The folk custom of eating longevity noodles on birthdays has a long history. This custom originated from the Western Han Dynasty.

According to legend, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty believed in ghosts, gods and physiognomy. One day while chatting with ministers and talking about the length of human lifespan, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty said: "Xiangshu" says that if a person's philtrum is long, his lifespan will be long. If his philtrum is 1 inch long, he can live to be 100 years old. "The minister Dongfang Shuo who was sitting next to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty laughed after hearing this. The ministers were confused and blamed him for being rude to the emperor. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty asked him why he was laughing. Dongfang Shuo explained: "I am not laughing at Your Majesty, but at Peng Zu. . When a person lives for 100 years, his philtrum is 1 inch long. When Peng Zu lived for 800 years, his philtrum was only 8 inches long. So how long is his face? "

Everyone laughed when they heard this. It seems that if you want to live longer, it is impossible to have a longer face, but you can think of a flexible way to express your wish for a long life. Face is face, then "A long face means a long face", so people used long noodles to wish for longevity. Gradually, this practice evolved into the habit of eating noodles on birthdays, which is called "longevity noodles". This custom has been followed to this day. .

Preparation method

There are roughly three methods of making noodles in China:

1. Stretching method: repeatedly stretching the fully mature dough into noodles. . This method is mostly manual and highly experienced, and has very strict requirements on flour quality and aging. Many famous noodles, such as Longxu noodles and hollow noodles, fall into this category.

2. Rolling. Pressing method: The dough is first rolled or rolled into sheets repeatedly, and then cut into strips. Generally, commercially available machine-made fresh noodles fall into this category, and with the addition of drying (or drying), cutting, packaging and other steps, they become dried noodles. (It is named because wet noodles are hung on bamboo poles to dry). The degree of dough maturity and the drying conditions of the noodles are important production factors that affect the quality of the noodles.

3. Extrusion method: put the dough on the bamboo pole. Pressure is applied in the mold, and the dough is extruded from the mold hole into strips. This kind of noodles is also called "饸饹" and has a firm texture. This method is often used to make noodles with wheat-mixed whole grain flour. Machine pressing, and small-scale manual pressing are also used. The noodle extruder used in Yan'an City in northern Shaanxi has a higher pressure. The temperature of the noodles increases during the extrusion process, and the finished product can reach a semi-cooked state. The made coarse grain noodles are elastic. .

In addition to the differences in the noodle forming process, the noodle making methods are also important to add auxiliary ingredients to express the characteristics of the noodles. Especially for the famous noodles that are stretched and formed, an appropriate amount is generally added. Salt or baking soda.

The technological characteristics of several famous noodles

1. Fujian Longxu noodles (also known as longevity noodles, thread noodles, etc.)

The production characteristics are that more water (50-60%) is added when joining the dough, the dough takes a long time to mature, and 5-10% salt needs to be added according to the quality of the raw flour and the climatic conditions during production.

Technical process: kneading dough → kneading fried dough sticks (pulling into thick strips) → kneading vermicelli (pulling and kneading into thin strips) → skewering noodles → hand-pulled noodles

After each step of operation, the dough must be matured and finally pulled The finished fine noodles require a diameter of about 0.6 mm. Currently, machines are used in some places, but the quality is not as good as handmade products.

2. Fujian chess noodles

Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough of 4 kilograms of flour that has been salted with salt water (use the same amount of salt as dragon whisker noodles) and place it on two hanging bamboo poles. Then slowly stretch the dough around by hand. As the area increases, the bamboo poles are gradually added, and finally the dough is stretched into 10 square meters, uniformly thick and transparent noodles, dried and cut into strips. This kind of noodles is easy to digest and is mostly used for the elderly, weak and sick. , children and pregnant women.

3. Jiangsu hollow noodles

The center of the noodles is not hollow, but it is kneaded for a long time when the noodles are combined, and the dough contains more air. , microporous type, and other operating steps of this kind of noodles are similar to those of Longxu noodles.

