China's Most Irresistible Noodles: A Nationwide Obsession from South to North

What is the perfect combination of protein and carbs? The tantalizing aroma of beef wafting from street stalls will tell you—it's—

Not to mention the ubiquitous Lanzhou beef noodles found on every street corner, across China, there are even more flavorful beef noodles that captivate hearts. For instance, when Jia Ling lost 100 pounds for her movie "YOLO," she maintained a strict diet and exercise routine but made an exception during a trip home to enjoy a bowl of Xiangyang beef noodles—proof of their irresistible appeal.

Xiangyang beef noodles: rich, spicy, and mouthwateringly delicious.

Photo/ Tuchong Creative

Beef and noodles seem like a match made in heaven, beloved across China. Different regional cattle breeds paired with local noodle specialties, crafted by skilled hands, create countless delicious variations.

For example, in northeastern China, Yanbian's yellow beef is stewed into a broth and served with freshly pressed buckwheat noodles to make Korean-style cold noodles. Meanwhile, in Lhasa, Tibet, breakfast often features Tibetan noodles with diced yak meat. The noodles, made from high-gluten flour and barley flour, offer a hearty bite.

The soul of beef noodles: the beef!

Beef noodles can be served in soup, dry-tossed, or stir-fried. Just the soup bases alone include Lanzhou's clear broth, Zhengzhou's curry broth, old Beijing's braised meat sauce, and Chongqing's spicy red-braised broth—not to mention Xinjiang's chili beef tossed noodles, Gansu's stir-fried beef noodle slices, and Hainan's braised beef brisket noodles.

Across China, there's a dazzling variety of beef noodles.

More importantly, in daily life, whether it's morning, noon, evening, or even late at night, hungry souls can always find a beef noodle shop open in the city to comfort their stomachs and hearts. Like a light left on at home, there's always a beef noodle shop waiting for you.

In 2002, a bowl of noodle fossils was unearthed in Lajia, Minhe County, Qinghai, just 100 kilometers from Lanzhou. Each strand was hand-pulled, and analysis dated them back 4,000 years—an early glimpse of China's ancestral imagination of pulled noodles and one of the origins of today's globally popular Lanzhou beef noodles.

Last year, reports revealed that Lanzhou beef noodle shops have spread nationwide and across over 50 countries and regions, with more than 50,000 outlets, making it the undisputed king of Chinese beef noodles. But China's beef noodles go far beyond Lanzhou.

A (partial) guide to Chinese beef noodles.

Northwest beef noodles: Lanzhou isn't the only star!

When discussing Northwest beef noodles, Lanzhou beef noodles inevitably take center stage. Statistics show that Lanzhou has 705 roads, with beef noodle shops on 453 of them. At dawn, thousands of noodle shops open, offering choices like "hair-thin," "thin," "three-thin," "two-thin," "two-pillar," "buckwheat-edge," "leek-leaf," "thin-wide," and "big-wide," topped with chili, tendon meat, braised eggs, cilantro, and garlic sprouts. For Lanzhou locals, beef noodles are the sole motivation to get out of bed.

In Inner Mongolia, Mongolian-style beef noodles have a distinct flair. The hallmark here is half a bowl of meat, half noodles and broth, with large, chewy beef chunks—so much meat that the noodles underneath are barely visible. Best of all, a bowl costs just over 20 yuan, a testament to the Inner Mongolian grasslands' generosity.

Mongolian-style beef noodles: where the noodles are hidden under mountains of meat.

Northwesterners love noodles, and beef noodles aren't limited to Gansu and Inner Mongolia. For example, Qinghai has beef pulled noodles, while Yinchuan in Ningxia adds tofu to theirs. Back in Gansu's Zhangye, there's a variant called "beef small rice," named for its diced noodle pieces swimming in a savory broth with tender yellow beef slices—a unique twist on beef noodles.

Zhangye "beef small rice": a noodle dish that's not rice.

In Shaanxi, another noodle-loving province, beef noodles hold their own. Xi'an's locals often enjoy beef saozi noodles: a bowl of plain noodles with beef, vegetable saozi, and seasonings hidden at the bottom. Before eating, you mix it thoroughly to coat every strand with sauce. The beef, braised until tender and flavorful, pairs perfectly with the fragrant chili oil.

Regarding the origin of Lanzhou beef noodles, there is a fascinating tale. During the Qing Dynasty's Jiaqing era, Ma Liuqi, a Dongxiang ethnic from Gansu, learned the craft of making "small cart beef old broth noodles" from Chen Weijing, a student at the Imperial College in Suzhai Village, Huaqing Prefecture, Henan (now part of Bo'ai County, Jiaozuo, Henan). He then brought this technique to Lanzhou, marking the beginning of Lanzhou beef noodles' journey to the world. One might even say, "All beef noodles under heaven originate from Lanzhou, and Lanzhou beef noodles originate from Henan."

So, what does Henan beef noodles look like? In the provincial capital Zhengzhou, it's called beef pulled noodles, featuring a clear broth seasoned with curry powder, giving it a unique flavor. This curry taste, introduced by Shanghai workers aiding Zhengzhou in the 1960s, remains a distinctive touch to this day. From Zhengzhou pulled noodles to Lanzhou beef noodles, from clear broth to curry seasoning, this evolution of beef noodle flavors is also a tale of flowing nostalgia.

Curry-flavored pulled noodles—Henan's one-of-a-kind specialty.

