The Story of Cross Bridge Rice Noodle

There was an intellectual, pursuing the success in imperial examinations, in Mengzi, Yunnan Province in 1806. So he slogged away and lived in an isolated island, adjoining the mainland with a bridge, to separate from any distraction and entertainment. And his wife sent meals cross the bridge every day.  One day, his wife, tired and incautious, mistook to pot the chicken soup with the meat for making sauce in the terrine. The rice noodle made in the soup tastes brittle and delicious; moreover, refreshed her mind as well. Surprised and joyful, the wife sent the discovery to her husband immediately and soon was prized by her husband without ceasing for her excellent cooking skill. Then the intellectual hardly ever had other meals until he became Zhuangyuan. With a lot appreciation, he recalled, ‘I debit my wife a lot for the rice noodle she sent cross the bridge in front of my reading house.’ From then on, others imitate the way to make rice noodle and call it by a good name of ‘Mengzi Cross Bridge Rice Noodle’.

 Having originated in Mengzi County of Southwest China＇s Yunnan Province, the Cross Bridge Rice Noodles dish boasts a history of more than 100 years. With continuous renovation by chefs specializing in Yunnan Cuisine, the dish has enjoyed growing fame both at home and abroad, and every visitor to Yunnan should definitely try the famous snack besides taking in the breathtaking natural scenery.

Cross-The-Bridge Rice Noodles is a famous and unique local food of Yunnan. Before the meal, a bowl of hot soup, a bowl of rice noodles, some slices of meat, fresh vegetable slices and some other ingredients are to be prepared. The soup is the most important, which is boiled from chicken, duck and pig bones. It is rather hot although there is no steam flowing from it. When these are ready, first put in the raw meat slices and stir them till they are done; then put in the ingradients, vegetable slices and rice noodles. It is delicious as the meat is very tender.