Hakka flat rice noodles
Meinong, a Hakka farming town in the hills of Kaohsiung, is famous for its ban tiao: broad, slippery rice noodles steamed fresh each morning and sold in roadside shops for lunch, either swimming in a clear pork broth or stir-fried with chives and bean sprouts. This is the soup version, light and savoury, with tender slices of pork, crunchy sprouts, garlic chives and plenty of shallot oil floating on top; Hakka cooks put a side plate of boiled pork with a salty-sour sauce next to it. Overcooking is the classic error here: fresh ban tiao only needs a dip in boiling water, and it falls apart if left in. Chef's tip: separate the sheets of noodle by hand before cooking; cold noodles straight from the pack stick together in thick clumps.







