🍽️ Shaoyang Rice Noodle

Thick rice noodles in red broth.

Shaoyang Rice Noodle is the signature breakfast of Shaoyang, Hunan, a hearty staple of central Hunan. Thick, round rice noodles made from early-season rice are served in a glossy red broth, topped most often with beef, beef offal, shredded pork or wood-ear tofu, all braised in a rich gravy of chili oil, star anise and cassia. The noodles are coarse and flavorful, holding up to boiling, with a smooth springy chew; the red broth is savory and spicy, bringing on a sweat with one bite. Shaoyang locals like to start the morning with a bowl of thick noodles plus a spoonful of chili, hot and satisfying. It is the most common breakfast-stall lead on every street; for people in central Hunan, the day does not truly begin without this bowl of red-soup thick noodles.