Baoluo Noodles

Made chiefly from rice, Baoluo noodles are thicker than Hainan fen and translucent, with a smooth, chewy bite; they come as soup noodles or dressed noodles, the broth drawn from pork and beef bones, with toppings of dried beef, peanuts, sour bamboo and pickled greens.

Baoluo noodles originated in Baoluo town of Wenchang, Hainan, where they had been a local speciality since the Ming dynasty; the noodle takes its name from the town and has a history of several centuries, ranking among Hainan's "four great noodles" and eaten across the island including Sanya.

The soup version is slurped hot, the bone broth sweet and the strands smooth and chewy; the dressed version is tossed dry with sauce and condiments for a deeper flavour, a familiar sight at Sanya's breakfast shops and night markets.

The thicker translucent strands, the sweetness of the bone broth and the twin styles of soup and dressing are what set Baoluo noodles apart from Hainan fen.