Guo Gou Rice Noodles Introduction
In the early morning, as the sky begins to brighten, the courtyard is filled with eager customers. Once the crowd dissipates, the products are pushed to the temple entrance and are typically sold out within an hour, even before 8 AM. This is the legend of "Guo Gou Rice Noodles." The founder, Zhuang Jinhua (born 1938), faced a tragic loss when his son passed away. With his daughter-in-law, Yu Liangying (also known as Ah Yue), needing to work, Zhuang Jinhua began making and selling rice cakes while taking care of his three young grandchildren to help support the household. Later, his sister taught him the secrets of making rice noodles, which led him to switch to selling rice noodles instead. Initially, he sold from a lead bucket on the streets before upgrading to a pushcart, and eventually settled at the temple entrance. In 2010, as Zhuang Jinhua grew older, his daughter-in-law, Yu Liangying (Ah Yue), took over the business and continued the legacy of "Guo Gou Rice Noodles" from the same location. The process of making rice noodles is labor-intensive. The night before, glutinous rice (pure indica rice) needs to be soaked for 5 hours. Around 2 AM, one rises to grind the rice into a batter using a grinding machine, reserving a small portion for thickening the mixture. The rest is poured into a large pot and stirred manually until dry. After mixing in flour and sweet potato starch using a mixer, the mixture is ready to be cut into pieces. Aromatic scallions are sautéed, followed by adding shrimp, fried scallion crisps, and five-spice powder, which are also stir-fried and set aside. Water is added to the pot to cook...
