It is a custom for people in Lanzhou to eat Souherb noodles in midsummer. Many noodle diners will list Souherb noodles, trotter and rib as their specialty dishes. When you step into such a diner, the waiter will always serve you a bowl of souherb for you to take your time to order. The bowl of souherb could quench your thirst and the heat, and give you a good appetite.

People in Lanzhou have their special procedures for souherb noodles. First, prepare a bowl of clear souherb, fry dozens of peppercorns, one or two slices of ginger in vegetable oil, and then, green onion chops fried in the oil alone-with the peppercorn and ginger removed- salt and minced coriander shall be put into the souherb;

Then use another pot to cook the noodles- the noodles shall be handmade to make them thin and narrow, drain the water from the noodles, cool them down in cold boiled water, allocate them for each person and pour the souherb in their bowls.

Lanzhou people also have their own habits in the side dishes for souherb noodles- salted Chinese chives, pan-seared green chili pepper and pot-stewed meat are the most preferable, while brined pig trotters or sauced pork ribs are also satisfying. This diet combination is scientific, as the meet could act as a good complementation to the digestion-aiding lactobacillus-rich souherb (which may make you soon feel hungry again) from both the functional and food-tasting perspective and could well stimulate your appetite. The souherb needs frequent renew, that is, to replace the soaked vegetables with new vegetables-the soaked vegetables, also called souherb vegetables, are pickle-like and could be eat either directly or upon cooking. To avoid the souherb from being spoiled due to oil and bacteria, in Lanzhou, the preparation of souherb is always done by a certain person at home.