Today, I will share with you how to make a birthday noodle soup. First of all, let’s talk about xian mian 线面. xian mian 线面, meaning thread-like thin noodles, is a specialty food from my hometown Fuzhou, China. They are hand-made, and rolled into a bundle and air-dried. When they are dry, each bundle is tied with a thin red thread.
Red is the lucky color in China. Long noodles are a symbol of longevity. Eating birthday noodle soup is very important in the Chinese culture. In my family, the most important part of a birthday celebration is eating a bowl of birthday noodle soup. I remember when I was a child, my mom would prepare a pot of slow-cooked pork or chicken soup in the morning. She then cooked a bundle or two of birthday noodles and boiled two eggs to assemble a bowl of delicious birthday noodle soup for me.
It was my special breakfast. I was told to eat only one egg on my birthday, leaving the other one for “tomorrow” as it symbolizes good luck and good health for not only on the birthday but also for the future. It means you will have good luck and good health every day after the birthday.
This tradition continues and it does not matter whether I am in America or in China, I eat a bowl of birthday noodle soup on my birthday.
You can find the Fuzhou birthday noodles in Asian supermarkets if you like to try it. My former students loved the noodles so much, they even ate them raw in school (couldn’t wait to bring them home to cook).
M y P i n g s W o r l d . c o m 萍 的 世 界 