Noodle · Stir-fried

Laoyou Fen ("Old Friend" Rice Noodles)

📷 Closely related photo — Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use

The dish is named after a specific act of friendship — a Nanning tea house owner is said to have invented the recipe to nurse a regular customer back to health.

Rice noodles are stir-fried quickly with black beans, chili, garlic, pickled vegetables, and fermented soybeans, often finished with a fried egg or minced pork.

Why it's made this way: According to local legend, the dish was created in the 1930s specifically to help a regular customer recover from illness.