-
1
Place the blanched pork bones in a large pot with the cleaned river snails, dried shrimp, ginger, star anise, bay leaves, and Sichuan peppercorns. Cover with 2 litres of cold water and bring to a vigorous boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Simmer uncovered for a minimum of 4 hours. The broth is ready when it has turned a deep amber-brown and carries a pronounced savoury depth with a faint oceanic undertone — a short simmer will not achieve this.
-
2
Strain the broth through a fine sieve, discarding all solids. Return the broth to a clean pot and bring back to a gentle simmer. Add the fermented sour bamboo shoots and the fried tofu puffs directly to the broth and cook for 8–10 minutes. This is where the dish lives or dies: the suan sun must release their full pungent sourness into the broth without being boiled down to mildness — the smell will be alarming, which is correct. The tofu puffs are ready when they have swollen and become saturated with broth.
-
3
Bring a separate pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil. Add the fresh rice noodles and cook briefly — 1 to 2 minutes — until they are just tender but retain a slight chew. Drain immediately. The noodles should yield to pressure without any hard, floury core.
-
4
Divide the noodles among four deep bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles, distributing the bamboo shoots and tofu puffs evenly. Arrange the dried tofu slices, roasted peanuts, and fresh coriander across the surface. Finish each bowl with a tablespoon of chili oil. The surface should show distinct pools of red chili oil and the broth should be steaming vigorously — serve immediately.