Archaeological discoveries and historical data prove that noodles originated in China and have been made and eaten for more than 4,000 years. Noodles are a health-care food that is simple to make, convenient to eat, rich in nutrients, and can be used as both staple food and fast food. It has long been accepted and loved by people all over the world. Noodles are made of grain or legume flour and water are ground into a dough, which is then either pressed or rolled into sheets and then cut or pressed, or rolled, pulled, pinched, etc., into strips (either narrow or wide, or flat). (or round) or small slices, a food that is finally boiled, stir-fried, braised, or fried. There are many styles and varieties. Such as Beijing's fried noodles, Hebei's noodles, Shanxi's shaved noodles, Shanghai's Yangchun noodles, and Hong Kong and Taiwan's Dandan noodles. The local characteristics are extremely rich, and they are also like the festive longevity noodles. Fragrant pasta from abroad, etc.

Contents

Concept

Chinese noodles

History

Method

Nutritional analysis

Related groups

Production instructions

Therapeutic effects

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History of Noodles

Noodles are a very ancient food that originated in China and have a long history. There have been records in the Eastern Han Dynasty of China, and it has been recorded for more than 1,900 years. The earliest physical noodles were discovered by scientists from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. On October 14, 2002, they were conducting a geological survey in Lajia Village, Minhe County, Qinghai Province, in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. They discovered it underground in a floodplain sediment. 3 meters away, an upside-down bowl was found. The bowl is filled with yellow noodles, the longest one is 50 cm. By analyzing the ingredients of the substance, researchers found that the bowl of noodles was about 4,000 years old, making the history of noodles much earlier. Noodles were originally just called "cakes", and "water cakes" and "boiled cakes" were the forerunners of Chinese noodles - "cakes are combined, and noodles are combined" (quoted from Liu Xi's "Shiming"). It means that the food made by mixing flour with water is called "cake"; the noodles or noodles boiled in water are also called "cake".

There are records of noodles in different dynasties. There are historical records from the early Eastern Han Dynasty, Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, to the later Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. But at first, the names of noodles were not uniform. In addition to the common noodles, boiled cakes, and soup cakes, they were also called Shuiyin cakes, Butuo, and steamed buns. The word "noodles" was not officially used until the Song Dynasty; "noodles" are long strips, and there are countless varieties. Cold noodles, warm noodles, plain noodles, fried noodles... are all "noodles"; there are many ways to make noodles. It is amazing that it can be rolled, cut, pulled, sipped, wiped, pressed, rubbed, drained, and pulled... Chinese noodles are not only an economical staple food, but also can be used as an elegant dish. Excellent food. According to historical records, many dignitaries liked to eat noodles and would serve them to their distinguished guests.

During the heyday of China - the Tang Dynasty, it was mentioned that the court at that time required to make "soup cakes" in winter and "Leng Tao" in summer (Leng Tao is today's Cold Noodles/Guoshui Cold Noodles) . In the Yuan Dynasty, "dried noodles" that could be preserved for a long time appeared; in the Ming Dynasty, "stretched noodles" with superb skills appeared. The emergence of these noodle-making techniques has made significant contributions to the development of noodles. The most significant thing in the Qing Dynasty is the emergence of "five-spice noodles" and "Bazhen noodles", and during the Qianlong period, the predecessor of instant noodles appeared: the shelf-stable fried "Yifu noodles". In fact, the development of Chinese noodles has been quite mature and stable in the Qing Dynasty, and each region has its own unique flavor, such as China's five famous noodles: Sichuan Dandan noodles, Guangdong and Guangxi Yifu noodles, northern fried noodles, Shanxi sliced ??noodles and Wuhan hot dry noodles. Coupled with the cultural exchange and development between China and foreign countries, the culture of Chinese noodles and pasta has become more brilliant all over the world.

Chinese noodles are well-known both at home and abroad, and have a profound impact on the world’s noodle culture. Today's Japanese ramen actually originated from the introduction of traditional ramen making techniques from China to Yokohama in 1912.

The Culture of Noodles

Noodles are mainly made from wheat flour. Before the emergence of noodles, rice and porridge were the staple foods of the Chinese people. However, after the emergence of noodles, the status of noodles was equal to that of rice. – Northerners mainly eat pasta as their staple food; although southerners rely heavily on rice, pasta has also become an important snack.

There is a huge difference between the noodles in the north and the south. "Noodles" in the South refers to noodles made of flour, mainly egg noodles. Instead of using eggs, duck egg yolk is used. The noodles are small and refreshing. There are both raw noodles and dry noodles. The most popular ones are thin strips of dry noodles and shrimp noodles; in the north, "noodles" refer to flour ground from wheat. Most of the noodles do not use eggs, but use alkaline water. Adding alkaline water can make the noodles easier to digest, so noodles It has become the main food for northerners. Compared with the noodles in the south, the noodles in the north are thicker and softer. If you ask for "noodles" in the north, the boss will only give you flour; while in the south, you will be sold noodles that have been processed.

Northerners take noodles as their staple food, so the quality and quantity of pasta are more important. Northerners often add fresh seasonal leaves and seasonings such as raw onions, raw garlic, and coriander when making noodles. The noodles are heavy and oily, and the ingredients and soup are relatively salty. They are mainly used to ward off the cold. If you have a big appetite, you can also eat them with steamed buns and sesame cakes. In the south, on the contrary, because southerners use rice as their staple food and noodles as snacks or treats, they cater to the taste of northerners. Due to their compact habits, they like to serve them in small bowls, but do not put onions, ginger, and leafy vegetables. They like to put soy sauce, pickled mustard, and vegetable oil. It is usually dried noodles, and its appearance and taste are not satisfactory for noodle lovers.

