Hu La Tang

It seems to me that most towns in China have some dish that they are known for. In Zhengzhou, it is Hui Mian (special hand-worked noodles). In Chongqing, it is Hot Pot.  In Wuhan, it is Duck Neck. The special dish from one of my students' hometowns is a soup called Hu La Tang. A few weeks ago, he asked me if I had tried it.

I replied, "Oh, yes. I've had this soup in the cafeteria."

"The cafeteria?!?!" he replied aghast, "That does not deserve to be called Hu La Tang."

"I think it's pretty good."

(student staring at me in disbelief)

"Sarah, next time I go home, I will bring you some real Hu La Tang from my home."

Today, I got a phone call from this student, saying that he was downstairs from my apartment with the soup for me, made specially by his uncle. Apparently the soup takes many hours and much skill to make correctly. Let me tell you, this soup blows the cafeteria soup out of the water! My student had arrived back at campus and come straight to my apartment with the still-hot soup right from home.

I really don't know how to describe it to you, other than delicious.