Xing'an Rice Noodles

Xing'an Rice Noodles

　　Xing'an County is the birthplace of Guilin rice noodles. The rice noodles from Xing'an are known for their fragrant, fresh, slightly sweet flavor, along with their smooth, soft, and tender texture.

　　The world-renowned Guilin rice noodles originally originated in Xing'an. Over two thousand years ago, when Emperor Qin Shi Huang sent troops to unify the Lingnan region, a large number of northern soldiers gathered in Xing'an to work on the construction of the Lingqu Canal, which took several years. The northern soldiers were not accustomed to the southern climate and water, as they were used to eating wheat-based foods and had difficulty adjusting to southern rice. Coupled with homesickness, many fell ill. Transporting grain from the north was arduous due to the long distances and rugged mountain terrain. As a local solution, only rice could be used. In desperation, they tried grinding the rice into powder or slurry and processing it into a food similar to northern noodles—thus creating what later became rice noodles. Xing'an rice noodles became widely known for their unique flavor. Their production is meticulous: first, premium rice is ground into slurry, which is then bagged, filtered, and kneaded into dough. After boiling, the dough is pressed into round strands or slices. The round ones are called rice noodles, while the sliced ones are called sliced rice noodles, collectively referred to as rice noodles. They are characterized by being white, delicate, soft, smooth, and refreshing. There are various ways to enjoy them.

　　The seasoning broth used for the noodles is made by blending more than twenty kinds of Chinese herbal medicines and various spices. These Chinese herbs were commonly used by the laborers and soldiers who built the canal over two thousand years ago, as they faced not only intense physical labor but also high temperatures, humidity, miasma, and widespread epidemics, creating a high demand for herbal remedies. They selected certain herbs and spices from a wide array and boiled them into a concentrated broth, which, when added to the rice noodles, helped stimulate appetite. The preparation of the seasoning broth is highly particular, with each recipe varying. It is generally made by simmering pork or beef bones, luohanguo (monk fruit), and various seasonings to create a richly aromatic base. The ingredients and methods used in making the broth vary, resulting in different flavors of rice noodles. Common varieties include lettuce rice noodles, beef brisket rice noodles, three-delight rice noodles, original soup rice noodles, marinated vegetable rice noodles, sour and spicy rice noodles, horse meat rice noodles, and shoulder-pole rice noodles.