Wuhan Hot Dry Noodles (Re Gan Mian / 热干面)

Wuhan, Hubei Province

Wuhan's most beloved breakfast noodle: alkaline wheat noodles briefly boiled, immediately tossed in sesame oil and cooled (this pre-cooking step is unique to re gan mian), then reheated briefly in boiling water and dressed with sesame paste, soy sauce, garlic water, chilli oil, preserved daikon, and spring onion. The distinct two-stage cooking process creates the characteristic coat-every-strand texture. Eaten hot, quickly, standing at street stalls.

• Singapore char kway teow (similarly pre-cooked noodles)
• Italian pasta aglio e olio (similarly lightly dressed)
• Japanese mazemen (no-broth noodle with coating sauce)

Sesame-forward, slightly salty, with the notable absence of liquid — this is a dry noodle dish with coating rather than sauce; the sesame oil pre-coat creates a light, separate texture that is unique