Traditional noodles are of course made by hand, from kneading, beating, pulling or slicing noodles. However, noodles are made differently in the south and in the north, each with its own characteristics. The famous ramen noodles in the north are, as the name suggests, made by hand. To make ramen noodles soft and smooth but tough is not an easy task. It requires extraordinary physical strength and proper control of the strength. Only by making the noodles hard and soft can you make a good product. . On the other hand, southern noodles are soft yet firm, refreshing but not crispy. The key lies in the strength when making the noodles. After the dough is kneaded, the elastic force of the human body is used to press it with a large bamboo to press the dough into thin sheets and finally cut into thin strips.

The most distinctive Chinese noodles are Yifu noodles, referred to as "Yi noodles", which can be cooked in soup or stir-fried. They were created by the chef of Yi Bingshou, a Jinshi during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. Yifu noodles are made in both north and south China, especially in Fujian and Jiangxi. The characteristic of Yifu noodles is that it does not use water to knead the noodles, but uses egg liquid instead; it is boiled in boiling water, washed with cold water, dried, and then fried to make it a semi-finished product. Due to its unique preparation method, which can be adapted to different cooking methods, Yifu noodles are indeed the top-quality noodles and a special noodle dish for banquets.

Another famous dandan noodles at home and abroad was produced in Sichuan in 1841. The meaning is extremely simple - carrying a burden to sell noodles. At that time, people's livelihood was difficult, and a vendor named Chen Baobao carried a burden to sell noodles along the street in order to make a living. Although pasta was regarded as top-quality food in ancient times and was loved by dignitaries, Dandan noodles were not only sold to the rich, but also to the common people. At first, Dandan noodles were only sold in narrow streets and alleys. The noodles were quite rough and only cooked with boiling water. The soup base was made of chili oil, soy sauce, and a little fried vegetables. It tasted spicy and served as a wrap. It was not until later that we entered big hotels and hotels, and then went to banquet tables with other snacks.

Wonton noodles, which are very popular in Hong Kong, are made of raw noodles. Noodles were produced in Guangdong in the early days. Eggs or duck eggs were used to make the noodles. Eggs make the noodles refreshing; duck eggs add an eggy aroma to the noodles. Good noodles are called silver-thin noodles. They should be thin and yellow after cooking. Of course, they should be chewy and chewy, not too hard or too soft. And most importantly, the noodles should not smell like alkaline water after being cooked.

The Story of Noodles

In addition to the cultural differences between the north and the south, Chinese noodles also have different meanings or unique stories behind them.

Traditional Chinese noodles - longevity noodles. Chinese people must eat food at the end of every birthday party, because the long noodles symbolize longevity. In ancient times, eating longevity noodles symbolized wishing newborn boys a long life, and this custom has been followed ever since. When eating noodles, you should swallow the whole noodle at once. You can neither pinch it with chopsticks nor bite it with your mouth. Eating longevity noodles not only symbolizes longevity, but also represents respect for the elderly. It is said that the Yellow Emperor attained enlightenment and became an immortal on the winter solstice. From then on, he ate longevity noodles every winter solstice to show respect for the elderly, so longevity noodles are also called "winter solstice noodles". In fact, there are different opinions on the meaning of "longevity noodles", and the above is just one of them.

The noodles eaten on birthdays are also called "Shou noodles". Noodles are the most famous in Fuzhou, and they have many names: those given to the woman during marriage are called "happy noodles"; those eaten by pregnant women during the delivery period are called "blessed noodles"; those given to relatives and friends as "taiping noodles" "; Noodles eaten by the elderly, weak and sick are considered healthy food, and noodles are called "healthy noodles". It is said among the people that noodles are a gift prepared by Jiutian Xuannu to celebrate the birthday of her mother, the Queen Mother. Therefore, people who make noodles will enshrine the statue of Jiutian Xuannv in their homes. There are many varieties of Fuzhou noodles, including egg noodles, dragon whiskers noodles, silver noodles, etc. (Quote: "Stories of Famous Chinese Foods")

Another example is the "Leng Tao" mentioned before, which was originally created by Wu Zetian, the only female emperor of China today. It is said that Wu Meiniang was very beautiful when she was young, and she was selected into the palace as a talented person at the age of fourteen. Because they were about to separate from their childhood sweetheart Chang Jianfeng, they went to a noodle shop to eat noodles before entering the palace. Seeing that the weather was hot that day, Mei Niang had an idea and worked with her boss to create a soft and delicious "Leng Tao". It happened that it was Mei Niang's birthday. In order to remember the past, she ordered the imperial chef to cook cold food on Wu Zetian's birthday. This habit did not change until her death. (Quote: "Stories of Famous Chinese Foods")

There is another story about Qishan noodles in Shaanxi. Qishan noodles are also called "Heqi noodles". It is said that during the Western Zhou Dynasty, King Zhou of Yin was jealous of King Wen of Zhou Jichang's achievements and imprisoned him in the castle of Youli. Later, King Wen of Zhou returned to his hometown. Seeing that he had become thin due to suffering, the villagers brought a large amount of food to replenish his health. In order to thank everyone for their love and care for him, King Wen of Zhou personally made noodles and cooked noodles with the food everyone brought to greet them. After finishing the noodles in person, everyone poured the remaining soup back and poured over the noodles. This way of eating only noodles without drinking soup is called "Japanese noodles". (Quoted from "Famous Food Stories")

Also: "Noodles" is the protagonist of the classic gangster epic movie "Once Upon a Time in America".