A SEEKER OF TASTE

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It 's soo s u o i c i l e D

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Explore various popular Chvinese wheat flour noodle soups throughout different regions and cuisines of China and see which lucky dish will be your favorite on your journey of discovery 3


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R E K E E S A E T S A T F O 5


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INTRODUCTION History and Development

WET AND DRY Two Types of Chinese Wheat Flour Noodle Soups

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FOUR ESSENTIAL FLAVORS Sour, Sweet, Spicy and Salty

CHINESE WHEAT FLOUR NOODLE SOUPS 13 Popular Wheat Flour Noodle Soups and Dishes

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CONTENTS

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目 录


we've bee n l iv i n g fo r a lo n g time

关 于 面 条 8


THE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHINESE NOODLES

DISTRIBUTION OF FLAVORS

The earliest recorded noodles appeared in the Eastern Han Dynasty. At that time, people rolled the dough into cookie shapes, then boiled them in hot water. This is the predecessor of today’s wheat flour noodles. The shape of noodles gradually developed into stripes. In the Western Han Dynasty, due to the demand for the military, the Government needed to implement food processing technologies that would make the food storage easier and more affordable. With the improvement of Chinese noodle-making technology, noodles are easier to transport and keep. During this time, people had the custom of eating noodles to celebrate their birthday. When it came to Northern and Southern Dynasties, Emperors from those periods was very fond of eating noodles. As a result, noodles were further developed into thin and wide noodles. During the Tang Dynasty, a poet wrote poems specifically for noodles. The noodles got further publicity. By the Song Dynasty, the development of noodles reached its peak due to the economic development and cultural exchanges between the north and south of China, and many new techniques and methods of making wheat flour noodles appeared.

Tastes of Chinese food are traditionally categorized into five flavors: salty, spicy, sour, sweet, and bitter. Over China's vast territory the flavors of cuisine vary from one region to another, and usually one or two of the five flavors dominate. Flavor preferences can reflect features of geography. Overall, a sour taste is popular in the Northwest region of China, while a sweet taste is common in the South of China. People who come from the Southern part of China prefer spicy flavor and noodle soups/ dishes in the Northern part of China tend to be more salty, where they are popular.

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最 早 的 面 条

WHAT ARE ANCIENT NOODLES LIKE?

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THE EARLIEST NOODLES OF CHINA CHINESE ANCIENT NOODLES

PRODUCTION OF ANCIENT NOODLES

Tastes of Chinese food are traditionally categorized into five flavors: salty, spicy, sour, sweet, and bitter. Over China's vast territory the flavors of cuisine vary from one region to another, and usually one or two of the five flavors dominate. Flavor preferences can reflect features of geography. Overall, a sour taste is popular in the Northwest region of China, while a sweet taste is common in the South of China. People who come from the Southern part of China prefer spicy flavor and noodle soups/ dishes in the Northern part of China tend to be more salty, where they are popular.

Chinese noodles are generally made from either wheat flour, rice flour, or mung bean starch, with wheat noodles being more commonly produced and consumed in China. Egg, lye, and cereal may also be added to noodles made from wheat flour to give the noodles a different color or flavor. Egg whites, arrowroot, or tapioca starch are sometimes added to the flour mixture in low quantities to change the texture and tenderness of the noodles' strands. Chinese noodles are generally made from hard wheat flours, characterized by bright creamy white or bright yellow color and firm texture. In general, the Chinese wheat flour noodles cooking method involves making a dough with flour, salt, and water; mixing the dough by hand to form bar shapes; bending the bars for proofing; pulling the bars into strips; dropping the strips into a pot with boiling water, and removing the noodles when finished cooking.

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吃 面 习 俗

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THE EARLIEST NOODLES OF CHINA WHAT DO NOODLES NOODLES ARE NEEDED FOR SYMBOLIZE IN CHINA THOSE CHINESE FESTIVALS Noodles are a symbol of longevity in Chinese culture. They are as much a part of a Chinese birthday celebration as a birthday cake in many countries.Chinese consider it very unlucky to cut up noodle strands.

