Fireworks illuminate the sky, heralding the commencement of the food month event.

At the Juwan Old Brick Factory, the diners eagerly await savoring the Juwan Sour Paste Noodles.

The photo shows the Sour Paste Noodles for serving at the table.

Diners are savoring Sour Paste Noodles in the main hall of the Juwan Old Brick Factory.

Braised meat, braised tofu skin, fried steamed buns, and hot bean sprouts serve as the perfect accompaniments to Sour Paste Noodles.

Tasting Sour Paste Noodles is a cherished tradition for the people of Zaoyang during the summer months.

The photo shows the venue for the Food Month event.

On the evening of August 16, the event titled “Searching for the Han Culture’s Charm and Enjoying Zaoyang’s Featured Cuisine - Sour Paste Noodles from Liu Xiu’s Hometown, Pabst Blue Ribbon Food Month” was inaugurated in Juwan Town, Zaoyang City, Xiangyang, Hubei Province. Following his victory in the Sour Paste Noodles “Food God” Challenge, a young man from Henan enthusiastically remarked, “Juwan Sour Paste Noodles are delicious; you will want to have more.”

In Xiangyang, renowned delicacies encompass not only the famous Xiangyang beef noodles but also the Zaoyang Juwan Sour Paste Noodles. In the evenings, people often gather in groups of three or five to savor these delightful Sour Paste Noodles. The hot bean sprouts are both spicy and appetizing, while the braised bean skins offer a soft and chewy texture. Additionally, there are braised bean tendons, tender braised beef, and bean cream skim rolls with minced pork... Finally, everyone enjoys a bowl of Sour Paste Noodles that is particularly refreshing.

If Xiangyang beef noodles are a traditional dish, then Zaoyang Sour Paste Noodles exemplify the blending of intangible cultural heritage and Han culture. In the upcoming month, Zaoyang City will host the Juwan Sour Paste Noodles Food Month event, aiming to innovate and develop a new immersive consumption experience through the model of “intangible cultural heritage, industry, and cultural tourism.” This effort seeks to boost the consumption index in both the catering and cultural tourism sectors.

The history of Juwan Sour Paste Noodles can be traced back over 200 years to the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty. During this time, a man named Peng relocated to Juwan with his family and established a noodle business on South Street. Peng frequently fermented vegetables harvested during the summer and autumn months in jars, transforming them into sour delicacies that could be enjoyed throughout the winter. One day, when both vegetables and pasta were running low, Peng creatively combined pickled Chinese cabbage with water to create a unique paste. He then poured this mixture over freshly cooked noodles. To his surprise, customers eagerly devoured the dish as soon as it was served. Diners from across the country praised its flavor, leading to widespread acclaim for these Sour Paste Noodles.

Later, through the continuous efforts and improvements made by several generations of the Peng family, the quality of Sour Paste Noodles’ soup was enhanced and innovated. Its popularity expanded day by day, establishing it as a well-known hallmark of local specialty cuisine in Zaoyang. In the early 1980s, an increasing number of entrepreneurs entered the business, attracting many individuals from surrounding areas to visit the “Peng Family’s Old Store” in Juwan to learn from master chefs before returning home to open their establishments. Many have been successfully operating their businesses for decades. Consequently, the technique for making Sour Paste Noodles was widely promoted and developed, leading Juwan Town to gain a reputation for its Sour Paste Noodles. Today, one can find numerous signs featuring surnames such as “Ju,” “Peng,” “Meng,” “Fu,” “Wu,” “Zhai,” “Zhang,” and “Tang” adorning shops throughout streets and alleys. The culture surrounding Sour Paste Noodles has become deeply ingrained in the very fabric of life in Zaoyang.

For over 200 years, the production techniques and raw materials of Juwan Sour Paste Noodles have remained largely unchanged, following years of accumulation. From the inheritance of traditional handicrafts passed down through generations to the continuous refinement of flavor formulas, Juwan Sour Paste Noodles not only preserves the rich taste derived from ancient fermentation but also incorporates the exquisite craftsmanship characteristic of modern cuisine. This dish serves as a beloved home-cooked meal for the people of Zaoyang when entertaining guests during summer and stands out as an exceptional choice for visitors seeking to experience unique and delicious culinary offerings in Zaoyang.

Juwan Sour Paste Noodles reflects the inheritance and continuation of cultural heritage. In recent years, Zaoyang City has increased efforts to protect the inheritors and techniques related to sour noodle soup. This includes thorough investigation, collection, and organization of relevant information, as well as preserving records through methods like video documentation and book publishing.

In 2013, the production technique of Zaoyang Sour Paste Noodles was recognized as a representative project of provincial intangible cultural heritage. Ju Xingbo and Peng Guanglian have been designated as representative inheritors at the municipal level in Xiangyang and Zaoyang, respectively. In 2022, Juwan Town was honored as one of the first batch of villages, towns, and blocks characterized by intangible cultural heritage in Hubei Province. In 2023, the “Zaoyang Sour Paste Noodle Making Techniques” Intangible Cultural Heritage Training Institute was established as part of the second batch of demonstration bases for intangible cultural heritage inheritance at the city level in Xiangyang. On May 25 of this year, during the 2025 Hubei Tourism Commodity Competition and China Tourism Commodity Competition Hubei Selection Contest, Zaoyang Juwan Sour Paste Noodles earned a silver medal.

It has been demonstrated that the art of crafting a quality bowl of noodles can significantly drive an industry. In recent years, to expand the sour paste noodles industry chain, inheritors of Zaoyang’s sour paste noodle production technology and related enterprises have successfully developed ready-to-eat Sour Paste Noodles packaged in open bags. Industrial and standardized production processes have been implemented, resulting in a comprehensive industry chain encompassing noodle processing, sourdough fermentation, and e-commerce sales. This advancement has enabled Juwan Sour Paste Noodles to transcend geographical limitations, reaching consumers nationwide and gracing the dining tables of countless households. Consequently, more individuals are now able to savor the flavors of Zaoyang cuisine.

In the past, the availability of Juwan Sour Paste Noodles was limited to the period from April to September each year due to the influence of fermentation temperature. However, in 2024, the Zaoyang Banquet and the Juwan Old Brick Factory implemented technological advancements and environmental enhancements to promote continuous fermentation of pickled Chinese cabbage. This initiative aims to achieve a significant breakthrough in production technology, enabling consumers to enjoy authentic Juwan Sour Paste Noodles throughout the entire year.

A bowl of Sour Paste Noodles embodies a century-long love for Juwan. These noodles, which evoke the most vivid taste memories for countless residents of Zaoyang, represent not only “cultural noodles” but also “ecological noodles,” and even “noodles that symbolize industrial prosperity.”

This Issue’s Text: Sun Xiuting and Bi Xueqian, the All-media Journalists, Li Xiaojun, the Stringer, and Zhang Jing and Liu Ruizhe, the Correspondents

This Issue’s Photos: Wang Hu, the All-media Journalist, and Shen Xueqiang and Zhong Hua, the Correspondents