"Ol' Buddy" Noodles from Nanning (广西老友面)

A classic from Nanning (capital of the Guangxi Autonomous Region), its mix of garlic, fermented chilis, fermented black beans, and sour bamboo shoots is a combination that just works so well.

There's certain combinations of flavors that just… work. Basil and tomato. Apples and cinnamon. Kombu, shitake, and dried fish. Cilantro, lime, and chilis. Stuff that's… beloved worldwide for a good reason.

And today? We wanted to introduce you to another combination that we believe belongs in that same illustrious league: the Laoyou, or "ol' buddy" flavor profile. Hailing from the city of Nanning in the center of southern region of Guangxi, it's most commonly seen in noodle or rice noodle soup form, and is a mix of garlic, douchi, a.k.a. Chinese fermented black beans, fermented chili sauce, and pickled bamboo shoots. Together, they are more than the sum of their parts - it's an aggressively delicious combination that not only works for noodles, but is also something that you can totally get creative with, like using it in stir fries, barbecue, or braises, all of which exist in Guangxi.

"Ol' Buddy" Noodles

Makes one serving. Noodle shops would prep all the ingredients needed, and fry up one serving at a time.

• Sour bamboo shoot (酸笋), 40g.

• Garlic, 3 cloves. Minced.

• Douchi, a.k.a. Chinese fermented black beans (豆豉), ½ tbsp.

• Hunan chopped chilis (剁椒) or Guizhou 'pickled chili' (糟辣椒), preferably, ½ tbsp.

• Fresh noodles (生面), 100g or rice noodles, 100g, or dried noodles, ~70g or one pack of instant noodles.

• Meat (optional):

  Pork (瘦肉), 40g.

  Pig liver (猪肝), 40g.

• Marinade for pork (use the same amounts for the liver):

  Salt, ⅛ tsp.

  Sugar, ¼ tsp.

  Cornstarch (生粉), ½ tsp.

  Soy sauce (生抽), ⅛ tsp.

  Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), ¼ tsp.

  Oil, ~½ tsp.

• Sauce:

  Soy sauce (生抽), 1 tbsp.

  Rice vinegar (米醋), 1 tbsp.

  Oyster sauce (蚝油), 1 tsp.

  Sugar, ¼ tsp.

  Salt, ⅛ tsp.

  Chicken bouillon powder (鸡粉), ⅛ tsp.

• Stock, 600mL.

• Sliced scallions, to top.

Process:

First, squeeze and slice up 40g of sour bamboo shoots, then toast them for ~2 minutes over a medium high flame in a dry wok. If you're planning on making this regularly, you can make a big batch and keep a jar of toasted bamboo shoots handy.

Mince up 3 cloves of garlic and ½ tbsp of douchi. Measure out ½ tbsp of Hunan chopped chilis or Guizhou 'pickled chili'.

Boil 100g fresh noodles (or other noodles listed above) to about 80% done.

Slice and marinate 40g of pork with: 1/8 tsp salt, ¼ tsp sugar, ½ tsp cornstarch, 1/8 tsp soy sauce, ¼ tsp liaojiu, ~1/2 tsp oil. If using, prepare 40g pig liver with the same marinade.

Mix the sauce: 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp oyster sauce, ¼ tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp chicken bouillon powder.

To make the soup: quickly fry the pork in ~1/2 tbsp of lard over a medium high flame until done, ~1 minute. Remove and set aside, and shut off the heat.

Then, go in with another ~1/2 tbsp of lard, and fry the garlic, douchi, and chili sauce. Quick mix, then add the bamboo shoots. Another quick mix, then add the prepared sauce & fry for ~15 seconds.

Add in 600mL stock, bring up to a boil. Once boiling, add in the cooked pork together with the uncooked liver. After ~15 seconds, add in the (mostly cooked) noodles. Boil together for ~30 seconds, then move to a bowl.

Top with sliced scallions.