🍽️ Qingyang Hele

Loess-plateau pressed noodles.

Qingyang Hele is a everyday noodle dish of Qingyang on Gansu's Loess Plateau. The dough, usually buckwheat or wheat, is placed in a special wooden or metal press and forced through holes straight into boiling water under lever pressure, producing round, springy noodles of even length. Toppings vary: savory ones are stir-fried lamb or pork mince with seasonal vegetables, while vegetarian versions braise diced potato, tofu and daylily in a broad, hearty broth. The noodles carry a toasty grain aroma and a satisfying chewy bite, especially appetizing when enjoyed with sour soup, garlic sprouts and chili. It is both a working-day staple for local farmers and a staple at festivals and family gatherings, and a bowl of hot Hele in a morning street stall is a familiar taste of Qingyang life.