A history spanning soldiers and snails

The history of rice noodles began during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) in Guilin, in what is now the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Troops from northern China were dispatched to the southeastern region to build a canal for shipping provisions as part of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's efforts to unite the country, according to the book Guilin Rice Noodles by Zhang Di.

Years of hard labor and a lack of proper food left the workers with stomach problems, so they ground rice - a staple in South China - into flour or a sticky rice-water mixture. The resultant paste was then dried and cut into long strips that resembled the wheat-based noodles eaten in the workers' hometowns.

The cooked noodles were accompanied by a briny stock of spices and herbs simmered together that further eased stomach pains and improved general health.