The Story of Cross Bridge Rice Noodle

公元1806年，一名书生为求功名，在云南蒙自县一孤岛潜心攻读，其妻每日过桥送食。

There was an intellectual, pursuing the success in imperial examinations, in Mengzi, Yunnan Province in 1806. So he slogged away and lived in an isolated island, adjoining the mainland with a bridge, to separate from any distraction and entertainment. And his wife sent meals cross the bridge every day.

一日，妻将熬好的鸡汤盛砂锅内，因疲劳过度，误将肉片佐料倒入砂锅，肉片熟，放入米线食之，鲜嫩可口，神清气爽。妻喜，疾过桥送夫食，夫赞不绝口。

One day, his wife, tired and incautious, mistook to pot the chicken soup with the meat for making sauce in the terrine. The rice noodle made in the soup tastes brittle and delicious; moreover, refreshed her mind as well. Surprised and joyful, the wife sent the discovery to her husband immediately and soon was prized by her husband without ceasing for her excellent cooking skill.

即每日食之且高中状元。叹曰：吾今日之成乃贤妻每日过桥送米线食之缘也。自此，人们就仿效此方法制作米线，且美其名曰：“蒙自过桥米线”。

Then the intellectual hardly ever had other meals until he became Zhuangyuan. With a lot appreciation, he recalled, ‘I debit my wife a lot for the rice noodle she sent cross the bridge in front of my reading house.’ From then on, others imitate the way to make rice noodle and call it by a good name of ‘Mengzi Cross Bridge Rice Noodle’.

过桥米线由三部分组成：一是汤，二是切成薄片的各类嫩肉，三是米线和时鲜蔬菜。制汤考究，选用武定壮母鸡、本地老母鸡和猪筒子骨煨制，制汤的要领是选料讲究，原料与水严格按比例投放，中途不准加水，要用旺火烧开，撇去浮沫，改用小火煨制。鲜汤制好，经用精盐、味精、胡椒粉调味后，装碗时在汤内注入热鸡油，油浮在汤的表面起保温作用。

吃时用大磁碗一只，先放入熟鸡油、味精、胡椒面，然后将鸡、鸭、排骨、猪筒子骨等熬出的汤舀入碗内端上桌略去用。此时滚汤被厚厚一层油盖住不冒气，但千万不可先喝汤，以免烫伤。要先把鸽蛋磕入碗内，接着把生鱼片、生肉片、鸡肉、猪肝、腰花、鱿鱼、海参、肚片等生的肉食依次放入，并用筷子轻轻拨动，避免粘连在一起。待鲜肉片已发白成熟即可捞出蘸佐料下酒食用。此时油汤碗内立即放入各种蔬菜、豆腐皮、米线。撒上葱花、芫荽即可食用。亦可肉片烫熟后即将蔬菜、米线放入烫熟共同食用。吃起来味道特别浓郁鲜美，营养丰富

Crosses the bridge rice-flour noodle to be composed by threeparts: One is the soup, two is sl