expanded, and many villages were established. As some farming households prospered, they sought to improve their diet and developed filtered rice noodles. The earliest method involved soaking rice overnight, washing and draining it, then grinding a small portion of cooked rice into powder. The rice flour was placed in a basin and mixed with a small amount of boiling water. More water was added to create a mixture of raw and cooked thin batter. A wooden ladle with five holes drilled at the bottom was used—fingers were used to block the holes while pouring the rice batter in, then releasing them to let the batter filter through into a pot of boiling water. Bamboo chopsticks were used to loosen the noodles to prevent sticking. Once cooked, they formed round rice noodles. During the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, severe drought struck the Daxiang area of Rong'an County. According to local custom, the fifth Wu day after the beginning of spring marked the Spring Sacrificial Festival, and the fifth Wu day after the beginning of autumn marked the Autumn Sacrificial Festival. These festivals were traditionally times for farmers to pray for good harvests. There was a folk saying: “The God of the Earth does not drink water from the Yangtze River,” meaning it would rain on these festival days. However, that year saw very little rainfall. Since the process of making filtered rice noodles resembled continuous rainfall, farmers offered filtered rice noodles along with wine and meat to pray to the “God of the Earth” for rain. By coincidence, after the ritual, there was torrential rain for several days, leading to a bountiful harvest that year. From then on, making filtered rice noodles to worship the “God of the Earth” became an annual tradition during the “Sacrificial Festivals,” and they were also served during holidays and to honored guests. Eating filtered rice noodles gradually became a folk custom.

　　Preparation Method:

　　Ingredients: 1 kg of white rice, 150 g of pork, 250 g of pork bones, 100 g of cooked oil, 15 g of salt, 50 g of soy sauce, 25 g of rock sugar, 3 pieces of Guilin fermented tofu, 1 g of MSG, 50 g of chopped green onions, 100 g of preserved mustard tuber, 10 g of roasted sesame powder.

　　Process: First, clean the pork bones and place them in a pot with 500 g of water. Boil over high heat, then simmer to make 250 g of bone broth. Remove the bones, then boil the remaining liquid with salt, rock sugar, and soy sauce to make a braising sauce. Pour it into a jar, season with MSG, and set aside. Clean and chop the pork, marinate it, and set aside. Dissolve the fermented tofu in boiling water. Clean and chop the green onions. Clean and chop the preserved mustard tuber, then stir-fry until fragrant. Divide the chopped pork and fermented tofu sauce into 10 portions. Wash the white rice, soak for 20 minutes, rinse again, and grind it into fine, smooth rice batter using an electric grinder. When making the noodles, mix the rice batter into a thin slurry, pour it into a galvanized iron filter ladle, hold the ladle handle with your right hand and the base handle with your left, and place the ladle over the stove. Pour the batter into the boiling water while rotating the ladle until all the batter is filtered. Scrape any remaining batter from the base, and ensure all the batter is filtered cleanly. Use bamboo chopsticks to loosen the cooked noodles. In a bowl, add a small amount of hot broth to loosen the chopped pork, then add the noodles. Mix the pork and noodles with chopsticks, drizzle with cooked oil and braising sauce, and top with chopped green onions, preserved mustard tuber, and sesame powder to serve.

　　Characteristics:

　　These noodles are tender, smooth, crisp, sweet, flavorful, and very affordable.