Sha He, Guangzhou, Guangdong — the original production district for these noodles; now made across Guangdong and in all Cantonese-diaspora communities
Sha he fen: the wide fresh rice noodles of Cantonese cuisine, named after the Sha He district of Guangzhou where they originated. Made from rice flour and water poured onto a cloth over a steamer — steamed until just set, then oiled and peeled off. Used in: dry stir-fry (gan chao niu he — dry-fried beef ho fun), soup, or cold with sauce (cheung fun). The technique requires the cloth to be pulled taut and the batter thin.
Silky, neutral rice flavour, slightly oily — a canvas for the sauce or wok-breath that accompanies it
{"Batter: rice flour (80%) + potato or tapioca starch (20%) + water + neutral oil","Steam time: 2–3 minutes maximum — the sheet must be translucent and just set","Oil the sheet immediately after steaming — prevents drying and sticking","For gan chao (dry stir-fry): the noodles are stir-fried with very high heat, no sauce — the char (wok-breath) is everything"}
{"Gan chao niu he (dry-fried beef ho fun) is the ultimate test of wok technique — absolutely no sauce, relies entirely on wok hei","Fresh sha he fen is far superior to dried or refrigerated — try to use within 4 hours of making","The rice-to-starch ratio determines texture: more starch = more chewy; more rice = more silky"}
{"Over-steaming — the noodle sheet becomes rubbery","Too thick batter — opaque, dense noodle rather than silky-translucent","Not enough oil after steaming — sheets stick together"}
Land of Fish and Rice — Fuchsia Dunlop