Noodles are considered a lucky food eaten on important Chinese festivals for celebration. For example, eating noodle soups and dishes on your birthday means living a long and healthy life, especially for the elder and children. In Chinese, the words for face and noodle sound the same, which eventually lead people to believe that eating long noodles symbolized a long face and therefore a long life. Moreover, eating noodle soups and dishes with family members on the first day of the Chinese New Year symbolizes family reunion, while eating them on the second day means happiness and longevity. Lastly, eating noodles on February 2nd of the Chinese lunar calendar will bring good luck and for family members who have plans to travel far away for a long period of time or travel back home, eating noodles will ensure safe travels.

WIDE AND THIN NOODLES IN CHINA Due to the difference in geography and climate between the Northern and Southern parts of China. Wide noodles are more popular in the Northern regions. Conversely, people who come from the Southern regions prefer thin noodles. The cold climate requires more energy needs. And Northern people have a big appetite. Southern people usually eat less.

Let 's explo re ! s e l d o o n t u o b a m o re 13


面 条 种 类

WE ARE ALL HOMES TO NOODLE SOUPS

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TYPES OF CHINESE WHEAT FLOUR NOODLE SOUPS DRY NOODLE DISHES TWO TYPES Chinese people love dry noodle dishes as much as wet noodle soups. The four common methods of cooking dry noodle dishes are cold, fried, braised, and deep-fried. Dry noodle dishes in China are usually greasy because Chinese people believe that cooking with oil helps keep the shape and taste of the noodles. If dry noodles have less oil, it makes it difficult to swallow and pick up with chopsticks. Moreover, China is a fast-paced country and easy cooking steps of dry noodle dishes are a good solution to this lifestyle. Dry noodle dishes are becoming more and more popular, especially during the summer.

There are only 2 types of Chinese wheat flour noodle soups and both of them have different cooking methods. People are able to experience rich flavors in the noodles, as a mix of diverse and/or nutritional ingredients such as meats, bones and various spices are used to cook the soups for several hours.

WET NOODLE SOUPS Since ancient times soup has been important to Chinese people because of its high nutritional value and benefit to the human body. Chinese people are also enthusiastic about exploring various combinations and methods of cooking delicious soups. They like to cook soups with many ingredients, such as pork, beef, mutton, and other spices. Different ingredients give soups a diverse taste and create rich flavors for noodles. In the winter, a bowl of hot noodle soup is a great source of supplement energy to warm the body and soul.

Bowls are also significant to the Chinese people. The bowl has a blessing meaning of 'stability'. At some Chinese weddings ceremony, parents will give the bride and groom a pair of delicate bowls, that symbolize a happiness and smooth life. During the Spring Festival, if someone breaks a bowl, the Chinese people think it is taking New Year’s misfortunes away.

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FLAVORS IN NOODLE SOUPS 16

SOUR Sourness is a popular flavor in Northwest regions of China, especially in Shanxi and Sannxi provinces. Most foods in these regions taste sour and use black vinegar, instead of fruit vinegar or lemon. Black vinegar has a stronger and pungent taste which is still a popular ingredient when cooking noodles. The sour flavor can reduce fishiness and greasiness and help with digestion, including dissolving calcium in food and increase appetite. According to traditional Chinese medicine, it can also constrict the intestines, stop diarrhea, promote salivation and quench thirst.


ĺ‘łé “

SWEET

SPICY

SALTY

Sweet flavor is popular in Eastern regions of China, including Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui and Guangdong provinces. People in these provinces pay attention to "toning the body" by eating food with a sweeter, lighter and more tender flavor. Thus, sweetness is welcomed in noodles in Southern Chinese cuisine usually including ingredients such as oyster sauce, sugar or honey. Steamed buns, dumplings and noodle soups and dishes are all slightly sweet in these regions.

