The unification of China by Qin Shi Huang owes a bit to this flavor — Guilin’s thousand-year-old fragrant and spicy rice noodles

▲ Traditional lucai rice noodles keep the broth and noodles separate, with the bowl containing the noodles and various slices of meat. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ruizhong)

Reporter Chen Ruizhong / Guilin report

Guilin, part of Guangxi, has seen its culture and eating habits influenced by surrounding regions such as Yunnan, Guangdong, and Guizhou. Its flavors tend to be sour, salty, and spicy, and the food variety is incredibly diverse. Among the many dishes found on Guilin’s streets, the most iconic street food is “Guilin rice noodles.”

Unlike Hsinchu rice noodles, which are thin, long, and have a semi-transparent sheen, and unlike Taipei rice noodles, which are thick, short, and served in soup, Guilin rice noodles are about the thickness of a thin chopstick — somewhat like a fusion between ramen and rice vermicelli. They can be eaten dry or with soup, and their clean white color is very refreshing.

▲ Fried chili peppers, pickled beans, peanuts, and chopped scallions are the most basic toppings for Guilin rice noodles.

Legend has it that Guilin rice noodles were first created during the Qin Dynasty, over a thousand years ago. At that time, Qin Shi Huang, in his quest to unify China, sent 500,000 troops on an expedition to the southern Yue region and stationed soldiers in Guilin. However, the soldiers from the north suffered from digestive issues due to the unfamiliar climate and diet, as they were not accustomed to eating southern-style rice. As a result, the army often went hungry and fell ill. To solve the problem, the army cooks imitated the northern method of making wheat-based noodles by grinding rice into powder, creating a paste, and extruding it into noodle-like strands. They then cooked these in a medicinal broth made from various Chinese herbs to suit the soldiers' taste preferences while also providing health benefits — thus forming the prototype of today’s Guilin rice noodles.

▲ Guilin rice noodles are thicker than Hsinchu noodles but longer than Taipei noodles, resembling a fusion between ramen and rice vermicelli.

After enduring a long history, Guilin rice noodles now come in a wide variety of flavors and ingredients. Among them, the most traditional and authentic version is the type eaten with a savory broth known as“Lucai Rice Noodles”— the most famous variety.

The so-called lucai rice noodles consist of boiled noodles served separately in a bowl, then topped with ingredients such as fried pork (known as "guo sha"), braised beef slices, and char siu. Customers can customize their bowl with chili peppers, peanuts, pickled beans, and scallions according to their taste, and finish it off with a pour of specially prepared savory broth. Everything is mixed together before eating.

▲ In addition to the special savory broth (right), customers can also adjust the flavor with additional sauces.

Guilin rice noodles emphasize a balance between smoothness and chewiness. They’re refreshing and slippery when you “slurp” them, yet bouncy rather than tough when you “chew” them. The meat toppings, prepared through frying, braising, or roasting, showcase the diversity of Chinese culinary techniques. The generous use of chili peppers, pickled beans, and peanuts gives the dish a comprehensive traditional Guilin flavor profile — tangy, fragrant, salty, and spicy — along with varied textures: soft, hard, and crispy. Every aspect, from texture to taste, is designed to whet the appetite and go down smoothly, often leaving diners unknowingly finishing a whole bowl. No wonder Guilin rice noodles became the standard meal ration for the Qin Dynasty army.

%The rich and aromatic aroma of the broth is very enticing upon first smell.