If you think adding curry to beef noodles is heresy, then the daylily beef noodles of Tai'erzhuang in Shandong and the beef meatball noodles of Linfen in Shanxi will surely broaden your horizons. Tai'erzhuang is a small town in Zaozhuang, Shandong, located at the southernmost tip of the province. Many first heard of it because of the monumental battle in 1938. Today, Tai'erzhuang rests peacefully by the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, where a bowl of fragrant daylily beef noodles warms both heart and stomach.

Shanxi people excel at shaping noodles into all sorts of forms, and this creativity extends to beef noodles—not in the noodles themselves, but in the beef. In Linfen, beef is made into meatballs for the noodles. These specially crafted meatballs are chewy yet tender, soaked in a spicy broth, delivering a deeply satisfying bite.

A bowl of daylily beef noodles—warming heart and stomach alike.

Of course, the most unique among the four provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, and Henan is Shijiazhuang's Anhui-style beef board noodles in Hebei. Thick chili beef oil coats wide noodles, topped freely with meatballs, braised pork, beef, or bean products—a carb-loaded haven for Shijiazhuang locals. If you ask why Anhui beef noodles are a Shijiazhuang specialty, Anhui people will tell you, "Our southern Wuhu beef noodles and Anqing beef noodles are even tastier!"

Shijiazhuang specialty: Anhui-style beef board noodles.

Turning southward, compared to the boldness of northern beef noodles, southern versions showcase more ingenuity. There's the raw-boiled beef noodles highlighting the meat's natural flavor, the fiery Xiangyang beef noodles, and the Lanxi beef noodles with freshly stir-fried toppings... When it comes to beef noodles, southerners' creativity knows no bounds.

Hunan and Hubei vs. Sichuan and Chongqing—

Who reigns as the king of southern beef noodles?

In China's beef noodle world, Lanzhou dominates the north, Chongqing the south.

Chongqing beef noodles hit with numbing spiciness at first bite—so exhilarating it makes you sweat yet keeps you coming back. Despite the heat, the braised beef broth's aroma shines through. The extra-large beef chunks, stewed to tender perfection without falling apart, are the soul of Chongqing beef noodles.

The essence of Chongqing beef noodles: The meat must be big.

But in Sichuan and Chongqing, great noodles aren't limited to Chongqing. Neijiang and Langzhong in Sichuan have their own signature beef noodles. Langzhong beef noodles particularly stand out with a "black" twist—its minced meat topping is a dark, paste-like sauce. Actually called "hot cold noodles," they're served warm but not scalding, mild yet not cool. Unlike other Sichuan-Chongqing regions that prefer clear broth and springy noodles, Langzhong insists: A good beef noodle hinges on its thick, rich sauce.

Shifting to Hunan and Hubei—two more hotspots for beef noodle lovers. Ask Hubei locals where to find the best beef noodles, and they'll point to Xiangyang. Xiangyang beef noodles are defined by a thick layer of beef oil atop, crisp bean sprouts beneath, and a robust beef broth. The beef, slow-cooked in earthen pots, strikes a perfect balance—neither too tough nor too mushy.

Xiangyang's breakfast staple: Beef noodles.

Beyond these, Hubei's raw-boiled beef noodles and Hunan's Jinshi beef noodles thrive in this spice-loving region, packing just as much heat.

Just how refined are coastal people with their noodles?

Coastal folks traditionally favor seafood in their noodles, but you might be surprised—their take on beef noodles is equally spectacular.

Lanxi in Zhejiang, one of China's top 100 counties for distinctive cuisine, boasts over 300 local delicacies, including a steaming bowl of beef noodles. Lanxi beef noodles emphasize single-bowl cooking: tomatoes, pickled vegetables, beef, garlic, and green peppers are stir-fried over high heat, then simmered in water over low flame before noodles are added to absorb the flavors. Similarly, the toppings are freshly prepared—each bowl gets its own stir-fry to preserve the ingredients' authentic taste.

Lanxi beef noodles, cooked one bowl at a time.

In Fenghua, there’s a type of "beef dry noodles," where "dry noodles" actually refer not to wheat noodles but to sweet potato starch noodles—translucent, chewy, and locally nicknamed "dry noodles." A bowl of these crystal-clear noodles, soaked in rich broth, is incredibly savory.

Coastal Quanzhou in Fujian is another haven for beef noodle lovers. Jinjiang’s beef dishes are the most famous here, and in this small city where beef shops line every street, a bowl of beef noodles is the most delicious way to start the morning. Each Jinjiang beef noodle shop has its own unique flavor. As the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, the spices used here are distinctive—some seasoned with satay sauce, others with curry. In Jinjiang, there’s no "authentic" beef noodle; every bowl offers a different taste, each with its own character.

Across China, every bowl of noodles has its own uniqueness.

Photo/VCG

Guangdong, a culinary powerhouse among China’s coastal cities, also has many beef noodle varieties: Guangzhou’s brisket noodles, Chaoshan’s clear broth beef noodles, and Foshan’s satay beef noodles—all equally delightful.

Beef noodles are a dish that unites Chinese tastes, transcending regions and ethnicities. Even in the instant noodle market, the best-selling flavor is braised beef. Beef noodle shops are ubiquitous in China, with each region offering its own specialty. Yet, in the quiet of night, no bowl of beef noodles elsewhere ever seems to compare to the one from home.

The taste of beef noodles is also the taste of home.

Image Editors | Jiang Jiang, Chen Jinyu