Cuisine in the Middle regions of China, such as Sichuan cuisine, are one of the most famous Chinese cuisines featuring spicy flavors. They combine a diverse collective of spices and chilies to achieve a rich spicy flavor, especially Sichuan peppers, which have a numbing spiciness. Common chilies used are capsicum frutescens and dried chilies. The climate in the Middle regions of China is frequently rainy and humid which can produce excessive moisture in the human body and cause aching bones or arthritis. Therefore, people in the Middle regions of China prefer eating spicy foods as the chili helps reduce excessive body moisture.

Salty flavors are a wellknown taste in all Chinese cuisines, especially in Northern regions of China. One of the most predominant ingredients in salty dishes are salt, soy sauce and salt flavored sauces, such as soy bean sauce, chill bean paste and Chinese sauerkraut. The climate in Northern China is very cold and in the winter the coldest temperature can reach more than minus 40 degrees, therefore salt is used to increase energy.

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SOUR WHY CHINESE NOODLE SOUPS AND DISHES HAVE A SOUR TASTE The sour taste is important in the Northwest region of China, in cities of Shannxi and Shanxi, two arid regions with high PH in drinking water. People in these cities need to eat vinegar to regulate the balance of PH to live a healthy lifestyle. They are short of food due to the geographical environment. so they prefer to preserve almost everything by pickling in vinegar to prevent wastage. Sour wheat flour noodle soups often have a slight spiciness in flavor, but the sour taste is the most pungent.Â

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岐 山 臊 子 面

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SOUR NOODLE SOUP AT Shaanxi QISHAN MINCED FLOUR NOODLE SOUP

COOKING METHOD It's has a local special cooking method to the noodle's soup. People say that the soup is the soul of Qishan noodles. The first step is to cook the selective pork, which is the soup's key ingredient. Fine pork from ribs and aged vinegar are vital for making delicious Qishan noodles. Vinegar in the pork soup will decrease it’s greasy. Onther important step, It is dolloped with raw minced garlic and crunchy tofu skin and topped off with fresh chopped scallions and cilantro. All of the ingredient on this noodle soup creat a rich flavors. Local chili powder and black vinegar are also a must. It not only makes the meat look good but also creates a special taste.

Qishan saozi mian is a venerable dish which began as early as the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC – 256 BC) with a history of more than 2,000 years. It was a significant dish for celebrations at Shannxi in the past. Ancient Chinese people would use the leftover broth consumed by monarchs, ministers and elders to cook a new batch as they believed they would be blessed by eating the remains of significant members. In present day, with historical development and an era growing health consciousness, Chinese people no longer practice this method. Qishan Saozi Mian is well-known far and near for its thin, pliable, smooth, sour, spicy, scented, hot, watery and greasy features. It is usually poured with pork soups (Saozi means diced meat) and has ingredients of tofu, dried lily flowers, agaric, kelp, carrots and Chinese chives or garlic sprouts. Its hot and sour flavor leaves a delicious aftertaste.

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山 西 蒜 蘸 面

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SOUR NOODLE DISH AT Shaanxi HOT OIL AND MASHED GARLIC FLOUR NOODLE DISH

CHINESE BLACK VINEGAR

The method of eating this dish is unique as it is a similar style to eating dumplings. The wide noodle is picked individually with chopsticks and dipped into a vinegar and chile oil sauce, covering all sides of the noodle. The proper way to eat the noodle is to suck and slurp it into your mouth in order to taste its full flavor.

Chinese black vinegar, 镇江香醋 (zhènjiāng xiāngcù), is made from fermented black sticky rice or regular glutinous rice. It can also be made using rice in combination with sorghum and/or wheat. Chinese black vinegar originated in the city of Zhenjiang in Jiangsu province and is quite literally black in color with a full bodied, malty, complex taste. It is mildly acidic, less so than a regular distilled white vinegar, with a faintly sweet flavor. Black vinegar is distinguished for its subtlety and earthiness.

