About | Ricey Silo Traditional Yunnan Rice Noodle

The idea of "Ricey Silo" was born out of an enthusiasm for great food and culture.

In Yunnan China, we appreciate the fruits of our nature. Yunnan people live a life where they believe you can achieve satisfaction without having much.

This is our attitude while preparing and serving our food. After years of continuous preparation and improvements, now we are excited to serve you a bowl of Yunnan’s authentic crossing-the-bridge noodles.

We invite you to join us on a cultural food expedition to taste our fresh and timely prepared ingredients, served with a base broth made by simmering quality chicken bones for up to 10 hours, then cooked with our chewy rice noodles at your table.

We serve our noodles using nutritious ingredients, leading to a result that requires little seasoning but is extraordinarily tasty.

The Authenticity

Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodle is one of the most revered and well-known dishes in Yunnan Province, China. The history of this style of noodle dates back over 100 years, and was listed as an intangible cultural heritage of Kunming (capital city of Yunnan Province). The dish is served with a large bowl of boiling hot broth, separate from the soup ingredients which are then added to create an extremely fresh aroma for the diner.

The soul of the delicacy is the broth. Made with chicken bone, pork bone and ham, the soup needs to be simmered for more than 10 hours to get a rich, gelatinous texture. Then a thin layer of glistening chicken oil is created on top to insulate the soup and keep the whole bowl piping hot.

The soup ingredients are served separately on a cutting board or plate. Common ingredients include thin slices of fresh meat, chunks of chicken, strips of bean curd sheets, shredded chives, raw quail eggs and rice noodles. Once added into the broth, the heat of the hot soup will make all the ingredients cooked in a short time and soon you can enjoy it.

The Legend

Long ago, just south of the Yunnan city of Mengzixian, there was a beautiful lake with water as clear as jade. In the center of the lake, there was a small island covered in green bamboo saplings and giant trees whose ancient stalks reached the heavens. Known for its natural beauty and pleasant atmosphere, the small island drew many neighboring scholars seeking a tranquil place to study for the imperial exams.

Among these scholars, there was a particularly diligent student who spent many days studying on the island. Every day, his wife made the long walk to the lake, crossing the bridge to the island to bring him his meals. However, he was frequently so engrossed in his studies that he only remembered to eat long after the food had grown cold.

Due to his irregular eating habits, the scholar became noticeably thin and his warm-hearted wife grew very worried. One day, she had an idea. She butchered a plump hen to make a hot chicken soup, and separately prepared her husband’s favorite local rice noodles, seasonings, and ingredients.

She brought them over the bridge in different bowls, combining them just before he was ready to eat. On its own, the chicken broth stayed hot enough to cook the noodles and other ingredients, and created a thin layer of oil that kept the whole bowl piping hot. It worked. The scholar loved the hot noodle soup, and the wife started crossing the bridge everyday with these bowls.

Eventually, the scholar succeeded in passing the imperial exams and, remembering his wife’s great kindness and hospitality, joked that it was his wife’s wonderful noodles that helped him pass the prestigious and famously difficult exams.

As you may have guessed, the wife’s daily walk across the bridge to deliver her husband’s meals inspired the name “Crossing the Bridge Noodles”. The story was passed on by word of mouth through the generations and has come to symbolize affection, endearment, and admiration.

The Process

Step 1

Separate the quail egg yolk from egg white, put the egg yolk into the boiling soup.

Step 2

Batter the raw chicken, fish, and beef slices in slightly beaten egg whites to tenderize the meat.

Step 3

Quickly dip the meats a few times in boiling broth, as this will intensify the flavor.

Step 4

Then, place all ingredients into the broth, and add chili oil based on preference.

Step 5

Use chopsticks to pick up the rice noodles and place it into the broth.

Done

Slurp the noodles, enjoy the texture and flavor that melts in your mouth. When the noodles are finished, take your time and enjoy the rich, flavorful & nutritious broth.