Author: Lu Zhi (2011 Foreign College)
My hometown is Qi County, a small town in central Shanxi. In the eyes of people from other provinces, Shanxi people are always "gray-faced" as if they crawled out of coal piles, or in the eyes of people from other counties, people from Qixian County are always "dumb-faced" people who are fearless. When I introduce my hometown, I always feel embarrassed. When others say to me, "Wow, everyone in Shanxi is a coal boss," I quickly interrupt them. No, in addition to coal, Shanxi is also famous for its noodles. "The world's pasta is in Shanxi, and Shanxi's pasta is in Qixian." No matter you admit it, this is the fact.
However, when it comes to Shanxi noodles, most people just stop at "Shanxi sliced noodles". Shanxi noodles can never be as ostentatious as other local specialty snacks. When you hear the name, you will immediately become alert and saliva will start to secrete. Shanxi's noodles are not eye-catching in appearance, nor are they impactful or unique in taste. Because the real Shanxi pasta is the dullness and repetition that blends into the daily lives of Shanxi people. Only those Shanxi people who have left home will be filled with emotion when they return to their hometown and look at that bowl of hot and delicious noodles.
In my hometown, noodles are the daily staple food, no other. Most families must eat noodles for lunch every day. What's more, they eat noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Eating noodles is much simpler than eating rice with a variety of side dishes. It’s nothing more than gravy, vegetables, or noodle soup. In fact, there aren’t many rich ingredients in it, but Shanxi people managed to eat delicacies from all over the world in this simple bowl of noodles.
This "simple" bowl of noodles is not easy to make. Don’t compare the noodles sold in various restaurants, fast food restaurants (like Nanzhou Beimian), and canteens with Shanxi noodles. If you want to eat authentic Shanxi noodles, you must go to Shanxi locals. The first step in making noodles is kneading them. The knowledge of dough making lies in that the quality of the dough should correspond to the dough you are making. There is more water and less noodles, so make very thin noodles. This kind of noodles can be used for "picking the tips" and "picking the fish". The mixture of water and noodles is moderate, and the resulting noodles are soft but not spread out. This kind of noodles can be used as "pulled noodles" or "pulled noodles". With less water and more noodles, you can create a very fine hard noodle. This kind of noodles can be made into "cut noodles", "cat ears", etc. If the dough is harder, it can be used to make dumplings. Kneading the dough also pays attention to the time and strength. You should stop in the middle to let the dough "wake up" (that is, let the dough be fully and evenly mixed). Prepare the noodles, cut them, pull them, peel them, or grind them into the type you need according to the type of noodles, and then you can put them in the pot. Watching the noodles tumbling in the boiling water with smiles in your eyes, you will truly understand the Shanxi people's deep-rooted love for pasta. When the noodles are cooked, use a spatula to remove the pot, drain out the water, and pour the cooked vegetables, or mutton soup, etc., and a bowl of noodles is complete.
Every ordinary Shanxi family can make dozens of noodles at will. This is no exaggeration. Wheat feeds Shanxi people, and Shanxi people put all their love for the land into their food. Shanxi does not have vast plains and few rivers. Most of its areas are high and low loess plateau landforms. Therefore, Shanxi people lack the romantic feelings learned in the beautiful mountains and rivers. Only when Shanxi people are making noodles in the kitchen can you see the profound cultural temperament that flickers in and out of Shanxi people. No matter how rough the Shanxi people are, they can dance the medium-sized piece of dough on the chopping board in various ways. No matter how poor a Shanxi person is, he can tell you about the wonderful noodles for three days and three nights. From the tip of the tongue to the soul, pasta is not only a symbol but also a carrier for Shanxi people.
As a Shanxi native, I have always been slow to introduce the beauty of Shanxi noodles to others. I think as a food culture with obvious regional characteristics, only Shanxi people can appreciate it. Shanxi people outside the country are actually rarely picky about a bowl of noodles. Most of them just slurp the noodles into their mouths numbly. However, when he returns to his hometown, he will definitely work hard in his kitchen to make himself a bowl of authentic Shanxi noodles. The Shanxi native said that if he was asked to express his love or praise for the noodles from his hometown, he would probably not be able to say a word. But if you suddenly put a bowl of noodles made by your mother in front of him, he will definitely burst into tears with laughter. Shanxi people are rough and not so refined and fastidious. The image of Shanxi people eating noodles is far less elegant than that of southerners eating rice. But when Shanxi people eat a bowl of noodles, they will definitely prepare the bowl of noodles smoothly, and the noodles will be fresh and refreshing from the first to the last noodle. The people from Shanxi looked at me with love, devotion, and even faith and worship. In fact, I couldn’t explain it clearly. Because Shanxi people have this bowl of noodles with them every day from birth to death. They love it beyond words, but they absolutely cannot live without it.