THE SPECIAL SAUCE This special chile oil sauce includes a variety of spices such as Szechuan peppercorns, Chinese cinnamon bark (similar in taste to a ‘red hot’ candy), star anise, bay leaves, cloves, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, garlic, ginger, and green onions. The strained oil is placed in a saucer and then mixed with chile powder and Chinese black vinegar. The strained oil is kept in a saucer and then mixed with chile powder and Chinese black vinegar.

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SOUR NOODLE DISH AT SHANXI 'BIANG' IN CHINESE CHARACTER

BIANG BIANG FLOUR NOODLE DISH

"Biang" comes from the sound when beating the dough on the table to make the noodles. This Chinese word is one of the most complex with 57 strokes of Chinese characters. It is also unable to be found in any Chinese IME (Input Method Editor).

People in the Northwest of China also like to eat dry noodle dishes. Biang Biang noodles refer to wheat flour noodles that are hand-pulled to a long, thick, and broad shape (can be as wide as a belt). Noodles served with sauce is a common eating method for Chinese dry noodle dishes. This noodle dish is tossed with a Chinese style chile powder and Chinese black vinegar for sourness. To eat, one should suck and slurp to surround the noodles with all the delicious flavors and have the best experience.

HOW IT GOT ITS NAME There are two stories about the origin of these unusual noodles. Some say the character biรกng was invented by the Qin Dynasty Premier Li Si. Another story can be found in an article in China Daily, the word "biang" actually refers to the sound made by the chef when he creates the noodles by pulling the dough and slapping it on the table.

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BIANG BIANG 面

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SWEET WHY CHINESE NOODLE SOUPS AND DISHES HAVE A SWEET TASTE Southern Chinese are unable to eat spicy and salty flavors. The South of China is better for growing crops with sugar content due to the geography and climate condition. As Southern Chinese are "surrounded" by sugar, they have naturally developed the habit of eating sweet foods. Also, the climate in the South is hotter than other Chinese regions and sweetness is able to relieve the summer heat.

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甜

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鸡 屎 藤 糖 水

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SWEET NOODLE SOUP AT HAINAN HAIKOU JISHITENG FLOUR NOODLE SOUP

HOW IT GOT ITS NAME This noodle soup has a curious Chinese name, chicken droppings vine ( 鸡屎藤 ). Many people are surprised when they hear its name for the first time and ask: What cuisine is this? Can eat? However, it goes it’s named for two reasons. First, people consider the color and shape of the noodles are like chicken droppings, especially when the noodles are raw. On the other hand, because of the Chinese name of Paederia scandens ( 鸡矢藤 ) has the same pronunciation as this noodle soup. If people do not read the Chinese characters, it was really hard to tell.

Haikou jishiteng flour noodle soup is one of the most famous cuisines in Hainan, a coastal city located in the South of China with weather conditions similar to Thailand. This type of Chinese flour noodle soup has a particular sweet flavor from brown sugar and the powder of Paederia scandens (a species of plant). It is usually mixed with ginger, eggs and red dates to increase the rich flavors. Haikou sweet Jishiteng noodle soup is a kind of healing dish popular during the summer time. Nowadays, Haikou people prefer to mix Paederia scandens powder with other ingredients to make other colorful noodles, such as pumpkin powder. The noodles in this dish have a special shape, which is like bamboo leaves. The shape of the noodles makes people enjoy the rich taste of brown sugar and other ingredients even more.

PAEDERIA SCANDENS In traditional Chinese medicine, Paederia scandens has the effect of heat-clearing and detoxifying. They like to use Paederia scandens powder in noodles because It is no negative smell in the dishes. Since Paederia scandens is a plant, most of the noodles in this noodle soup are green by green Paederia scandens powder. This does not affect people who love this cuisine.

