As an out-and-out Xiangyang native, if you ask me what is the best noodle I have ever eaten, it must be Xiangyang beef noodles.

In fact, we usually also eat beef offal noodles, tofu noodles, kelp noodles, fried bean paste noodles, etc. However, people often ask people in Xiangyang, what is the most delicious noodles? We would say Xiangyang beef noodles without hesitation.

In Xiangyang, no one will ask in the morning "What should we eat this morning?" This is the problem of the century, because everyone will go directly to a bowl of Xiangyang beef noodles. Those who drink can have rice wine with it, but those who do not drink alcohol can A bowl of soy milk is served to each person. After completing this process, the day of Xiangyang people really begins.

What I remember most is that during the Chinese New Year, all the shops on the street were closed, but the noodle shops were still open and the business was booming. Even though prices will increase during the Chinese New Year, people will still line up to get a bowl of noodles.

When eating Xiangyang beef noodles, the first thing to check whether it is authentic or not is to check whether bean sprouts are added to the noodles. That’s right. Foreigners may be surprised. (Of course, if you don’t like to eat it, you have to say in advance that you won’t add bean sprouts).

The second step is to eat Xiangyang beef noodles with soy milk. The soy milk I'm talking about is not the usual cup of soy milk on the market, but the soy milk that comes in a bowl with a large opening, and the store clerk pours it in front of you with a pot or digs it out of a big bucket yourself. The soy milk in the store is made by the store staff who get up very early in the morning.

?

When I was in junior high school in the winter, I went to eat noodles in the morning. The clerk in the noodle shop gave us a bowl of soy milk that had just been prepared and paired it with a bowl of noodles. The sleepiness you feel when you wake up early disappears.

Of course, I have to say that Xiangyang beef noodles are not suitable for people who don’t like spicy food. Even if you tell the chef not to add spicy food at a noodle shop, it will still taste spicy because the soup itself is made spicy.

After I left Xiangyang, I saw many Xiangyang beef noodles in other places, but none of them were as authentic as at home. Every time I'm away from home for a while, I crave a bowl of Xiangyang beef noodles with a big bowl of soy milk.