Shanxi noodles

Shanxi noodles have a long history of at least 2000 years and there are over 280 kinds of different noodles.The typical housewife in Shanxi can cook dozens of noodles including sliced noodles,ramen, stewed noodles, sir-fried noodles and stir-fried noodles,with wheat flour, buckwheat flour, bean flour and You flour, let alone the chef. There are too many exquisite handicrafts in chef’s hand for the eye to take in.Acoording to the investigation ,noodles in Shanxi can be divided into three categories,that is,the steaming noodles,boiling noodles and cooking noodles.Notably the sliced noodles is the most famous at home and abroad,which is regarded as one of the China’s top five kinds of noodles.

Sliced noodles have a wonderful color, smell and taste that is unique in local style.People from other areas love the noodles, believing it’s the best of the best.There is a legendary story about it. To prevent the people from rebellion, the rulers of Yuan Dynasty confiscated metal wares from all families, and stipulated that every 10 households would share one kitchen knife. They had to take turns to use the knife when preparing dinners.One day, a wife asked her husband to fetch the knife so that she could make noodles. At the time the knife was being used by someone else, so he had to return home and wait. On his way back, the man unexpectedly found a sheet iron. He picked it up and hid it in his arms.When he returned home, the water was boiling, and the family was waiting to eat the noodles. The old man felt anxious without coming back with the knife. All of a sudden, he thought of the sheet iron and told his wife to try to cut the dough with it.His wife said it was impossible with such a thin piece of soft sheet iron. Then the husband told her to pare the dough, if she couldn’t cut it.Holding the dough and the sheet iron, the wife stood beside the pot, and sliced the dough into the boiling water.When it was ready to eat, the family was surprised by the delicious taste.After that ,the method spreaded across the nearby villages.Sliced noodle is now a time-cherished brand name representing Shanxi.