Wheat is a specialty of the north, and noodles are made from wheat. The most famous delicacy in the north is noodles. Speaking of representatives of Shanxi, in addition to coal, there are also noodles. Shanxi sliced ??noodles have a unique flavor and are famous both at home and abroad. Where did knife-cut noodles come from? Let’s take a look at Chinese food culture.

Knife-shaped noodles originated in Taiyuan, Shanxi in the 12th century. They are soft and smooth and easy to digest. They are also known as the four major noodles in Shanxi along with stretched noodles, fish noodles and knife-shaped noodles. They are also closely related to Beijing's fried noodles. Sauce noodles, Shandong's Yifu noodles, Wuhan's hot dry noodles, and Sichuan's Dandan noodles are known as the five famous noodles in my country. They are truly the "King of Noodles." According to "Jin Food Zongheng·Famous Food Stories": "The knife-shaped noodles first came from Shanxi. They are a kind of boiled noodles popular among the people and are the best noodles. In Shanxi, whether in cities or villages, especially in Pingyao, central Shanxi In places like Jiexiu, Fenyang, Xiaoyi and other places, housewives, girls and many "men and women" in the city can make it. Among the shaved noodles in Shanxi, the most famous one is Datong shaved noodles, which can be said to be the "King of Noodles". king".

There is another story about knife-shaped noodles. According to legend, the Mongolian Tatars occupied the Central Plains and established the Yuan Dynasty. In order to prevent the people from rebelling, the rulers confiscated metal utensils from each household and made relevant regulations that ten households should use one kitchen knife. They were used in turn for cutting vegetables and cooking, and then handed them back to the Tatars for safekeeping. One day at noon, an old man's wife kneaded the noodles into dough and asked the old man to get a kitchen knife. As a result, the knife was taken away, so the old man had to go home and wait. Unexpectedly, as soon as the old man came out of the Tatar gate, something touched his foot. He lowered his head and saw that it was a thin piece of iron. He picked it up and put it in his arms.

After returning home, the pot was boiling and the whole family was waiting to eat noodles, but the knife was not retrieved, making the old man anxious. Suddenly, he thought about the iron sheet in his arms, so he took it out and said, "Just use this iron sheet to cut noodles!" When his wife saw that the iron sheet was thin and soft, she murmured, "How can such a soft thing be used to cut noodles?" The old man said angrily: "If you can't cut it, just chop it." The word "chop" reminded the wife. She kneaded the dough on a wooden board, picked it up with her left hand, and held the iron piece in her right hand. She stood by the pot and started to knead it. The noodles were "cut" in a pot of boiling water, and the pieces of noodles fell into the pot. After they were cooked, they were taken out into a bowl, poured with brine and let the old man eat. The old man praised while eating: "It's very good, it's very good. I won't have to go there again." We're waiting in line to get the knife, let's use this piece of iron to cut it."

In this way, the method of "cutting noodles" spread from ten to ten, spread throughout the three Jin Dynasties, and became popular among people. In the Ming Dynasty, this kind of "cut noodles" was also called "palm noodles". It was not only made at home, but also spread to shops and stalls. It has continuously evolved into a unique technique of making noodles with a flavor ranging from soft to hard, soft to soft. It is tough and can not only be marinated, but also stir-fried or even served cold, all with unique flavors. However, it tastes best when marinated, and it tastes even better when added with a little Shanxi mature vinegar.

During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, "Jin Xiaoer Sliced ??Noodles", a branch of Shanxi Sliced ??Noodles, became associated with a generation of honest officials named Yu Chenglong. Its skills and recipes were integrated with culture and developed into a highly cultural private kitchen. Become an intangible cultural heritage.

The cultural and technical components of "Jin Xiaoer" include: a story of inheritance; a belief, including "natural justice, conscience, integrity and extraordinary ability"; a series of secret recipes, mainly including "stewed ingredients"; A series of skills are production techniques, including "three blends and four awakenings", "braised", "knife-cut long noodles", etc.; poems about knife-cut noodles, seven-character quatrains and couplets about noodles, etc.; a set of religious rituals about worshiping ancestors and worshiping teachers. Ritual: It has the general inheritance of reciting the master's precepts, the master's instructions and giving names; the apprenticeship ceremony is not only about worshiping the ancestors, but also richer; in history, the "six rituals" were only seen in cultural inheritance, and had not been used before. "Jianzuo Xing" discovered this; the unique "three bows and three respects", "the first homework", "sending noodles to parents who have food and clothing and begging for tricks", etc. It greatly enriches the content and culture of knife-cut noodles.