Crossing the bridge noodles

Crossing the bridge noodles
Traditional Chinese	過橋米線
Simplified Chinese	过桥米线
Literal meaning	Cross bridge rice noodles
Hanyu Pinyin	guòqiáo mĭxiàn

Crossing-the-bridge noodles is a rice noodle soup from Yunnan province, China. It is one of the most well-known dishes in Yunnan cuisine.

The dish is served with a large bowl of boiling hot broth and the soup ingredients. These ingredients are separated. The soup ingredients are served on a cutting board or plate and include raw vegetables and lightly cooked meats. Common ingredients include thin slices of turkey, chunks of chicken, chicken skin, strips of bean curd sheets, chives, sprouts and rice noodles. Once added into the broth, it cooks quickly with a layer of schmaltz and oil glistening on top. The soup takes a few minutes to cook, and it is then spooned out into small bowls. Jim Thurman of LA Weekly writes that "with the rice noodles and fresh chicken, it's reminiscent of an extremely subtle version of Vietnamese pho ga. Which shouldn't surprise anyone, as Yunnan shares a border with Vietnam."

One story that has gained traction begins with a scholar who was studying hard for his imperial exams on a small island. His wife, who would bring him food, found that by the time she had crossed the bridge to the island the soup would be cold and the noodles were soggy. She then decided to load a large earthen pot with boiling broth with a layer of oil on top that would act as insulation and keep the broth warm. The noodles and other ingredients were kept in separate container, and when she arrived, she mixed the two containers together for a warm soup.

Another claim regarding the origin of the name comes from the way the ingredients are transferred between containers. The process is similar to crossing a bridge between bowls, and hence it is called "crossing-the-bridge" noodles.

There are reportedly many other variations on the origin of the name.

The main ingredient of the noodles is rice. Rice vermicelli production differs in different regions. In Kunming, Yunnan, there are two varieties: "dry paste" or "sour paste". The production process differs depending on individual preferences and tastes. "Sour paste", as the name suggests, tastes a little sour, but is characterized by a relatively thick and soft rice noodle. The "dry paste" does not have the sourness of the sour paste, and the noodle is relatively thin and more rigid. Older people in Kunming think the "sour paste" noodles are more authentic. Most people in Yunnan think the Kunming noodle does not satisfy their taste buds, and generally believe Mengzi County and Jianshui County makes better noodles.

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Wikipedia