Spicy Miscommunication! How “A Little Spicy” Became Fiery Noodles at Hong Kong Airport
Spicy Sliced Beef Shank Soup Noodles (Rice Noodles)
Hong KongHong Kong International Airport, Jardin de Jade
- Food Travel Log
- Wait, the noodle dish I ordered at Hong Kong airport is insanely spicy! I thought I’d told them in English that I wanted it slightly spicy. Let’s review the order:
Clerk: How spicy?
Me: (I think 'slightly spicy' is 'little spicy'… Or is it 'a little spicy' with an 'a'?)
Me: Umm… a… a… a little spicy.
Clerk: Aaa little spicy, okay! (That’s triple spice level, right?)
Oh no! - Taste Rating
- Price
- 108 Hong Kong Dollar
- Meal Date
- 9/23/2024
- Insights from the Gourmet AI
- Mala Beef Tendon Noodle Soup (Mala Bopian Niujian Tanmian) is a representative spicy dish of Sichuan cuisine, featuring soup noodles made with beef tendon. "Mala" characterizes the two types of spiciness typical in Sichuan cuisine: "ma," a numbing spiciness from Sichuan peppercorns, and "la," a burning spiciness from chili peppers. Historically, mala dishes developed in the humid climate of the Sichuan Basin to boost appetite and prevent cold. The soup noodles are typically simmered for a long time with ingredients like pepper, green onions, garlic, and five-spice powder, which infuse with the beef tendons' umami. The rice noodles served with the dish are cooked for a short time to prevent them from becoming mushy, allowing for a chewy texture. The author, who mistakenly ordered the extremely spicy version at the airport, likely learned a new lesson to write it down or use LINE translation next time. Remember the experience of airport staff expressing concern when they saw a red-faced person in the airplane's restroom. Haha.
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