Noodles

Since the climate of northern China is more suitable to growing wheat than rice, northerners depend on it for their daily staple of starch—in the form of noodles, buns, dumplings, pancakes, etc. To the rest of the country wheat products are primarily snacks, known as “dot hearts,” a between-meals refreshment to only touch one’s appetite. But there are exceptions. Noodles, symbolic of longevity, are frequently eaten as the main dish at birthday meals all over China. And in the eastern and southern regions, the noodles and pastries often are made of powdered rice, not wheat.