Taste of Yunnan

Today, we finally get to sample Yunnan's famed Across the Bridge Rice Noodles or "Guo-Qiao Mi-Xian" as it is known in Chinese. Legend has it that guoqiao mixian came about when a young scholar retreated to another place to prepare for the imperial examination. His loving wife would travel and cross a nearby bridge to bring him his daily meal. Frequently, his meal would turned cold by the time it gets to him. One day, quite by chance, she discovered a bowl of chicken soup could keep warm with a layer of oil on top. From the on, she would serve the noodles and meat slices with the oil layer soup and the young scholar could enjoy a warm meal every day. When the scholar did well in the examination, he credited his success to his wife's noodles hence, this dish Across the Bridge Rice Noodles was popularized.

In the modern world, we could sample this dish in a restaurant in Yunnan's Nationalities Village, after a leisure visit to Naigu Stone Forest that morning. When we arrived at our assigned table, we found every seat was assigned a plate of thinly sliced raw meat (chicken, pork and fish), blanched vegetables (beansprouts, chives & beancurd slices) and noodles.

Next, our piping hot bowl of soup is served. Here's where the fun starts. We put in all the raw meat slices and keep stirring the soup until the meat changes color and are cooked.

We then add in the other ingredients and voila! a bowl of delicious noodles to keep the tummy warm in the cool weather.