By Tim Binnall
Food lovers in China have been swarming a funeral home said to serve a fantastic noodle dish that has become so desired that people are pretending to be mourners just to get a taste of it. The Erlong Funeral Home in Guizhou province is reportedly at the center of the strange frenzy that began when a social media influencer mentioned trying the delicious offering which was already something of a local sensation. The odd recommendation quickly went viral among Chinese foodies as others confirmed the peculiar review. "The queue for food is longer than the queue to lay flowers for the deceased," one social media user marveled, lamenting that "I didn't get to eat the noodles, because my friend's mum didn't know anyone who was holding a funeral service."
While that particular individual exercised a commendable level of decorum, others have not been so polite in their quest to try the noodle dish that is served at the funeral home's canteen meant for mourners and not the public. "There have been people pretending to be relatives of the deceased," one worker complained, "it's hard to tell them apart when it gets crowded, and it's hard to manage." The curious craze has proven to be so overwhelming for the funeral home that they have actually opted to give away 50 noodle dishes every day to the throngs of visitors provided that they "do not affect people's mourning."