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油 炸 甜 面 条

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Crispy Fried NOODLE DISH At GUANGZHOU SWEET DEEP-FRIED HOW TO COOK THIS NOODLE THIN FLOUR NOODLE DISH DISH This noodle dish has a tempting look with golden and crunchy noodles in sweetness, that to be a popular noodles dish in Guangzhou. Southern Chinese love dessert they came up with the idea to deep-fry noodles like french fries and sprinkle a handful of sugar on them. Sweet deepfried thin noodles are not only a dish but a snack or a dessert. Southern Chinese are more like cold dishes, appetizers, and pastries in sweet.

These crispy noodles are not as simple as boiling the noodles and deep-frying them. People, there have a special method to get each noodle is separate, perfectly crunchy, and golden brown. Once the noodles are cooked, immediately drain them in a colander and wash them with cold water. That is an important step to get the cleaning noodles. because the longer you leave noodles in the cooking water, the longer they will continue to cook. Washing them in cold water removes any extra salts and starch and prevents them from sticking together. After drained noodles completely, spread them out on a clean container or paper and leave them out to dry for 30 minutes. Thi help to get rid of any extra moisture and helps them fry evenly. The oil won’t splatter as much when you deep fry the noodles. Then people will sprinkle sugar on the drained noodles. The resulting noodles are like a delicate pastry.

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SPICY WHY CHINESE NOODLE SOUPS AND DISHES HAVE A SPICY TASTE The spiciness is popular in central and south China, including Sichuan, Hunan, and Yunnan provinces. That is said to be because climates in these regions are rainy frequently. The air there is usually humid. Excessive moisture in the human body can cause aching bones or arthritis. Chili can help the human body remove the moisture. People who come from the Middle region of China are famous for cooking spicy dishes. They combine a diverse collective of spices and chilies to achieve a rich spicy flavor. Common chili used are capsicum frutescens and dried chili and so on.Â

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SPICY NOODLE SOUP at Chongqing WHY CHONGQING PEOPLE LIKE SPICY FLAVORS

Chongqing people love it as much as the most popular Chinese hot pot. In the past, Chongqing red chili oil noodle soup, 重庆小面 , ,the last two words of it’s name, 小面 (xiao mian) has meaning with daily common seasonings, such as scallions, garlic, and chili peppers. Nowadays, people more like to put beef, pork, and chili sauce to enrich the flavor. People say, the rich seasoning in noodles is the soul of the noodle soup, which directly determines whether a noodle soup will have a good taste. As a result, Chongqing noodles are heavy, greasy, and spicy. On the other hand, due to the geography and climate of Chongqing, people prefer to eat chili to remove the moisture in the body to reach the body balance. Besides, Chongqing people are short temper, just like you after eating spicy chili. We can not tell whether chili influence their personality or whether their personality determines their preference for spicy food. In short, the two both are indispensable.

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CHONGQING RED CHILI OIL NOODLE SOUP Sichuan, a mountain city located in Southwest mainland of China in the upper Yellow River area is humid and hot. Sichuan people eat spicy dishes and love the ingredient of chili as it helps remove the excess moisture in their bodies. Red chili oil is commonly used in wet or dry flour noodle soups. The rich chili oil makes it hard to see the noodles as it completely covers the noodles and is topped off. The noodles in Chongqing red chili oil noodle soup are hard to see as it is completely covered and topped off with its special ingredient.


