Gaocheng Tribute Noodles

Gaocheng tribute noodles are a handmade fine dried noodle speciality of Gaocheng District in Shijiazhuang, even and thread-fine, hollow and translucent, springy and smooth, that holds its shape in the pot without clouding the water; named "tribute noodles" for being presented to the Qing court, they have a history of over a thousand years.

Gaocheng tribute noodles arose in the Sui and Tang dynasties and flourished under the Ming and Qing, made wholly by hand from refined flour, oil and coarse salt, taking their name from their tribute to the Qing palace. In 2013 the craft was added to Hebei's provincial intangible heritage list, and it is also a China national geographical-indication product.

Because the noodles are fine and hollow, they are best served plain in a clear broth or with a poached egg, cooked in seconds so the broth stays clear and the strands bright and smooth; often kept on hand as food for the unwell or for infants, they are a refined staple in Gaocheng households.

Their thread-fine, hollow-cross-section form, the thousand-year craft of hand-stretching, and the royal status of a tribute noodle set Gaocheng gongmian apart from ordinary dried noodles.