Wuhan Hot Dry Noodles

As the most favorite breakfast among the people living in the cross of Hanjiang River and Yangtze River, Hot Dry Noodles is a wonderful integration of alkaline noodles and sesame paste. The half-cooked alkaline noodles are boiled in the hot water at first and then they are mixed fully together with sesame paste by chopsticks. At this moment, a steam of pleasant smell bursts out from this bowl of seemingly ordinary noodles. And life truly begins with such a bowl of noodles.

Back to the 1930s with the time machine, a food dealer named Li Bao made his living by selling bean jelly and noodle with soup around the Guandi Temple. One extremely hot day, his business was not so good and a lot of noodles were left. Li Bao came up with an idea to boil the noodles and drain them off on the chopping board in case the noodles went bad. He was in such a hurry that his oil pot was knocked over and the sesame oil pulled into the noodles. Having no choice, Li Bao had to mix the oil and noodles thoroughly and put them on the board again. Next morning, he heated the leftover noodles in the boiling water and fished them out into a bowl after shedding the water. Then he added the sauces for bean jelly in the bowl to serve his clients. The clients ate the noodles with great appetite and were conquered by its piping hot fragrance. When asked what the name of the noodles was, he answered without a second thought, "hot dry noodles." Li Bao was happy to sell hot dry noodles exclusively from that time on, and people coming from different places just wanted to have the noodles in his booth. At the same time, quite a few people became his apprentice.

Later on, people add more ingredients into the golden pliable hot dry noodles, such as sesame paste, pepper, pickles, shrimp, refined sesame oil or spicy oil, and lastly some chives, making it more attractive and unique in color, smell, and flavor. Gradually, the improved hot dry noodles turns out to be a must for breakfast in Wuhan.

Three Delicacies Wrapped in Tofu Skin

As a traditional and unique breakfast long enjoyed by people in Wuhan, the three delicacies wrapped in the tofu skin has clear green bean milk, very thin tofu skin and cooked right in time. The condiments are properly mixed together to create a taste of freshness, crisp outside and soft inside. The three delicacies wrapped in the tofu skin in Laotongcheng has the longest history and best reputation. Located in the cross of Zhongshan Road and Dazhi Road, Laotongcheng is a restaurant established in 1931. The specialty in Laotongcheng is the three delicacies wrapped in the tofu skin, known as the "King of Tofu Skin". A journey to Wuhan without visiting Laotongcheng could not be satisfactory especially when you are there to taste the gourmet of Wuhan and was counted as a failure of tasting Wuhan delicacies.

Yunmeng Fish Noodles

Yunmeng Fish Noodles was first created in Yunmeng in Hubei Province since the year of Daoguang in Qing Dynasty, almost two centuries ago. After we select the fish from a river where the white crane separates the water and fetch water from Guihua Pond, together with the first-class flour and sesame oil, we can start making the Yunmeng fish noodles. As the name "Silk Thread Fish Noodles" suggests, it is as thin as the silk thread and as white as silver. Therefore, it's delicious, nutrient and unique, good to eat and appropriate as a present to friends.

The County Annals of Yunmeng had a record on how the fish noodles came into being. In the period of Daoguang, there was a prosperous cloth store called "Xu Chuanfa". It also owned a inn for the businessmen because many of them were coming from other provinces. A skillful cook whose Sirname is Huang was employed at this inn.

One day, when kneading dough, he knocked over the fish that was prepared for fish ball by accident. The fish had to be dumped. To save and reuse the fish, the cook kneaded the fish into the dough and made it as fish noodles to serve the businessmen in the inn. The fish noodles received high praise with its freshness. Afterwards, cook Huang always made noodles in this way and named it as Fish Noodles.With time going by, it gets a good reputation as a local dish.

Chinese Doughnuts

Chinese doughnuts, also known as Mianwo, can only be seen in Wuhan and It was created since the period of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty (1875-1909) around 20th century. A man named Chang Zhiren was selling clay oven rolls at Jijiazui, a place near Hanzheng Street in Hankou. He barely made money from his business. So he thought about making some brand new breakfast to attract clients. After repeated trial, he hired a blacksmith to make a iron scoop with a pit at the bottom. Chang Zhiren put the milk of rice and soybean into the scoop and scattered some sesame seed on the surface. When fried, a round golden rice cake was shaped with thick edge and a hole in the middle. The small cake was well received because the edge tasted soft and thin area crisp. Chang called it Chinese Doughnuts (Mianwo). Over a hundred years, it became a kind of distinct breakfast which is cheap and delicious at the same time.

Fermented Meat

Duan Wenchang, a famous prime minister of Emperor Muzong in Tang Dynasty, was very interested in diet and he wrote 50 chapters of cooking in The Book of Diet. When he visited his hometown in Jiangling, a story concerning fermented meat took place.

Back in his hometown, Duan found that a local dish which had the shape of comb was so greasy that people seldom took it. Based on his own experience of a gastronome, Duan proposed that the fat meat should be replaced with pork belly and the fried pepper be replaced with black curded beans. He also asked the cook to add some onion and ginger as well.

Several days latter, the meat was served at the table again but with a totally different look and taste. The bright red color, tender, soft but not greasy meat and fragrant and impressive taste attracted many people. They all wondered to know what this new dish was. Impressed by the slim sliced meat, Duan came up an idea to call it "Fermented Meat". So this dish earned its position and reputation thereafter till now.

Huanxituo

Huanxituo has a history over one hundred year in Wuhan. It's made of glutinous rice powder in a round shape with a thin layer of sesame on the surface. When fried, it is crisp outside but soft inside. Take a bite, you will find it filled with syrup.

Why is it named as Huanxituo? There is also a story behind it. It is said that a Taos family in Jingzhou was separated in the war in late Qing Dynasty. And they went through all the difficulties to come to the family reunion when war was over. The elder in the family celebrated the gathering with the last bowl of rice they had. He washed the rice and grinded it. When it was drained off, he added some flour and brown sugar to make it into a small round ball and then coated with sesame. Unexpectedly, the desert was very sweet and delicious and all the members became happier than they were. To commemorate the reunion, they called it Huanxituo, which meant a happy ball. Huanxituo was widely spread and the Taos became well-known family that made the best Huanxituo.

How could you be unhappy when you are having the HAPPY Huanxituo?

Jingwu Duck Neck

The duck neck is one of the foods containing sauces which includes duck wings, duck foot, duck tongue, duck bone, duck liver, duck gut and so on. When making the duck neck, wash the fresh duck neck and boil it and then put the spices into it and braise for an hour. Then put it air dried and baked to dark red. It is scent, spicy, pungent, sweet and salty, and tender. It's a good appetizer and a company for wine.

Being involved in the worldly life, duck neck represents the wisdom of common people. A novelist, Chili, has described a woman named Shuang Laiyang who sellsduck neck at a night market. Shuang is pretty, bold and shrewish, dealing with all walks of people. She makes a living on the duck neck business and supports the family at the same time.

Duck neck usually goes with wine in the food stall for populace.It's delicious after the boiling and frying for several times. So does the people living at the bottom of the society. They struggle and fight so as to make a better living and accomplish their dreams.