Is this the best way to cook soup noodles? Chefs in this Chinese city swear by the ‘pot-lid’ method
- Pot-lid noodles are a speciality of Zhenjiang, where shopkeepers insist their particular cooking method makes a difference
- By boiling the noodles with a wooden lid, chefs say the aroma is enhanced
In the city of Zhenjiang in eastern China, shops cook noodles with an unusual feature: a small wooden lid floating in the water.
Known fittingly as pot-lid noodles, or guogaimian, the dish has been around for 300 years. Locals take pride in the unconventional cooking method. The lid, typically made of fir, dances on the surface of the water while the noodles cook underneath.
“If there’s too much water and it starts boiling, it might overflow,” says Zhou Heluan, who leads a local association that promotes pot-lid noodles. “The lid stops the water from flowing out.”
Zhou also says the lid imparts a wood-like aroma to the noodles.
While many people swear by it, the truth is that the addition of the lid is a gimmick. Most people cannot really taste the difference, and the noodles can be made completely without the lid.
