Cat’s Ear is a notable refreshment of Hangzhou. It’s a kind of wheaten food cooked with chicken cubes, ham slices, dried scallops, dried mushrooms and sliced bamboo shoots.

There is a widespread story about its name. One day Emperor Qianlong (the sixth emperor of Qing Dynasty) disguised himself as a civilian and was taking a boat trip around West Lake when it began to rain. He hurried into the boat for shelter. But the rain went on for hours without stopping. Cold and hungry, Emperor Qianlong asked the old fisherman in the boat for something to eat. However, only having flour but no rolling pin, the old fisherman found it impossible to make noodles. Qianlong felt quite upset when the old fisherman’s granddaughter came in with her little cat and said: ‘I can make noodles without a rolling pin.’ Then the girl used her bare hands to mold the dough into shell-shaped noodles, cooked them in boiling water and served them with sauce. Immediately Emperor Qianlong was attracted by the tasty noodles and inquired about its name. The girl answered: They are like cat’s ears, so it’s Cat’s Ear.

Where to eat: Lou Wai Lou, Zhi Wei Guan, Kui Yuan Guan and so on