Soup glorious soup

Another local gem visited by the out-of-towners was Yi A, a small authentic joint located two kilometers south of the Jiu Guan Yi quarter.

The restaurant is run by Yi A, a woman who rises early to simmers up rich soups for early morning breakfasters. The visiting group arrived at 8:30 to try misua noodles, her specialty. The traditional Fujian dish is a thin type of salted wheat noodle served in a thick broth.

Yi was happy to reveal some of her trade secrets to the guests and said that she boils bones for several hours before adding a variety of seafood including squid and crab. Given how tasty the guests found Yi A's recipe, it won't be a surprise if they're to serve up bowls of misua noodles at home to friends and family.

The travellers snap photos of Yi A cooking her misua noodle soup, a popular choice for breakfast in Quanzhou. [Photo/mnw.cn]

A sweet snack to share

It is fair to say none of the guests were prepared for the extensiveness of Xijie Street's food stalls and Julie was no exception. As a lover of culture and travel, the French woman found Quanzhou's old quarters surprising and charming.

One particular delight was man jian gao, a typical southern Fujian dessert. The dish is a kind of sweet pastry layered with a sweet paste of sesame seeds and peanuts. The pancake is fried to give it a crispy texture and Julie bought a bag to share with the whole group.

Traveller Julie from France gives the thumbs-up for one Quanzhou local snack man jian gao. [Photo/mnw.cn]