There are actually several different stories aboutthe soup's origin. One is that the soup originated in the city of Hong Zhou where the famous West Lake resides. Another story is that the cilantro and egg white with the help of starch creates a look that resembles the ripples in the West Lake. Another one is that the soup's texture is similar to a "thin mush" (稀糊). but calling it "Thin Mush Beef Soup" would not sound appetizing at all, so people used its glorified homonym "West Lake" (西湖) as a more appropriate (and appealing) name for the soup. No matter the story, the soup does resemble ripples with its lacy egg whites floating in and out of the semi-transparent soup.