New Year Homecoming: Food Memories of Héle Noodles, Wenchang Chicken, Red Sausage and Sandworms | Food Talk Vol. 31
The Spring Festival holiday has passed. What hometown flavours did you enjoy when you went back this year? In this episode of Food Talk, the Foodthink team gathers to share their culinary memories of the festivities. From Shaanxi to Hainan, and on to Harbin and Beijing, each region boasts its own distinctive food culture and dining habits.
Ze’en, who hails from Jingyang in Shaanxi, finds herself most nostalgic for *ranghe*, a local specialty. It’s a chilled dish made by steaming alternating layers of steamed bun crumbs, minced lean meat, ginger, and eggs. She hopes to learn how to recreate it from the elders back home. Meanwhile, Ning Chen, a self-proclaimed Hainan “islander”, walks us through preparing Wenchang chicken and shares the locals’ passion for seafood. Xiao Qi, originally from Harbin, recalls her New Year feast: Russian-style sausages, sauerkraut dumplings, kvass, and frozen pears. Since Harbin went viral online, have there been any shifts in the local food scene?
Another editor, Xiao Jing, recounts her experience in Shaoyang, Hunan, where she’d take her own bowl along to “fetch” rice noodles, and discovers how a city-focused guide like Dianping falls short in a smaller town. Ze’en, who stayed in Beijing and invited her parents over for the holidays, tried out instant-boiled mutton, roast duck, pickled vegetables, and snacks from Daoxiangcun… Her parents were left sighing that shopping for ingredients and cooking at home in Beijing is simply too inconvenient. It’s a small glimpse into how life in a megacity is quietly shifting.
To wrap things up, we also dive into the surreal journey of returning to Beijing to “get back to work” from a trendy travel destination.
While the flavours of home in our memories remain unchanged, the food culture in smaller towns and cities is constantly evolving, with new discoveries each year. What did you uncover this Spring Festival? We hope this episode helps you trace your own connection to home through food and culture, offering a fresh perspective on the journey back!
Episode Guests
Ze’en
A newly minted Shaanxi native in Beijing’s southern district, a devoted fan of authentic Beijing *douchi* (fermented mung bean milk), with a stomach that remains firmly set on Shaanxi flavours.
Ning Chen
A newcomer to Foodthink, a southerner with a northerner’s roots. She never gets tired of eggplant and broccoli, and relies on hiking and yoga to burn off calories so she can keep eating. Her New Year resolution is to embrace uncertainty—even if it means missing the bus.
Xiao Qi
A project officer at Foodthink and an agriculture student eager to reconnect with the land.
Episode Host
Xiao Jing
A local Beijing host who spends most New Years in the city. After marrying into a Hunan family, she’s had the chance to “qia” (fetch) her fair share of authentic Hunan rice noodles in the small town of Shaoyang.
Timestamps
01:39 We ask Xiao Qi from Harbin: Red sausage, picky cabbage dumplings and kvass… do people from the Northeast really eat these at home?
05:32 A question for Hainan native Ning Chen: Given their emphasis on fresh, authentic chicken flavour, do most residents actually butcher their own birds? And how do you cook Wenchang chicken to perfection?
10:05 The local seafood Ning Chen misses most: This year he finally tried sandworms—crispy yet tender. And no, not the kind from *Dune*!
11:40 Ze’en’s most missed home dish from Shaanxi: Ranghe, a cold appetiser made by steaming layers of steamed buns, minced pork, ginger and eggs. As the local saying goes, “A banquet isn’t complete without Ranghe.”
15:24 Beijing native Xiao Jing in Shaoyang, Hunan: Don’t blindly trust Dianping when back in your hometown! That 4.5-star chain noodle shop wasn’t particularly good, but the rice noodles from the stall where locals bring their own bowls every morning? Rated 2.5 stars with zero service, but genuinely delicious.
19:01 The editorial team’s great debate over Daoxiangcun: Is it actually good? Is a box of pastries worth the price? When will this heritage bakery finally innovate beyond its traditional recipes?
22:19 Are hometown food habits and spending patterns catching up with major cities? Even Starbucks, often seen as the epitome of middle-class consumption, is gradually weaving itself into small-town life.
25:08 Harbin’s local scene revived by tourism: Visiting neighbourhood eateries and community stalls, then heading to the hearty, filling Northeast wet markets to sample fried chicken, blood sausage, and huge bowls of Northeastern cold noodles.
27:32 Used to the community vegetable shops on every corner in Shenzhen, Ze’en’s parents found it inconvenient in Beijing: every single market is at least a kilometre away.
29:53 The remarkable Hongqiao Market in Beijing: A history of transformation from a local wet market to a bustling jewellery market.
31:54 A surreal journey home: Living in a tourist destination where flights cost thousands and train tickets are impossible to snag… how did Hainan’s Ning Chen and Harbin’s Xiao Qi make it back to Beijing?
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Production Team for This Episode
Coordinator & Producer: Xiao Jing
Cover Art: Wan Lin
Music: Ba Nong
Editor: Wang Hao
Contact Email: xiaojing@foodthink.cn