Local Gem: Stinky Yet Tasty, The Temptation of Smelly Snail Noodles And Why I Fell For It
Local Gem is an exploration of Beijing’s diverse palate. Get out of your comfort zone and try something new! To share your own neighborhood pride, please contact us via editor@thebeijinger.com
Ever since human beings began cooking their food on the fire, the pursuit of newer and tastier flavor profiles has never ceased. From adding various spices, to flambéing their dishes with liquor, generations of dedicated chefs have come up with endless techniques and bold approaches to enhance the aroma of their food. However, as hard as it is to admit, it is not always the most pleasant smell that makes us drool. Durian, blue cheese, fish sauce, and stinky tofu... These black sheep in our culinary culture seem to exert some sort of magic that makes the world fall for them. Their pungent smell and taste mercilessly invade our delicate sensory organs, compelling us to run away lest we be completely enthralled by their dominance!
In China, stinky tofu has sat on the throne of stinky food for quite a long time, however, recently a rising star has recently begun a new smelly revolution and has taken the crown of stinkiness with its unique smell and addictive taste. Yup, I am talking about 螺蛳粉 luósī fěn, or smelly snail noodles. Compared to stinky tofu, the smelly snail noodle dish is a fairly young member of the Chinese culinary family, having been invented only about 40 or 50 years ago in Liuzhou, a city in Guangxi, where it quickly gained a reputation as a favorite of local street cuisine. But over the past few years its stinky reputation has spread across the vast land of China like an unstoppable tornado, especially among the younger generations. Smelly snail noodles have successfully surpassed other types of instant noodles and other food, and ranked at the top in a survey run by NetEase last year about the most popular ready-to-eat foods according to Chinese netizens. And the biggest producer of instant smelly snail noodles was even out of stock last year during the pandemic season, because their productivity could not catch up with the orders! Even in other corners of the world people have already started becoming familiar with this terrifying (in both a pleasant and unpleasant way) food thanks to Chinese students who were reported to the police for anything from cooking turds to having corpses stored in their fridge...when of course all they were doing was simply cooking a late-night bowl of smelly snail noodles!
Now, hearing of the plight of these poor students, you may secretly agree with their neighbors, even as you slurp up your own bowl of smelly noodles... However, none of those instant smelly snail noodle options can truly represent the authentic taste of this addictive food because, as simple as it may look, this humble neighborhood treat actually requires assorted ingredients and diverse techniques. First of all, although the dish got its name from the river snail, you won’t find any of them in your bowl, as only a certain kind of snail is suitable for the dish and the broth is now prepared with pork. Then, the rice noodles that serve as the base of the dish need to be freshly made and cut to ensure a smooth and bouncy texture. Last but not least, a satisfying bowl of smelly snail noodles needs to have diverse toppings, from deep-fried sheets of bean curd, to black fungus, peanuts, veggies, and the most important ingredient: the fermented bamboo that is the main source for the iconic yet controversial stink of smelly snail noodles. The crunchy texture and spicy flavor of the bamboo are two other aspects that make it the star of this deliciously smelly dish. Luckily, I do not think the smell of fermented bamboo is stinky at all, but rather quite tempting and appetizing. This secret affection has also become a way for me to discern whether a smelly noodle place is authentic or not!
I did not need any navigation tool to help me locate today’s Local Gem, since the rich aroma of smelly snail noodles wafted out of the building and hit me before I even arrived! When I came back to my senses, I was already standing in front of the 八十八粉儿, or 88 Rice Noodle Stop. The name 八十八 bāshíbā, or “88” can be assembled back to the Chinese character 米 mǐ, which suggests the main ingredient that sets their dishes apart from those of other noodle shops. Despite being located near Paradise Walk, the place is not the kind of restaurant that you might frequently see in this neighborhood that spends most of its budget on interior design. The shop’s blackboard has all their dishes written on it in white chalk, transporting customers back to an old-time local cafeteria. Sadly, as it is in the center of Beijing, compared to the fare of many other cheap instant noodle places the dishes of this special shop are usually above RMB 40, which is a price this popular street food seldom ever reached in its previous history. But once you dig into the bowl that waits in front of you, the flavor and quality of the ingredients explain the rationality of its price by themselves. Most of them are directly transported to Beijing from Guangxi via airplane to ensure the flavor can convince even the pickiest diner. The soup is a bit salty for some people’s taste, but it is rich in flavors, and the savoriness, spiciness, zest, and unique pungent aroma (or stink) that comes from the fermented bamboo are all perfectly mixed together, and can still be discerned from each other easily. Once you give it a try for the first time, the taste will be embedded in your genes and will keep calling you back.
And to expand us Northerners’ horizons about Guangxi cuisines, 老友粉 lǎo yǒu fěn “old friend” rice noodles, 干拌粉 gān bàn fěn stirred and mixed rice noodles, and many other rice noodle delicacies can be found on the menu. Most of the staff are from Guangxi, so if you happened to live there for a while, or even know their dialect, it will surely bring out some nostalgic emotions from the bottom of your heart.
This is not the food for a date...or at least not the first date. However, you should cherish the ones who will eat stinky snail noodles with you because it means neither of you minds how stinky each other's breath may get! This dish accepts all kinds of ingredients and all kinds of diners, and no matter who you are, everyone smells the same when leaving the smelly snail noodle shop!
1123 Shangdu SOHO West Tower, Bldg 2, No.8, Dongdaqiao Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区东大桥路8号院2号楼SOHO尚都西塔1123
Daily, 11am to 9pm
Price Range: RMB 50 per person
Read: Local Gem: Your Late Night Yakitori Wonderland
Images: Dianping, Zeus Zou
