Nanchong Guokui Stuffed with Cold Noodles

Nanchong Guokui Stuffed with Cold Noodles

　　Nanchong Guokui Stuffed with Cold Noodles is a renowned local specialty of Nanchong City, Sichuan Province. This dish offers the crispy, fresh-baked crunch of Guokui, hot and steamy, paired with the translucent, spicy, and tender texture of Northern Sichuan Cold Noodles. It is aromatic, delicious, and uniquely distinctive. Another similar snack, known as Wusheng Cold Noodles Guokui, can also be found in Wusheng County, Guang’an City.

　　Nanchong Guokui Stuffed with Cold Noodles is a signature local snack from Nanchong, Sichuan. It combines the crispy, freshly baked texture of Guokui, hot and steaming, with the translucent, spicy, and tender taste of Northern Sichuan Cold Noodles. It is aromatic and uniquely distinctive. Eating Nanchong Guokui Stuffed with Cold Noodles is an experience in itself. On streets and alleys throughout the city, the calls of vendors selling it fill the air, while diners sweat and steam as they enjoy the dish. Among the most famous vendors are Chen Guokui and Li Guokui Stuffed with Cold Noodles. 6C5

　　How to Make Nanchong Guokui Stuffed with Cold Noodles: 6C5

　　Using special flour, a small lump of dough is taken, brushed with oil, salt, Sichuan peppercorn powder, chili powder, and sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds. Then it is rolled into a small coil, stood upright on the cutting board, and flattened from top to bottom with a rolling pin until it becomes a round flatbread. This is then placed on a flat pan to be grilled while constantly flipped with tongs. 6C5

　　Once the flatbread turns golden and fluffy, it is removed from the pan and placed upright in a bucket with a wide belly and narrow mouth, arranged along the earthen stove platform to bake. In a short while, the bread becomes puffed and crispy like a flying saucer. A small knife is used to cut along the edge of the Guokui, creating an opening. Then, a small iron spatula is used to carefully scrape a bowl of upside-down cold noodles from the cutting board. These are mixed in a red oil base with salt, sauce, vinegar, a sprinkle of Sichuan peppercorn powder, pepper, ginger and garlic water, and a few strands of chopped coriander. The mixture is stirred until translucent, bright red, and shiny, then poured into the opening of the Guokui, filling its inside. 6C5

　　When eating the stuffed Guokui, it makes a “crunch crunch” sound—crispy, fragrant, and deliciously spicy and hot. Even bystanders who haven’t bought any can’t help but salivate, as if seeing a feast for the eyes. Just as Northern Sichuan Cold Noodles have become a symbol of Nanchong’s renowned snacks and a cultural icon of its food culture, Nanchong’s Guokui Stuffed with Cold Noodles has also become a unique culinary calling card of the region. 6C5