Jiaotou Noodles
Noodles served with a separately cooked meat, seafood or vegetable topping chosen from the menu.
How to eat it
If the topping arrives separately, add it gradually and mix the sauce through the noodles rather than pouring in everything before tasting.
The story behind the dish
Noodle shops prepare several meat, seafood or vegetable toppings separately, allowing one batch of noodles to support many combinations. “Jiaotou” means the cooked topping placed over the noodles, so the name describes a format rather than one fixed recipe. The chosen topping may arrive on the noodles or in a small dish beside them.
For reference
Every kitchen does it its own way. What follows is the typical version — ingredients, heat and price shift from city to city and from one restaurant to the next, so take it as a guide rather than a fixed recipe.
If you have an allergy or something you can't eat, check with the staff before you order.