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From ancient times to the present, there are many customs of the Spring Festival, from the court aristocrats to the common people, and every household is decorated with lights and jubilant. After the Empress Dowager Cixi was once expensive, she tasted all the delicacies and luxuries. On the first day of the first month, the chef will prepare a bowl of "silver noodles" for Cixi. In fact, this kind of silver noodles is a kind of handmade noodles, which is made by mixing flour with camellia oil, mixing salt water, Lamian Noodles and drying. Because of the combination of soup and noodles, noodles should be smooth and tender, and soup should be delicious. In order to make the soup more delicious, the chef will also boil chicken or big bones into soup, and then add meat oil or tea oil, soy sauce, monosodium glutamate, ginger and garlic, pepper and chopped green onion. When the water boils, add the noodles. After cooking for a few minutes, the noodles will gradually turn bright emerald color, so you can take them out and put them in the soup bowl.
"Changshan County Records" has recorded a variety of ways to eat silver noodles: "tribute noodles are made by blending with salt water, drawing and drying, and spicy oil, shallots, soft-shelled turtles (preserved eggs) and ham are the best toppings when eating." After Cixi finished eating this silver tribute, it also means that this year will be a "lucky star".
However, the name of "silver silk noodles" has a historical origin. According to historical records, in fact, silver silk noodles were called "Changshan Suomian" in the past, and production began as early as the Xianheng period of the Tang Dynasty. Because they are shaped like silk ropes, they are usually called cable faces.
Why did "Changshan Suomian" become a "tribute noodle"? In fact, this is related to a great man in history-Yan Song, the prime minister of the Ming Dynasty. According to legend, Yan Song didn't have much travelling expenses and dry food when he went to Beijing to catch the exam, so he was tired and hungry when passing through Changshan, but he caught cold and was at the end of the road. However, when he was trapped under the Wenfeng Tower in the county, he was rescued by the Taigong Taipo who occupied this family. This kind family even fed Yan Song hot noodles with hunger and cold. At that time, Yan Song took a few mouthfuls of soup with a bowl, only to feel that the taste buds in his mouth were fresh, warm and comfortable, and he wanted to eat several bowls again and again. Mrs Zhan saw that he loved to eat, so she asked Yan Song to bring some noodles back to Beijing. Later, Yan Song was called the Prime Minister, and he took out delicious noodles at home to entertain the emperor. After tasting it, the emperor even praised it, and even listed it as a monkey's tribute, and named it "Yin Si Gong Mian". In this way, the name of silver silk tribute gradually spread.
At that time, Cixi, a blue aristocrat, fell in love with silver noodles for the first time.
Since the silver noodles are delicious, how is it made? In fact, after a long-term processing practice, silver silk noodles have formed a unique and complex manual production process. First of all, the best flour ground from the best wheat is selected as the main raw material, and camellia oil is added at the same time, so that the kneaded noodles are tender, smooth and delicious. When the dough is fermented and mature, it begins to enter the second process-tabletting. That is, the dough is pressed into a piece with a thickness of about 2 cm, and then a certain amount of camellia oil is coated. After uniform application, cut it into strips with a knife about 3 cm wide, and then let it stand for about 30 minutes. Then, there is the third process-beating. Next is the fourth process-serving chopsticks. The fifth process-putting on shelves, Lamian Noodles.
Lamian Noodles is ready, and it should be dried in a cool and dry place until the noodles are cooked to 89%. After drying, it is the last process, that is, the disk surface. The practice of the disk is very particular. After the noodles on chopsticks are smoothed, they should be tied into bundles with red paper heads and tied into a figure-eight pile, which means "prosperous wealth".
In the eyes of China people, eating tribute noodles on different occasions also has many different beautiful meanings. For example, on the morning of the first day of the first month, every household should eat a bowl of tribute noodles, which means long-term blessing and good luck. This is one of the reasons why Empress Dowager Cixi ate tribute noodles on the first day of the first month. For example, men, women and children eat tribute noodles on their birthdays, which means health, longevity and happiness. Tribute noodles have high nutritional value and rich eating methods, and can be added with various seasonings, so this kind of "silver silk tribute noodles" has become an indispensable food in modern times.