Slurping a taste of timeless flavors and history in every strand of Chinese noodles

While dumplings remain the quintessential dish for countless families welcoming the Chinese New Year, noodles hold a special place as a beloved alternative in certain regional traditions.

In several cities across east China's Anhui Province, chicken soup noodles are traditionally enjoyed on the first morning of the Chinese New Year, as the word "chicken" sounds like the Chinese word for "luck," while noodles symbolize longevity. In Jingyuan County, northwest China's Gansu Province, noodles are not only a staple of the New Year's opening meal but are also eaten frequently in the days that follow.

The dazzling variety of Chinese foods is more than just a meal; it is a vibrant expression of tradition and culture, a view that resonates not only with the Chinese but also with French chef Corentin Delcroix, who calls China his second home.

"Noodles are definitely one of the best representations of Chinese cuisine, as they vary from north to south, east to west; in shape, crafting, texture and topping," he told Xinhua, speaking in fluent Mandarin.

A food vlogger and internet celebrity, Delcroix has spent the past three years showcasing nearly 10 varieties of noodles on social media. "Almost every region has its own signature noodle dish, one that tells the story of its local culture and heritage," he said. The culinary tradition, Delcroix believes, is well worth a deeper look.

HOMETOWN OF NOODLES

Archaeological research suggests that China is home to the world's oldest noodles, dating back some 4,000 years. Unearthed at the Lajia ruins in western Qinghai Province, often called the Oriental Pompeii, they stand as a testament to the enduring dietary traditions of the Chinese people.

Although China is widely regarded as the birthplace of rice, its vast territory, with its complex terrain and varied climate, has also given rise to a rich diversity of flour-based foods such as noodles.

Traditionally, noodles are served on many important occasions. People eat "longevity noodles" during birthday celebrations to wish for a long and healthy life, and noodles are offered to family members returning home as a warm gesture of welcome. Newlyweds are also often served noodles to bless them with lasting love and a harmonious marriage.

Noodles are so symbolic that they have even featured on the menus of China's state banquets, and are sought after by visiting foreign dignitaries. During former U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to China, he attended a banquet featuring a live demonstration of Dragon Beard Noodle (Longxu Mian) craftsmanship and engaged enthusiastically with the chef. In 2011, then U.S. Vice President Joe Biden ordered noodles with soybean paste at a restaurant in downtown Beijing, turning the so-called "Biden Set Meal" into a viral sensation.

Over the millennia, noodles have evolved into a rich variety of styles across China, with southwestern regions favoring spicy flavors and eastern areas leaning toward milder tastes, while in Yanji City of northeastern China, the Korean ethnic minority enjoys cold noodles and Lanzhou City in Gansu is famed for its steaming beef noodles.

Prior to China's reform and opening up, when grain coupons were required, a simple bowl of Yangchun noodles in clear soup without toppings was a treasured moment for many Shanghai residents, who saw the white noodles and green scallions as symbols of purity and refinement, reflecting personal cultivation.

Shanxi in northern China is often called the kingdom of noodles. Boiled noodles alone can take more than 200 forms, shaped by differences in production methods, ingredients and toppings. Dough is pulled, cut with scissors, sliced, hand-rolled, or pressed from flours such as wheat, oat, buckwheat, soybean, corn, or sorghum into a wide variety of shapes.

Liu Dangcheng, a senior master chef registered with the China Cuisine Association, attributes Shanxi's love of noodles to the scarcity of rice. Situated on the Loess Plateau with limited water resources, Shanxi produces wheat and boasts about one-tenth of the planting area of China's minor cereals like millet, miscellaneous beans and naked oats.

"In the 1950s and 1960s, when China faced grain shortages, people in Shanxi mixed starch from potatoes or sweet potatoes into corn flour to make noodles," he explained. "The noodles turned out unusually chewy and firm, earning them the nickname 'steel wire noodles.'"

MODERN SHIFT

After the reform and opening up in the late 1970s, China's rapid economic growth sped up the pace of life, turned the country into the "world's factory," and saw a proliferation of fast-food franchises. At the same time, China's noodle tradition took on a modern, consumer-oriented twist, catering to a growing appetite for global flavors among Chinese diners.

In the early 1990s, restaurants called "California beef noodles" sprang up across major Chinese cities, becoming a must-try for anyone caught up in the craze. It was only years later that people realized there was no such thing as California beef noodles, and that what had truly drawn them was not the noodles themselves, but their curiosity about the wider world.

Noodles from around the world have found their way into the Chinese market -- Japanese ramen, Italian spaghetti, Vietnamese pho -- each attracting diners eager to explore new flavors. Certain noodle chains expanded rapidly, with Ajisen Ramen, a popular Japanese ramen franchise, operating nearly 800 bustling stores across China at its peak.

In another development, instant noodles became increasingly popular and were even considered a luxury, prized for their variety of flavors and convenience. In the early years, instant noodles from Taiwan, such as Uni-President, opened up a new world of tastes and convenience for Chinese mainland residents and gained a significant share of the market. Office white-collar workers and millions of migrant workers across the country became loyal consumers.

Liu Dangcheng noted that, as a classic convenience food, instant noodles have long been valued mainly for their ease of preparation. Yet as society developed, a greater variety of convenient alternatives has emerged, and rising health awareness has relegated instant noodles back to the role of a meal substitute.