Dongtai Fish Soup Noodles

Dongtai Fish Soup Noodles

　　 A traditional snack from Dongtai with a history of over 200 years. The making of these white soup noodles is extraordinary craftsmanship, renowned far and wide. Originally, the chef used fresh crucian carp and eel bones as the main ingredients, along with cooked lard, ginger, scallions, shrimp roe, and other seasonings, carefully preparing them into a rich broth. The noodles served in this broth are thick and creamy like milk, with each drop forming a bead; the noodles are white, fine, and even, delicious yet not greasy. It would be a pity to visit Dongtai without trying a bowl of fish soup noodles. In 1924, Dongtai Fish Soup Noodles were awarded a medal at the Panama International Exposition and are listed in the "Chinese Snack Cookbook."

　　A Jiangsu specialty—Fish Soup Noodles, a famous dish from Dongtai. The preparation of fish soup noodles is quite unique: first, the fish is cleaned without leaving any residual blood. The lard is heated in a pan until 80% hot, then fish is added and fried until crispy, then removed without burning. The fried fish is combined with eel bones or pork bones, and a thick broth is simmered using river water. Scallions and wine are used to remove the fishy smell, then the clear broth is filtered through a fine sieve, and a small amount of shrimp roe is added to make the noodle soup. The noodles are made from premium white knife-cut noodles. As a result, the fish soup noodles are full of flavor, aroma, and color.

　　 Specialty Culture: Legend has it that during the Qianlong era, the owner of a noodle shop in Dongtai one evening noticed a new noodle stall on the street and bought a bowl. Holding it in his hands, he saw the soup was thick and snow-white. In no time, a thin film had formed on the surface of the bowl. He took a bite and found it incredibly fresh and fragrant—many times better than the noodles from his own shop. Intrigued, he questioned the vendor in detail. It turned out the vendor was once an imperial chef from the royal palace. Having once failed to prepare the soup properly, he was expelled from the palace. Left with no other choice, he wandered from place to place, setting up a small stall to make ends meet. Upon hearing this, the shop owner thought to himself that this must be an imperial dish—no wonder it tasted so exquisite. So he quickly invited the vendor to work in his shop and take charge of the cooking. From then on, all the noodles served in the shop were made with the broth personally prepared by the imperial chef, earning endless praise from customers. Word spread rapidly, and soon the noodles became famous far and wide. Thus, “Fish Soup Noodles” became a renowned specialty of Dongtai.

　　 Specialty Benefits: Dongtai Fish Soup Noodles are not only delicious but also offer good health benefits—they can nourish the spleen and stomach, and replenish weakness while aiding the intestines. Regular consumption can help strengthen the body. This is because the soup base for Dongtai Fish Soup Noodles uses ingredients such as wild crucian carp, eel bones, and pork bones, which are high in protein, low in fat, and rich in active calcium and various amino acids. It doesn’t cause excessive internal heat or dry mouth and is highly nutritious, aligning with the dietary wellness values pursued by people today. There’s a folk saying: “Eating a bowl of fish soup noodles is better than being a long-lived elder.”