In 2004 I got to spend time in Kunming, China, and became well acquainted with their delicious local dish, guo qiao mi xian, or, “across the bridge noodles.”
The origin story of this versatile has many versions, but overall it goes like this: a wife who was trying to figure out how to keep her husband’s lunch warm. A scholar, he retired to an island in town to do his studying for imperial exams. Every day his wife crossed a bridge to bring him lunch, but by the time she arrived, the food was already cold. Eventually she discovered the secret to keeping his lunch warm on the walk: a layer of oil on top of a bowl of soup would prevent heat from escaping. Now she could keep the broth hot enough so that he could actually cook ingredients after she arrived.
The key to Across the Bridge Noodles is searing-hot broth, fresh noodles and a vast array of raw meat and vegetables. Traditionally the meat is sliced wafer thin and small, so that it cooks almost immediately upon being added to the broth.
Here are some various sites that discuss this dish and share Across the Bridge Noodles recipes:
- Recipe: Across the bridge noodles – GoKunming: Kunming & Yunnan living, business, travel
- Yunnan Kunming Famous Delicacy | Across The Bridge Rice Noodles (Guo Qiao Mi Xian)
- Chinese ‘Across the bridge’ rice noodles – foodie and the chef
- Across The Bridge Noodles – Recipes – Foodbuzz
- Across the Bridge Noodles, China
Enjoy!
Photos: Camphor, azotesdivinos
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Globetrotter, homebrewer and writer Anthony St. Clair has walked with hairy coos in the Scottish Highlands, choked on seafood in Australia, and watched the full moon rise over Mt. Everest in Tibet. Anthony’s travels have also taken him around the sights and beers of Thailand, Japan, India, Canada, Ireland, the USA, Cambodia, China and Nepal. He and his wife live in Oregon and gave their son a passport for his first birthday.
