Hot Dry Noodles

热干面 · rè gān miàn

Wuhan's morning ritual: springy alkaline noodles tossed in sesame paste, pickled radish and chili oil. No soup, eaten fast, often while walking.

Order it

The story

Legend says a 1930s noodle seller in Hankou spilled sesame oil over his cooked noodles, sold them the next morning and invented the city's signature dish by accident. Today Wuhan eats an estimated 3 million bowls a day. Locals judge a shop by how well the sesame paste is loosened (调酱) and whether the noodles stay separate.

How to eat it

Stir immediately and thoroughly before the sesame paste sets. Add vinegar and chili to taste from the counter. Pair with a cup of 蛋酒 (egg rice wine) or 豆浆 (soy milk). Eat within five minutes or it clumps.

Where

Any 过早 (breakfast) stall before 10am. Try 蔡林记 (Cailinji, the historic chain) or a queue on Hubu Alley's neighbouring streets.

Allergens: sesame, wheat, peanut (sometimes)