Hot-Dry Noodles

Hot-dry noodles are alkaline wheat noodles, par-cooked and oiled in advance, then reheated and tossed with thick sesame paste, sesame oil, pickled radish and scallion — a dry, fragrant, springy noodle quite unlike any soup noodle.

It is said to have emerged when a Republican-era Hankou noodle seller improvised a way to use up leftover noodles; refined over time and popularized by houses like Cailinji, it became the anchor of Wuhan breakfast.

Locals eat it during the morning "guo zao" ritual, often standing or walking, tossing it briskly while hot and eating before the sesame paste stiffens.

Its soul lies in the depth and aroma of the sesame paste and the chew of the alkaline noodle; being dry-tossed with no broth sets it apart from noodle dishes elsewhere.