In China's carbohydrate landscape, wheat-based noodles dominate the north, while the south holds a deep affection for rice. Beyond plain rice, southerners have ingeniously transformed rice through soaking, grinding, and processing into various types of rice noodles—smooth and slippery when slurped, springy and soft when bitten—making them a distinctive staple of southern cuisine.
To become a delicious bowl of noodles, it doesn’t require complex cooking techniques. Rice noodles are blanched in boiling broth, then paired with either savory or intensely spicy toppings.
China boasts vast rice-producing regions—Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan—all renowned for their love of rice noodles. In your opinion, which region offers the ultimate rice noodle experience?
Yunnan is located on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, where rolling mountains are dotted with plains and lakes, creating stunning landscapes and diverse climates. Its exceptional natural environment and unique multi-ethnic culture have given rise to a one-of-a-kind culinary tradition.
For Yunnan locals, happiness can be as simple as a steaming bowl of rice noodles.
Photo by Zhou Shulin
"Let’s go grab some rice noodles!"—locals never forget to include rice noodles in their greetings. Yunnan’s streets and alleys are filled with various rice noodle shops, often simply decorated but offering incredible flavors. With a large pot simmering and an array of toppings laid out, these shops attract neighbors who gather to chat and enjoy their noodles.
Crossing-the-bridge rice noodles, small-pot rice noodles, matsutake rice noodles, chicken broth rice noodles, stinky tofu rice noodles, grass shoot rice noodles, chrysanthemum rice noodles, sa pie rice noodles... The rice noodle bowl in Yunnan’s culinary system embodies the freshness and richness unique to the region, while grounding itself in the warmth of everyday life.
Photo by Wu Yerui
Crossing-the-bridge rice noodles are a signature dish of Yunnan. A bowl of noodles, several plates of side dishes, and a pot of rich broth are served separately, then combined in the hot soup—a ritual unique to this dish.
Source: Network
In Yunnan, ersi (rice cake strips) are also an essential daily food. Made by soaking, steaming, and pounding rice into a paste, then slicing it into strips, ersi may look similar to rice noodles but have a completely different texture—thicker, chewier, and more resilient, popular mainly in Tengchong and Dali.
Source: National Culinary Geography of China
Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen
Editor Ⅱ: Bao Gang
Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong
