China's Hidden King of Rice Noodles: How Many Carby Delights Are Still Waiting to Be Discovered?

Over the past two years, Jiangxi cuisine has completely shed its "invisible" status on the internet. People have discovered that it is actually a "hidden giant" in the rice noodle world, with its various mixed noodles, cold noodles, stir-fried noodles, and hot noodles tantalizing netizens day and night. However, carb-loving foodies who come searching for flavors will be pleasantly surprised to find that this place they call the "pinnacle of rice noodles" might only be a small part of its carb universe—

Jiangxi rice noodles come in diverse forms and rich ingredients.

The "rice devotees" of this land of fish and rice have an endless attachment to rice, crafting it into countless forms. A variety of rice-based delicacies dominate local daily meals: breakfast in Jiangxi isn’t just about a bowl of noodles—steamed rice sheets (tangpi) and fermented rice cakes (qigao), made from rice batter, are equally irresistible to food lovers. In Jiangxi, where "every festival has its rice cakes," there are all kinds of rice cake products. These are not just chewy seasonal snacks but also ingredients for dishes and soups, bringing endless culinary joy. Beyond that, there are fragrant rice dumplings (miba) and sweet rice cakes (niangao)... The aroma of rice lingers on the taste buds, embodying the boundless happiness of Jiangxi people.

Xingan, Jiangxi: The picturesque granary of central Jiangxi.

Poyang Lake, which connects five rivers and flows north into the Yangtze, nurtures fertile alluvial plains between its floods. This tranquil "land of fish and rice" is a unique cradle for various crops. The locally produced high-quality indica rice is creatively transformed by Jiangxi’s "rice devotees" through soaking, grinding, filtering, and other processes into tender rice noodles.

Many Jiangxi rice noodles still adhere to traditional production methods.

Photo / Qianbaidu Photography Studio, Image / Tuchong Creative

Jiangxi people’s passion for slurping noodles spans millennia. As early as the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were records of local officials consuming "rice boiled into strands." Today, it has evolved into a diverse "noodle world," where "every township has its own rice noodles, and every county tastes different."

In the provincial capital Nanchang, foodies revere a bowl of savory and spicy mixed noodles (banfen), where chili, soy sauce, vinegar, pickled radish, peanuts, and other ingredients come together to create an irresistible aroma. Pair it with a hearty claypot soup, and the meal is complete. Jingdezhen locals adore cold noodles (lengfen), fermented to carry a tangy kick. In Shangrao, hot noodles (tangfen) are a winter staple, with fresh wet rice noodles melting tenderly in flavorful broth. As night falls, Pingxiang stir-fried noodles (chaofen) become the star of street stalls, their chewy texture coated in mouthwatering wok aroma...

Nanchang mixed noodles: Rice fragrance that even heavy seasoning can’t mask.

Mixed, stir-fried, soupy, or cold—Jiangxi rice noodles come in endless variations. But this place isn’t just a "noodle paradise." Beyond noodles, other rice-based delights are equally addictive. In Dayu, mornings begin with "drowning" a basket of tangpi: the vendor skillfully pours rice batter into a steamer basket, spreads it evenly, and steams it into delicate sheets. Wuyuan’s qigao, dubbed "Jiangxi’s own pizza" by netizens, is steamed to a glossy white, topped with various ingredients, brushed with sauce, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Depending on the rice batter’s thickness, the cakes can be fluffy or chewy—both utterly crave-worthy.

Ganzhou Dayu tangpi: A kaleidoscope of colors.

For tourists, noodles are the everyday delight in Jiangxi, but "rice cakes" (guo) are the true heart of local culinary memories. Jiangxi people have a "rice cake brain"—staple foods and pastries mostly revolve around "guo." Ground rice flour is reshaped into countless guo dishes, redefining local festive traditions.

Every spring, the aroma of rice fills household kitchens as families, including children, gather to make qingming guo (clear-bright cakes) with mugwort juice. These jade-green cakes glisten with oil, releasing the fragrance of spring when eaten hot. During New Year, meat-stuffed rice cakes (rouyuan guo) symbolize family unity... Though labor-intensive, these memory-laden treats remain beloved by Jiangxi foodies.

Ai miguo (mugwort rice cakes): The taste of Ganzhou’s spring.

Among Jiangxi’s cities, Shangrao stands out as the "guo capital." Bordering Zhejiang and Anhui, Shangrao’s cuisine blends the delicacy of Jiangnan and Huizhou. Its rice cakes range from sweet glutinous ones (maci guo) to rustic buckwheat cakes (qiaomai guo), even pumpkin and spicy pepper guo. Beyond snacks, guo also stars in dishes and soups. In summer, Shangrao’s fanfu guo—small rice balls cooked with dried cuttlefish and bamboo shoots—soothes the heat with its savory broth.

Dexing’s wulao guo resemble translucent xiaolongbao, with fillings visible through the skin. Yan Mountain’s dengzhan guo (lantern cakes) mimic oil lamps, stuffed with meat and drizzled with lard after steaming—utterly intoxicating!

Wulao guo: Delightfully chewy.

Ganzhou’s Hakka people also cherish rice-based foods, calling them "miguo" (rice fruits). Street stalls showcase finger-length "finger miguo," banana leaf-wrapped "banana miguo," and crispy fried varieties. Huangyuan miguo, made from special glutinous rice, holds deep cultural significance. Made during the Lunar New Year with natural dye from pagoda flowers, these golden cakes—whether stir-fried or stewed—are a must. For migrants returning home, a bowl of huangyuan miguo carries their family’s warmest blessings.

Huangyuan miguo: Sticky yet refreshingly smooth.

When friends from the north venture into a Jiangxi market and see the white, stuffed delicacies steaming in street-side baskets, they might exclaim with mixed emotions: "Do we still have to eat dumplings in Jiangxi?" In fact, this is a dish whose name differs from dumplings by just one character—Jiaozi Ba, also known as steamed rice dumplings. Though they look similar to dumplings, they are fundamentally different. The rice skin, made from steamed rice paste, has a chewier texture compared to the soft wheat wrappers, making it a favorite among Jiangxi foodies. Alongside the stuffed Jiaozi Ba, there’s also a thin, translucent round variety called Chao Mi Ba, which holds its own as a local breakfast staple. Its snowy-white, rounded form faintly reveals the green of the vegetable filling, making it utterly charming.

Jiaozi Ba: A Jiangxi delicacy with rice-based wrappers.

Photo / Magic Light 2021, Image / Tuchong Creative

Speaking of Ba, Jiujiang cannot be overlooked. As one of the historic "Four Great Rice Markets" of Jiangnan, Jiujiang locals have mastered countless skills in grinding rice and making Ba. The Yin Ba, crafted with intricate molds, is imprinted with auspicious patterns symbolizing joy and prosperity. The Luo Bo Ba, stuffed with radish filling, has a particular way of eating—best enjoyed by poking a hole with chopsticks and drizzling in sesame oil and red chili for an extra soulful flavor. There’s also the Jian Shui Ba, made with a touch of plant ash, steamed, and pressed, which not only stores well but also boasts a rich aroma. Simply stir-frying it with eggs makes for an exceptionally fragrant dish.

Exquisitely molded Yin Zi Ba.

The time-honored rice cakes also showcase the tender delights of Jiangxi cuisine. Yiyang’s rice cakes, with a history spanning millennia, are white as jade, glossy, and delightfully chewy—perfect for both sweet and savory dishes. They can be infused with osmanthus honey made from autumn blossoms to create Osmanthus Cakes or sliced and simmered into a spicy, fragrant rice cake soup. Nanchang offers a more modern take on rice cakes, with the soft, chewy Bai Tang Gao (sugar cake) melting in the mouth after meals. The glutinous rice’s tenderness and the powdered sugar’s sweetness cleanse the palate of grease, making it the most popular "kids’ dish" at banquets. And let’s not forget the fluffy Mi Fa Gao (rice sponge cake) or the crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside Deng Zhan Gao (lantern cake)...

A bowl of rice noodles to kickstart a good day.

Noodles, dumplings, Ba, cakes... The character for "rice" underpins countless delicacies across the Ganpo region. The endless creativity with carbohydrates stems from Jiangxi food lovers’ genuine passion for cuisine, as well as the lingering nostalgia of its people.

This article is original content from [Di Dao Feng Wu].