重 庆 小 面

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兰 州 牛 肉 拉 面

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SPICY NOODLE SOUP at GANSU HAND-PULLED METHOD

LANZHOU BEEF HAND-PULLED NOODLE SOUP

This unique method of making noodles originated in China with a long history. The Songs Yangsheng Bu, which was Lanzhou beef noodle soup, a Halal delicacy of the written by Song Xu and dates back Lanzhou region in Gansu Province. Also known as to 1504, has the earliest description one of the national soup stars in China looks plain of the method to make hand-pulled and common. But it successfully obtains the love of noodles ( 拉面 ). Hand-pulled noodles is all the foodies who have taken the first bite. It has a style of Chinese wheat flour noodles been a traditional national Chinese noodle for quite making process. It is made by twisting, a long history, with a history of 200 years. The red stretching, and folding the dough into chili oil with cooked sesame and chili powder make strands, using the weight of the dough. Lanzhou hand-pulled noodle soup spicy. Even though The length and thickness of the strands it has just a little bit of chili on top, it surely is spicy depending on the number of times enough. It is one of the most famous Chinese wheat the dough is folded. The hand-making flour noodle soups because of its clear soup and process involves taking a lump of dough spicy, rich flavor. It is usually enjoyed for breakfast and repeatedly stretching it to produce or lunch by locals. many strands of thin, long noodles. lā ( 拉 ), means to pull or stretch, while miàn ( 面 ) means noodle. There is also another style, in which the noodle maker stretches one thick, flat strand A typical Lanzhou beef noodles soup is described of dough between two hands. This is to be “1 clear, 2 white, 3 red, 4 green, 5 yellow” to usually done for show and involves the signify respectively clear and smooth broth, clean puller twirling and spinning much like and white radish, red chili oil, fresh green coriander, Chinese ribbon dancing. Normally, the and bright yellow noodles. Alkali ash, a traditional important ingredient in real Lanzhou style hand-pulled show will have in a Chinese hot pot restaurant, Haidilao Hot Pot. noodles, brings a faintly yellowish to the noodles.

FIVE TYPICAL FEATURES

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宜 宾 红 油 燃 面

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SPICY NOODLE DISH at SICHUAN YIBIN HOT CHILI OIL BURNING ORIGIN AND HISTORY NOODLE DISH

Some say it has originated on ships. Yibin is a city by the river, and many people fish for work. One day, a fisherman cooked this noodle dish and shared it with others. Because it was so easy to make and delicious, it gradually became one of the fishermen's favorite cuisine. Then, more people know about it and spread it to other cities in China.

Yibin Burning Noodles is a portion of classic street food form the Yibin city of Sichuan province. It is a dry and greasy Chinese wheat flour noodle dish that is practically covered with spicy chili oil. Crunchy ground peanuts topped off with scallions and Chinese sauerkraut are used to decrease the greasy taste and balance the joyful flavors. It has a weird name. But nothing related to actual danger in this noodle dish. The specialty of this noodle dish is its use of chili oil. Chinese people say the chili oil is so spicy that it can burn the inside of one's mouth. This is why it has become one of the most famous Chinese wheat flour noodle dishes. Currently, a healthy living style is being taken more seriously and people will not use much chili oil to cook noodle dishes in this manner. But, it remains in the Yibin hot chili oil noodle dish. Translated as “burning noodles,” this type of noodles gets its name from the number of different oils used to make it – so many that you can supposedly light it on fire. Adds its spicy heat to the “burning” name.

ORIGIN OF ITS NAME Its weird name in Chinese “ 燃面 ” means “burning noodles”. That gets its name from the number of different oils used to make it, so many that you can supposedly light it on fire. Adds its spicy heat to the “burning” name. On the other hand, the noodles are not only oily but also free water, so the noodles can easy to “burning” if you want to.

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SPICY NOODLE DISH at SICHUAN DAN DAN NOODLE DISH Dandan noodles or Dandanmian is a noodle dish originating from Chinese Sichuan cuisine. The special “Mala” spicy taste of this noodle dish has made Sichuan Dan Dan Noodle very popular in China. The classic Dan Dan noodle dish is made with preserved vegetables, chili oil, Sichuan pepper, blistering chili black bean paste, ground pork, a dollop of raw minced garlic and crunchy ground peanuts topped off with scallions and Huajiao oil.

