Anlong Cool Scissors-Cut Rice Noodles

Anlong Scissors-Cut Rice Noodles

　　Anlong Scissors-Cut Rice Noodles are a specialty snack from Anlong County in the Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province. The rice noodle sheets of Anlong Cool Scissors-Cut Rice Noodles are snow-white, translucent, and smooth. They have a fragrant but not overpowering aroma, and taste rich yet not greasy.

　　Cool Scissors-Cut Rice Noodles are a common snack in Anlong County, famous for being cut into pieces with scissors. During preparation, the noodle sheets are rolled into coils, hence they are also called Cool Rolled Rice Noodles.

　　Anlong Cool Scissors-Cut Rice Noodles have a long history, reportedly dating back thousands of years. The main ingredient, the rice noodle sheet, is made from locally produced rice through scientific formulation and processing—the quality of the rice directly affects the noodles' texture and taste. High-quality noodle sheets are transparent, flexible, and have good elasticity; they are not prone to breaking and have an excellent mouthfeel. The noodle sheets are cut into strips with scissors, placed in a bowl, and then mixed with seasonings before serving. The seasonings for Cool Rolled Rice Noodles are extremely diverse, mainly including: ginger water, garlic water, tomato water, Sichuan peppercorn oil, chili oil (red oil), chopped scallions, pickled vegetables, mung bean sprouts, Chinese chives, fried yellow soybeans (or crispy peanuts), monosodium glutamate, soy sauce, salt, vinegar, and more.

　　The production of Cool Scissors-Cut Rice Noodle sheets involves soaking, grinding, mixing, steaming, and cooling. The process starts by soaking high-quality rice in water overnight, then grinding it into rice slurry using a stone mill. A thin layer of cooked oil is brushed onto an iron plate, after which a certain amount of rice slurry is poured in and stirred evenly. Holding the iron plate with both hands, the slurry is skillfully spread out—an intricate step in the process. If the slurry is spread too thick, the resulting noodle sheet will not taste good and may even stick to the teeth; if too thin, the cooked sheet may not peel off the iron plate. Once the slurry is properly spread, the iron plate is placed in a steamer and steamed over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes. After removal, the rice slurry has turned into noodle sheets. The sheets are then peeled off, hung on bamboo poles to dry and cool, and stacked together—completing the making of Cool Scissors-Cut Rice Noodles. The finished noodle sheets are as thin as paper, white as snow, flexible, and elastic; they are not prone to breaking. These sheets are cut into strips with scissors, placed in a bowl, and mixed with seasonings before eating.