Nanchang Mixed Rice Noodles

Nanchang mixed rice noodles blanch Jiangxi rice noodles in boiling water, then toss them with soy sauce, chilli, dried radish, peanuts, pickled greens and garlic, prized for their looks, aroma and flavour, with slippery strands and a richly savoury sauce.

Jiangxi is rice country with a long noodle tradition, and Nanchang mixed noodles grew up alongside jar soup in the city's breakfast lineage, the plainest expression of the region's rice culture on the everyday table; as Nanchang rose in popularity the dish became a must-try taste for visitors.

Locals order a bowl of mixed noodles with a jar of soup at a streetside shop in the early morning; the noodles are blanched and tossed to order, with toppings such as beef or pork intestine, mixed through and eaten piping hot, spicy and savoury and appetising.

The slippery Jiangxi rice noodles, the spicy savoury sauce, and the breakfast ritual of "one jar of soup, one bowl of noodles" are the clearest marks of Nanchang mixed noodles.