SICHUAN PEPPER Huajiao is an acrid, spicy pepper that helps reduce body moisture. According to ancient medical records, chili can help remove eczema in the body. From the scientific point of view, stimulating things, food and drinks, such as cigarettes, heroin, pepper, alcohol, cola, and so on, they are easy to stimulate the nerve of human that makes people have a sense of dependence, commonly known as the addiction. That is why almost all Chinese are addicted to eating “Mala” cuisines.

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HOW IT GOT ITS NAME The name comes from the word dan ( 担 ), meaning to carry over your shoulder. This is because vendors used to carry the ingredients for these noodles on either end of a long stick of bamboo that they carried on their shoulders. They would walk through the streets and shout “Dan dan mian!” and whenever someone wanted one, they would stop, put down their load, unpack the ingredients and make the noodles on the spot. Even though you won’t find people carrying the noodles on bamboo poles anymore, the dan noodle is still extremely popular.


四 川 担 担 面

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SALTY WHY CHINESE NOODLE SOUPS AND DISHES HAVE A SALTY TASTE Due to the difference in geography and climate between the Northern and Southern parts of China. People in northern China prefer to eat salty food, especially brine-pickled vegetables. Due to Northern China's coldness, there were no fresh local vegetables available in winter, so in autumn northerners preserve vegetables by pickling with lots of salt to ensure they have edible vegetables in winter. nowadays, although fresh vegetables are readily transported north (or from greenhouses) for consumption in winter, pickled vegetables are still favored by northern people at breakfast to be eaten with congee.

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SALTY NOODLE SOUP at HENAN ORIGIN AND HISTORY Henan stewed noodle soup recipe is widespread and originated in the Tang dynasty. A country lady invented Huimian when she tried to make a type of nutritious noodles for Li Shimin, the later emperor, to help him recover strength when he was starving while on the run during a war. Li considered this noodle soup is one of his favorite dishes. After he became the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Then he found the lady for a long time to commanded the royal chefs to study Henan stewed noodle soup recipe from the lady. Henan stewed noodle soup became a secret food in royal families. Centuries later, at the end Qing Dynasty, the royal chef escaped from the Forbidden City because of the war and lived in seclusion in Henan. He started teaching normal people to cook stewed noodle soup, then it began spreading among common people in the society. Henan is located in the North of the center of China, and it is a province famous for Henan stewed noodle soup. Most of the stewed noodle soup in the Henan area is the descendant of the royal food stewed noodle soups. The province has more than a hundred million people. Henan stewed noodle soup has developed in many different styles based on each population group, and ethnic group.

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HENAN STEWED NOODLE SOUP With a proud history of 4,000 years, Henan's stewed noodle is a traditional dish that combines all the elements of meat, vegetable, soup, and noodles. It is much loved in Central China for its great taste. This stewed noodle soup, a bowl of famous noodle soup in Henan, also popular with People from Henan. The chewy noodles and soup are made by stewing lamb bones. The taste is extremely strong and salty because of the strong both by mutton and it’s bone. The most important feature is its unique “stewed” cooking process with a combination of sheep bone and with various vegetables. The total preferred time to stew the broth is over five hours until the sheep bone is tender. The soup name of this noodle soup is called white soup due to its bright milky broth. The noodles themselves are very broad, thick, slippery, and quite chewy.


河 南 烩 面

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昆 山 奥 灶 面

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SALTY NOODLE SOUP at JIANGSU ORIGIN AND HISTORY

KUNSHAN AOZAO NOODLE SOUP

Aozao is the proud name of a Restaurant sitting on Tinglin Road of Kunshan City. On the front door hangs a plaque calligraphically inscribed with “Aozao Restaurant - Time-honored Store in China” by the famous calligrapher and painter Song Wenzhi. Initially named ‘Heavenly Aroma Restaurant’, it was abandoned by its then-owner for poor business. A creditor took over and put it into the charge of Madame Chen Xiuying, a handy embroiderer and expert cook who listened attentively to her customers for improvement ideas and made quite a phenomenon of the Red Sauce Noodles. Her efforts were amply rewarded by patrons who packed themselves like sardines in her then rather shabby little eatery and spread its good word around and beyond the town. There is a long history of the Aozao noodle soup. In ancient times, people who wanted to eat Jiangsu Aozao noodles needed to buy a special ticket with ‘ 囍 ’ (double happiness) written in red color. As it is commonly known, Chinese people love this word and the color red. Thus, many people liked to buy the tickets as gifts to their friends during the traditional Chinese festival and significant occasions.

