Hot Dry Noodles

Needless to say, hot dry noodle (re gan mian 热干面) is the most typical breakfast fare of Wuhan. Usually, it is sold in street carts near residential areas in the morning or snack restaurants, which open for a whole day.

One may not be appealed by the appearance of the noodle, for it is covered with thick sesame paste, and looks a little bit ugly especially after being mixed around, but he won't resist the temptation of the attractive flavor. I often swallow up a bowl of hot dry noodles in a few minutes and then drink something such as soybean milk, and never will I forget to clean the corners of my mouth because of sesame paste.

But hot dry noodles can’t satisfy everyone, especially those non-Wuhaness. Some of my friends from other places told me that hot dry noodles are too dry for them.

Though Wuhan is often associated with hot dry noodles, for most Wuhaness, the noodles are too common to be noticed. But if they move out of Wuhan, it will be another case. It’s not too difficult to find hot dry noodles in other cities in China, however, the taste won’t be the same, and so the noodles can always be a call of homesickness.

Hot dry noodles well match the character of the city. You shouldn't expect to find nobility or elegance in Wuhan. Wuhan is a city for common folks. And hot dry noodle is such a thing, common, cheap, but tasty.