Crossing-the-bridge rice noodles
A bowl of very hot chicken broth sealed under a layer of oil, brought with plates of raw sliced meat, quail egg, vegetables and rice noodles. You add them yourself and the broth cooks them.
Life in Mainland China
Yunnan: a Chinese conversation with pinyin and English
From snow peaks to rainforest, home to many peoples and languages.
The conversation
Speakers: Xiaoyu and Meili.
- Xiaoyu
云南也太绝了，一个省里头既有雪山又有热带雨林。
Yunnan is honestly unreal. You've got snow-capped mountains and tropical rainforests all in one province.
- Meili
而且民族和语言也特别多。
Not to mention all the different ethnic groups and languages.
- Xiaoyu
我今天在丽江古城，明天去大理。我的铅笔都快画不过来了。
I'm in Lijiang Ancient Town today and heading to Dali tomorrow. My pencils can't keep up with all this sketching.
- Meili
吃过过桥米线没？考考你，生肉到底是怎么烫熟的？
Have you had crossing-the-bridge noodles yet? Let me quiz you: how does the raw meat actually get cooked?
- 封了一层油的滚汤，端上桌当场烫熟 A boiling broth sealed with a layer of oil cooks it right at the table
- 砂锅底下垫着碳火直接烤熟 It's grilled directly over charcoal beneath a clay pot
- 在后厨端出来之前已经煮熟了 It's already boiled in the back before they bring it out
Answer
封了一层油的滚汤，端上桌当场烫熟 A boiling broth sealed with a layer of oil cooks it right at the table
- Xiaoyu
滚汤啊！上面封了一层油保温，自己把生肉和米线倒进去。
The boiling broth! There's a layer of oil on top to keep it hot, and you just dump the raw meat and noodles in yourself.
- Meili
合着你这是去客串大厨了。
Look at you moonlighting as a chef.
- Xiaoyu
我总算在厨房找到工作了。后来我还去逛了野生菌市场。
I finally found a job in the kitchen. Afterward, I went to check out the wild mushroom market.
- Meili
都是野生的？
Were they all wild?
- Xiaoyu
夏天品种可太多了。我全画了下来，才敢问哪个没毒。
There are so many varieties in the summer. I sketched every single one before I even dared ask which ones weren't poisonous.
- Meili
你这顺序没颠倒吧？
Aren't you getting that backward?
- Xiaoyu
我的速写本可专业了，美丽。
My sketchbooks are totally professional, Meili.
- Meili
帮我捎点普洱茶饼，就是那种能存着陈化的。
Pick up some pu'er tea cakes for me, the kind you can age.
- Xiaoyu
又压实又能存。现在买一块，等咱们老了正好喝。
Pressed and ready for aging. We'll buy one now and it'll be just right to drink when we're old.
Words in the conversation
里头insideHSK 2而且moreoverHSK 2语言languageHSK 2特别specialHSK 2不过howeverHSK 2过来to come overHSK 2自己oneselfHSK 2后来afterwardHSK 2夏天summerHSK 2咱们weHSK 2正好just rightHSK 2民族an ethnic groupHSK 3到底after allHSK 3上面on top of itHSK 3市场a marketplace for goodsHSK 3下来to come down toward hereHSK 3专业a majorHSK 3美丽beautiful (of scenery)HSK 3就是preciselyHSK 3顺序orderHSK 4总算finallyHSK 5厨房kitchenHSK 5品种varietyHSK 5铅笔pencilHSK 6野生wild (animal or plant)HSK 6
Notes
- Kind
- Province
- Capital
- Kunming
- Region
- Southwest China
From snow peaks to rainforest, home to many peoples and languages.
Known for
- Crossing-the-bridge rice noodles, cooked at the table in very hot broth
- Pu'er tea, pressed into cakes and aged
- Wild mushrooms, sold in their dozens of kinds in the summer markets
- The old towns of Lijiang and Dali