There are many kinds of cold rice noodles in Shaanxi, with different practices and characteristics, and they taste different when mixed. Here are just a few.
Cold rice noodles with sesame sauce is a typical halal way to eat. The method is relatively simple. Mix the flour into paste, put it in a special metal rice noodle basket with cold rice noodles, shake the radish with cold rice noodles to spread the flour evenly at the bottom of the basket, and then steam it in a boiling water pot. When eating, cut the dough into strips half a centimeter wide. The auxiliary material is generally shredded cucumber, with salt, vinegar, sauce, sesame sauce and Chili oil.
Qin Zhen cold rice noodles are made of rice flour, which is also called Qin Zhen rice skin because it is produced in Qin Zhen, Huxian County. When making, the rice flour is mixed into paste, spread into a multi-layer steamer and steamed over high fire. When eating, use a large straw cutter with a length of nearly one meter and a width of more than 20 centimeters to make filaments, add vegetables, small bean sprouts and other accessories, and add seasonings. The good taste is all in Chili oil, and the prepared cold noodles are all red and spicy.
Hanzhong cold rice noodles are named after being produced in Hanzhong area. Because when processing, rice is ground into rice flour slurry with small stone mill and water, it is also called water mill cold rice noodles. When making, the ground rice flour slurry is laid flat on a steamer and steamed. Add seasonings, mainly garlic juice and Chili oil, and the taste is sour and spicy.
Qishan handmade noodles are the best in Qishan county. When making, wheat flour is washed to remove gluten, starch is rolled into pancakes, and steamed in a steamer. The prepare cold rice noodles are soft and sticky. The seasoning is mainly grain vinegar and Chili oil brewed locally in Qishan, supplemented by washed gluten, which is evenly mixed in a small iron pot. The main characteristics of its taste are sour, spicy and fragrant.
Gluten cold rice noodles are mainly produced in Guanzhong area. When processing, the gluten is washed out first, the starch is made into paste, and then it is steamed in a metal cold noodle basket. When making, steamed gluten blocks and seasonal vegetables are added, and seasonings include vinegar, sauce, garlic juice, monosodium glutamate, salt, Chili oil and sesame oil. It tastes unique. In addition to the above, Shaanxi also has Fufeng brand noodles, cold noodles with konjac in Hanzhong, cold noodles with black rice, cold noodles with mung beans in northern Shaanxi and so on.
Noodles are called the first of the four special snacks in Hanzhong. It is made by soaking rice (flour at first) in water for four hours, then pushing (or beating) it into rice slurry, steaming it into pancakes in a cage, cooling it in a ventilated place, smearing rapeseed oil and cutting it into thin strips, adding refined salt, rice vinegar, soy sauce, pepper, ginger juice, garlic paste, red pepper and other seasonings, and mixing well. It can also be served with shredded radish bean sprouts, which look white and red, or with spinach with white and green. It tastes slightly spicy and salty, sour and delicious. Since ancient times, Hanzhong people have used dough to entertain relatives and friends.
Noodles originated in Qin and Han Dynasties. According to legend, Liu Bang was king in Hanzhong and ordered Xiao He to build the He Shan Dam, resulting in a bumper harvest of grain every year. In order to improve their lives, farmers dilute flour with water, steam it into pancakes, cut it into strips and eat it cold. It's delicious. One day, Liu Bang went incognito and entered the people's home. The hospitable farmers entertained him with cool cakes. Liu bang praised while eating. When asked the name, the farmer couldn't say it. Liu Bang laughed at the method of making it and casually said, "This is steamed cake." Later, people switched to overlapping bamboo cages, which could be steamed several times, big and thin. Cut into thin strips, the tendons are flexible, soft and continuous, just like pimps, renamed "dough".
Speaking of dough, there is also a story about "Dough Magistrate" circulating in Hanzhong. During the reign of Kangxi in Qing Dynasty, Zhang, a native of Hanzhong, worked as a county magistrate in Ruyang, Henan Province. One year, the imperial court sent an imperial envoy to Ruyang for an inspection. Zhang Zhi did not prepare a banquet, but simply served the dough from his hometown. Imperial envoys have been eating and drinking all the way, and they have long felt greasy appetite. They were ecstatic when they tasted the dough. Asked about the production method, Zhang magistrate told them one by one. Shortly after the imperial envoy returned to North Korea, Zhang Zhijun was promoted to be the magistrate of Luoyang. People unanimously speculated that it was probably a meal of dough that won the favor of the imperial envoys, and the good words were promoted to the level of the emperor. The matter was sent back to Hanzhong, and was nicknamed "the magistrate" by the people. But unfortunately, Beijingers can't steam rice noodles so far. Perhaps the imperial envoy forgot all the preparation methods, and even if he wanted to eat, he couldn't make it.
However, Hanzhong people's skills in making dough sheets are getting more and more sophisticated. Nowadays, the original flour dilution has been changed to rice milling. The ingredients and seasonings are more particular. Therefore, not only farmers, but also large and small market towns, in recent years, some people have gone to Xi, Xining, Luoyang, Beijing and other cities to open snack bars, specializing in "Hanzhong Pasta".