Guilin Horse Meat Rice Noodles

Guilin Horse Meat Rice Noodles

　　Guilin has long been famous for its clear rivers, beautiful peaks, unique caves, and exquisite stones. Among its culinary delights, horse meat rice noodles stand out as a true specialty, rivaling the city’s stunning landscapes. Visiting Guilin without trying horse meat rice noodles would be a pity. The history of horse meat rice noodles in Guilin dates back a long time—some say they were already popular in the Ming Dynasty, but they truly flourished after the war, during a period following the War of Resistance. At that time, crowds flocked to Guilin, and with the frequent movement of troops and horses due to the war, horse meat became readily available, leading to a boom in the horse meat rice noodle business. Among the most renowned makers of these noodles was the historic shop “Youyixuan,” located at the intersection of Yiren Road. Back then, it attracted many literati and poets. It’s said that a well-known painter once lived in Guilin, making a living by selling paintings. Despite receiving multiple letters from home urging him to return, he refused to leave. When asked why, he replied: “I just can’t give up Guilin’s horse meat rice noodles.” This speaks volumes about their allure. **Preparation Method:** Traditionally, the preparation of horse meat for the noodles includes various methods such as curing, drying, braising, and marinating. Nowadays, curing and drying are the most commonly used. Cured horse meat tends to be sweeter in flavor, while dried horse meat is more fragrant. Typically, after slaughtering the horse, the meat is cut into strips, mixed with seasonings and other ingredients, and then pickled in a vat for 3 to 5 days. It is then briefly blanched in boiling water and hung out to dry in the north wind for about 10 days. Before cooking, the meat is rinsed with warm water to remove dust, then the fat is trimmed off, and it is sliced thinly before serving. The resulting horse meat has a agate-like color, a tender texture, and a flavor that rivals ham—delicious even when eaten in large quantities. The fatter the horse, the more aromatic the meat. The rice noodles used in horse meat rice noodles are specially made. Guilin rice noodles are already known for their excellent quality and delicious taste, but those used for horse meat noodles are even more exceptional. They must have superior firmness, a bright white color, and each strand in a bowl should be over a meter long and individually hand-wound into a ball. As a result, the cost of this type of noodle is 4 to 8 times higher than that of regular rice noodles. The broth used to cook the noodles is made by simmering horse bones and other ingredients for four hours, resulting in an exceptionally rich and savory flavor. **How to Eat:** To serve, the small wound-up noodle balls are placed in a strainer and briefly dipped in boiling horse bone broth, then transferred along with the broth into a bowl. Horse meat slices are added on top, garnished with chopped scallions, cilantro, a drizzle of peanut oil, a bit of chili sauce, and minced garlic. The noodles must be served hot to fully enjoy their flavor. By tradition, the bowls used for horse meat rice noodles are very small, with each containing only 15 grams of noodles. It usually takes eating around 15 to 20 bowls to truly appreciate the dish. In addition to horse meat, the toppings also include horse offal such as liver, lungs, and intestines. These organ meats are often considered even tastier than the horse meat itself, and are accordingly more expensive. In the past, you wouldn’t get any of these offal toppings unless you had already eaten two or three bowls—the vendor would gradually add them as you continued eating.