Xiajiang Rice Noodles 峡江米粉
Xiajiang Rice Noodles is featured among the local specialties of Jiangxi.
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Xiajiang Rice Noodles (峡江米粉) are rice noodles from Xiajiang (峡江) in Ji'an (吉安), Jiangxi, made from top-grade late-season rice; the Ji'an city government describes them as white, tender and fine yet springy, and records how they came to be called "tribute noodles" (贡粉).
How it is made
According to the city government, Xiajiang is known for its good rice, and the noodles made from it have long been well known. They start from top-grade late-season rice, which is picked over and soaked, ground into a slurry and filtered, steamed and pressed into strands, then gathered up and spread out to dry. There are more than a dozen steps in all.
Flavour and texture
The noodles are known for being white, tender and fine yet springy. They do not turn mushy with long boiling and do not break up with long stir-frying, and the Ji'an government describes their taste as clean and fragrant.
Where it comes from
The city government dates production to the Hongwu era at the start of the Ming dynasty, more than 600 years ago, and tells two stories. In the Yongle era, Jin Youzi (金幼孜), Minister of Rites and grand secretary of the Wuying Hall (武英殿), came back to the capital from a visit home and served noodles from his home county to the court officials, who praised them as fine, soft, springy and full of flavour.
In the Zhengde era, the Ming prince Zhu Houcong (朱厚璁) was travelling south when floods held him up at Xiajiang, and he spent the night in Chenjia village (陈家村) at Zhoutou (洲头), where villagers fed him rice noodles. After he took the throne as the Jiajing emperor (明世宗), he ordered Jiangxi to send Xiajiang Rice Noodles to the capital every year for the palace table, and that is how they came to be called tribute noodles.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer on 2026-09-26. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.