Geographical indications play a significant role in fostering regional economic growth, supporting rural revitalization, preserving traditional culture, and promoting opening up to the world. Since they emphasize the importance of origin, geographical indications are naturally tied to food, with genuine regional flavors leaving a lasting impression. During China's National Day holiday, the Henan International Communication Center (HICC) launched a special report series titled"Taste Geographical Indication Products in Henan Province", exploring different original locations across central China's Henan province to showcase the region's culinary delights.
Huangchuan Hollow Gongmian (Tribute Noodle): A Bowl of Noodles with a Thousand-Year Reputation
Photo/Dahe Daily
Pour beaten eggs into a hot oil pan and fry until both sides are golden brown. Add winter-stored Chinese cabbage and stir-fry together. Then, add water to the pan and boil the noodles. A bowl of steaming hot cabbage and egg noodles will instantly awaken your taste buds.
Qi Qi, a Chinese media professional, has seldom returned to his hometown of Huangchuan county in Henan province since starting his career. Every time he goes back, the first meal he enjoys is Huangchuan hollow gongmian (tribute noodle) cooked by his mother. " It still tastes just like it did when I was a child—warm and comforting, especially with the soup," Qi said.
Today, Huangchuan hollow gongmian is more than just a simple noodle dish. On April 20, at the 2024 National Intellectual Property Publicity Week, Henan branch event, the Huangchuan Hollow gongmian (Kwangchow gongmian) Geographical Indication Product Protection Demonstration Zone was officially inaugurated. As early as 2013, Huangchuan hollow gongmian (Kwangchow gongmian) had already gained national geographical indication product protection.
Note: Kwangchow hereof is the former name of Huangchuan.
Photo/xuexi.cn
"This is not just an honor," said a representative from the Market Supervision and Regulation Bureau of Huangchuan County, "it elevates Huangchuan's 'local specialty' into a 'golden calling card', driving the upgrading of the gongmian industry and boosting local economic development."
With noodles as thin as silk, a tubular core, and a al denteyet smooth texture, hollow gongmian leaves a lasting impression. Originating in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and flourishing during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), this noodle has a history of over 1,300 years and was once a tribute to the imperial court. From small family workshops to large-scale, standardized production facilities, the Huangchuan hollow gongmian industry has become an important driver of local prosperity. Driven by leading production enterprises, the market share and brand recognition of Huangchuan hollow gongmian have steadily increased.
A good bowl of noodles can bring prosperity to a city. Just two months ago, construction began on the Huangchuan Hollow Gongmian Industrial Park in Fudian town, Huangchuan county. Once completed, this comprehensive industrial park—integrating production, intangible cultural heritage experiences, product displays, and warehousing logistics—will promote coordinated development across related industries, elevating Huangchuan hollow gongmian from a mere "strand of noodle" into a "golden thread". (Chinese source/Henan Daily Reporter/Hu Shutong Translator/Tong Lin Proofreader/Zhu Wenxiao)
