Hainan Rice Noodles

Hainan fen is the island's most characteristic rice-noodle snack, fine strands folded through a rich medley of sauces for a savoury-sweet flavour, usually served with a bowl of clear clam broth, embodying the Hainan style of lightness without blandness and freshness to the fore.

Hainan fen has long been current across the island, the foundation of everyday breakfasts around Haikou and Wenchang, its sauces and toppings refined over generations of vendors into the province's namesake noodle.

The fine noodles arrive already tossed in sauce and crowned with fried peanuts, pickled greens, bean sprouts, shredded meat and toasted sesame, with a ladle of hot clam broth on the side; the dry and the liquid balance each other for a fresh, savoury bowl, eaten as breakfast or a late-night snack.

The abundance and savoury-sweet depth of its sauce, and the habit of pairing it with clam broth, are the most distinctive local traits of Hainan fen.