MUZIChinese Matrix
Rolled and Cut Noodles · FFET10116
Chongqing xiaomian: alkaline-water noodles dressed with chili oil, Sichuan pepper, soy sauce and lard, eaten dry, in soup or with a minced-meat topping.
Thin yellow noodles tossed in a glossy red chili-oil sauce fill a white porcelain bowl, topped with a mound of fried minced pork, crushed peanuts and scallion, with one baby bok choy against the side.
Noodles made by rolling a dough into a thin sheet and cutting it into strips.
Chongqing xiaomian is a Chongqing dish of alkaline-water noodles dressed with chili oil, Sichuan pepper, soy sauce, lard and aromatics, with pea-and-mince or beef versions. By January 2026, there were over 42,000 outlets nationwide. Origin accounts place it in Chongqing's Wanzhou area or on its Yangtze quays, respectively in a 2026 industry report by the Hongcan Industry Research Institute and the Asai Xiaomian chain, published in January 2026, and a 2025 article. Neither cites an archive or an old text.
Chongqing xiaomian is a Chongqing dish of alkaline-water noodles tossed in a pre-seasoned bowl with chili oil, Sichuan pepper, soy sauce, lard and aromatics, with versions topped with pea-and-mince or beef.1,6,7
Origin accounts range from more than 400 years ago to the 19th century, but neither has a traceable dated source and the accounts conflict, so no origin year can be established.2,3,4
Chongqing, with competing origin accounts placing it in the Wanzhou area or on the Yangtze quays. These appear respectively in a January 2026 industry report by the Hongcan Industry Research Institute and the Asai Xiaomian chain, and a December 2025 article; neither cites an archive or an old text.2,4
The main points of the method: fresh alkaline noodles are boiled briefly and tossed in a bowl seasoned beforehand. Chili oil is the key, and the noodles are eaten dry, in soup or with a minced-meat topping.1,6,7
One interpretation is that xiaomian offered porters, trackers and boatmen on the quays a cheap, filling, warming meal, while Chongqing's damp climate encouraged a liking for chili and Sichuan pepper; this is an article's interpretation.2
By January 2026, there were over 42,000 xiaomian outlets nationwide. Chongqing's Dadukou District established a xiaomian industrial park in 2021 and also holds a xiaomian culture festival, as documented in 2024.4,5
It is said that porters, trackers and boatmen on the Chongqing riverbank needed a cheap, filling, warming meal, so plain noodles with just lard, soy sauce, chili and salt were sold to them. As for why it is called small noodles, some say the portion is modest and quickly eaten, and others say the price is low.
Told in: A narrative repeated in the media, as told in a December 2025 Pengpai Hao article in The Paper; no traceable folk-tale source.
Grandma Li
This is a simplified home version, not the traditional restaurant method.
Chongqing xiaomian is made differently from place to place, and the sources alone give several home methods. This is the simpler way I make it, for 2 people: I mix the seasonings in the bowls beforehand, fry minced pork with chili bean paste for the topping, and lift the noodles straight from the pot into the bowls. I use bought chili oil. The ingredients and method follow three recipes, and the amounts and timings below are my own choices at home.
Allergens: wheat, soy, sesame, peanut
