Long Noodles of Longde

Long Noodles of Longde

　　Long Noodles of Longde is a specialty snack from Longde County, Guyuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The noodles come in various types, including thin long noodles, thin wide noodles, and wide noodles.

　　The making process involves mixing premium wheat flour with alkaline water, then kneading and rolling the dough slowly and meticulously before cutting it into long strands — either thin or wide — commonly referred to as thin long noodles or wide long noodles. The cut noodles are then boiled in hot water; once boiling, they are scooped out with chopsticks into a bowl, topped with pre-fried condiments (commonly stir-fried meat dishes, stir-fried leeks, stir-fried pickled vegetables, stir-fried eggs, and the like), and then poured over a mixture of sour soup, with portion size adjusted according to the bowl — usually with more soup than noodles. High-quality long noodles are uniformly shaped, chewy in texture, and make a slight noise when slurped — hence the nickname “slurped long noodles.” The final bowl is typically served as dry wide or chive-leaf noodles, mixed with extra oil and condiments, commonly known as “dry rice meal.” Depending on the type of soup and condiments used, the dish has different names. For example, when served with fermented vegetable broth, it’s called “Fermented Vegetable Noodles”; when made with meat condiments, it’s called “Meat Condiment Noodles”; without soup, it’s called “Dry Mix Noodles”; and when eaten without soup, it’s dubbed “Simple Noodles.”