Turning tiny silk noodles into dreams of wealth

The workers bundle the sweet potato silk noodles. [Photo by Tian Haitian for chinadaily.com.cn]

As winter sets in, it is the perfect time for processing sweet potato silk noodles. At the Menglong silk noodles processing workshop in Wanzhuang village, Nanwangdian town, Dingtao district of Heze city in Shandong province, workers are busy packaging bundles of silk noodles into boxes.

Upon entering the workshop, one is immediately greeted by the strong scent of sweet potatoes. The skilled workers pour the simmered sweet potato starch slurry into a sizable pot, where it is continuously stirred by a mechanized arm. Subsequently, the mixture is spread into specially crafted molds. After allowing the concoction to cool, it is hung on racks to air-dry. This process culminates in the creation of sweet potato silk noodles.

Menglong silk noodles workshop processes approximately 7,500 kilograms of such noodles annually. Besides supplying local markets, these silk noodles are sold in other provinces, such as Jiangsu and Anhui. Every year, they generate an income of over 350,000 yuan ($4,9025). (Edited by Huang Junyao)