Among all the Guangfu rice noodles, the most famous one is Shahe rice noodles, which have a history stretching back more than 100 years.

The rice noodles were first served in Shahe town in Guangzhou – the capital of South China's Guangdong province – in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), hence their name. The noodles were traditionally made by using Baiyun Mountain spring water, contributing to their tender and smooth texture.

However, the noodles waned in popularity in the past due to the complicated production process, which consists of multiple steps – selecting the rice, washing the rice, wet pulverizing, spreading rice pulp, cooking, drying, and cutting.

A traditional serving of stir-fried Shahe rice noodles with beef. [Photo/Yangcheng Evening News]

With the help of the Guangzhou government and devoted efforts by fifth-generation inheritor Ou Yousheng, the dish became popular again, and the skill of making it was recognized as a national-level intangible cultural heritage item in 2021.

Nowadays, besides the traditional servings, Shahe rice noodles are used in innovative culinary techniques and in experimenting with new flavors, such as the pesto Shahe rice noodles.