Suzhou Tang Noodles

Suzhou soup noodles are a morning ritual in the city, eaten at noodle shops that open at dawn and often sell out by mid-morning. The foundation is a broth (tāng) made by simmering pork bones, eel bones or dried fish with soy and rock sugar for several hours until it reaches a translucent golden-brown colour with a concentrated, slightly sweet, savoury depth. Thin wheat noodles (xì miàn) are cooked separately and transferred into the broth without clouding it. Toppings are seasonal and ordered separately: braised pork belly (bǎotóu ròu), braised river eel (bào chán), slow-fried pork crackling (àozào), duck or vegetarian alternatives. A defining Suzhou custom is ordering the broth and toppings apart (fēn kāi diǎn) to allow each component to be appreciated clearly. The sweetness of the broth is a distinctly Suzhou characteristic — very different from the clear broths of Guangdong or the oily broths of Lanzhou.