Wuhu Shrimp-Roe Noodles

Gengfuxing was founded in 1888 during the Qing Guangxu reign by a member of the Geng family from Jiangdu in Jiangsu province, who established a small eatery in Wuhu. The restaurant formally registered with the Wuhu Commercial Bureau in 1910. In 1912, noodle artisan Han Guangyuan joined the kitchen and, using sun-dried roe from Yangtze green shrimp harvested in the nearby Qingyi River, created the shrimp-roe noodle. It became one of three Gengfuxing signature snacks alongside crispy sesame cakes and crab-roe soup dumplings. In 2006 the restaurant was recognized by China's Ministry of Commerce as one of the first batch of Chinese Time-Honored Brands. The dish gained national renown in 2014 when CCTV's documentary 'A Bite of China' filmed the full production process at Gengfuxing.

The broth comes first — clear and pale gold, but concentrated with a briny, almost marine sweetness from the roe. The xiaodao noodles are springy and push back against the bite thanks to the five-press technique. Tiny spheres of shrimp roe cling to each strand, so every mouthful delivers that compressed, sun-dried river fragrance.

Yangtze green shrimp roe is harvested in spring and summer when the ovaries are fully developed, then kiln-dried at low heat to concentrate flavor compounds and prevent spoilage. The dried roe is dense in free glutamate and inosinate; when steeped in hot bone broth these two compounds produce a synergistic umami amplification that exceeds either alone. The xiaodao noodle is pressed five times through a steel roller, aligning gluten chains into dense parallel sheets — giving the noodle its springy tensility known in Chinese tradition as 'jing dao' (劲道). Collagen in the bone broth converts to gelatin during the long simmer, thickening the liquid and improving its coating of every noodle strand.