Aozao noddles embody the gourmet spirit of China’s waterside regions. From the local waters come the red oil, soup base, and ingredients. The taste of This noodle dish, also called Red-oil with fried fish noodle, is salty because of the black carp and soy used in the stewing process of the broth. Tasty fish soup is the feature.

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SALTy NOODLE dish at beijing BEIJING NOODLES WITH FRIED BEAN SAUCE

ORIGIN AND HISTORY

Beijing noodles with fried bean sauce, or "noodles with soybean paste", is a Chinese typical noodle dish consisting of thick wheat noodles topped with fried bean sauce. This sauce is normally made by simmering stir-fried ground pork or beef with salty fermented soybean paste. Although the sauce itself is made by stir-frying, this homonym does not carry over into the Classical Chinese term. The saltiness of Beijing noodles is due to the fried meat with soybean sauce. The topping of the noodles usually is sliced fresh or/and pickled vegetables, including cucumber, radish, edamame, depending on regions. Chopped omelet or instead of extra firm tofu can also be alongside. Fresh vegetables decrease much salty of soybean sauce. The uniqueness of this dish is its various colorful ingredients that cover the boiled noodles, making it enticing for people to try. The soybean sauce is usually much salty, Chinese people usually prefer served cold soybean sauce with dry noodles or rice but nobody eats the sauce directly.

Beijing noodles with soybean sauce originate from Shandong province and is an iconic Northern Chinese dish. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the royal family moved from Beijing, the capital of China, to Xi ' a province of China because of the big war in China. They were attracted by the unique fragrance of Noodles with soybean sauce in a restaurant when they met halfway. They decided to have a meal at the restaurant. The emperor liked the noodles very much. After that, they invited the restaurant's chef to be a royal chef. That's how vegetarian Noodles with Soybean sauce came to Beijing.Â

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北 京 杂 酱 面

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豆 角 焖 面

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SALTy NOODLE dish aT SHANXI BRAISED NOODLE WITH GREEN BEAN

SPECIAL COOKING METHOD

Braised noodle with the green bean is a popular noodle dish in the Northern regions of China. It has a more salt taste than other noodles soups/dishes due to its longtime braising with noodles and green bean being covered with the evaporated salt. The greatest ingredient of this noodle dish is the string bean. Strong salty comes from long timeconsuming braised salt with string bean. Although this dish is salty, the true flavor of the string bean remains and helps to decrease the salty flavor.

The special cooking method is ‘braised’. From the perspective of cooking processing, the braised noodles will not destroy the water structure of the noodles during the braising process, so the braised noodles are more nutritious and have a good taste. Braised noodles originated in The Song Dynasty and originated in Shanxi, Hebei, western Inner Mongolia, Henan, Shaanxi, and other places. In recent years, braised noodles have developed rapidly in the national market and gained great popularity among consumers.

ORIGIN AND HISTORY Some say, people, to build the Great Wall during the Qin Dynasty. In the military camp, a general, inspired by a tour of the surrounding villages, asked his soldiers to make a pot of braised food. "Braised food" helped soldiers balanced nutrition and strength. Then, It became popular in that tome. Other civilians and soldiers brought this simple and delicious way to eat back home. By the Song Dynasty, "Braised food" began to spread widely among the people. Gradually, a clever chef modified the dish to create one that people will never return to -- braised noodles with green bean.

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