4. Shanxi Sliced ??Noodles

Add less water when joining the noodles. After a long period of hard kneading, the dough will be smooth and hard. Then place the dough on your left arm. Above, the right hand is holding the shaved noodles. The noodles are about 17 centimeters long and have a slightly triangular cross-section.

At present, many restaurants have switched to using machines instead of manual work. The method is to put the matured dough into an auger-type extrusion noodle machine. There are three rotating knives at the exit for noodle cutting, but the taste It's not as good as hand-made ones, mainly because it's not "strong" enough.

Quality Standards my country currently does not have complete indicators and scientific inspection methods for the raw materials for noodle production (wheat flour) and the quality of the noodles themselves. The general requirements are: the noodles should be continuous during the production process, with less sour noodles, straight noodles, uniform thickness, smooth surface, and strong bending resistance; they should be cooked quickly during cooking, not mushy, non-sticky, continuous, and delicious to eat. Refreshing yet resilient.

1) How to make longevity noodles with bone soup - -

Ingredients: high-gluten flour, water, quail eggs, cherry tomatoes, cabbage hearts, shiitake mushrooms, diced mustard, bone broth Appropriate amounts of each, a little each of oil, salt, chicken essence, pepper, and soup stock.

Preparation method: 1. Pour the refined powder into a basin, add salt and mix evenly, add water to mix into a dough, and knead until soft for 30 minutes.

2. Place the dough on the counter, roll it into long strips of uniform thickness (slightly thinner), and then put it into the oil pan until the dough is finished.

3. Throw the plated noodles directly into the boiling water pot, cook them and put them into a bowl.

4. Add salt, chicken essence, pepper and soup stock to the boiling bone broth to taste, pour it into the noodles, and top it with cooked quail eggs, cherry tomatoes, cabbage hearts, The simmered mushrooms have a certain shape, and finally sprinkle with diced mustard.

Features: Gluten is delicious and nutritious. It is one of the best foods for the elderly to live longer.

2) Braised Noodles

According to Quanzhou custom, noodles are cooked on birthdays. When cooking, the noodles must not be broken, but the whole noodles must be cooked in the pot to express longevity.

1. Raw materials

1. Main ingredients: 400 grams of raw thin noodles, 100 grams of lean pork, and 100 grams of fresh shrimps. 2. Accessories: 10 grams of soaked mushrooms, 1 egg, 20 grams of soaked day lily. 3. Seasoning: 30 grams of cooked lard, 5 grams of refined salt, 20 grams of wet starch, 800 grams of meat broth, 6 grams of MSG, 3 grams each of onion, ginger, and minced garlic, appropriate amounts of sesame oil, shallots, and pepper.

2. Preparation method

1. Cut the lean pork into shreds, cut the mushrooms into shreds, knock the eggs into a bowl and beat them up. 2. Put the wok on high heat, scoop in the cooked lard and heat it up, add the onion, ginger and minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the shredded pork, shrimp, mushrooms and day lily and stir-fry briefly. Add the meat broth and bring to a boil. Add MSG and refined salt, make a marinade with wet starch and then add the egg liquid. 3. Put the wok on high heat, add water and bring to a boil. Add the cooked noodles, heat them up, put them into a soup bowl, top with the prepared marinade, and sprinkle with sesame oil, shallots and pepper.

Features: Golden color, various ingredients, and delicious taste.

3) Ingredients: half a catty of noodles, three liang of lean meat, three liang of seaweed, six dried mushrooms, four green onions, four or five rapeseed

Method: 1. Shred the meat, wash the seaweed and rapeseed (separate each leaf), soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for ten minutes and cut into shreds, cut the shallots into white and chopped green onions;

2 Put half a small amount in the pot A bowl of oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped green onion. After frying for a few seconds, pour out half of the oil and set aside. Leave half of the oil in the pot. Add shredded pork and shredded mushrooms and stir-fry. Add a little salt;

3. After the shredded pork is cooked, add seaweed and three small bowls of water;

4. After the water boils, add the noodles directly. The amount of water will almost cover the noodles. Cover the pot and simmer for a while. The lower layer of noodles is almost cooked. Add the rapeseed, turn the noodles over, and continue to simmer for a while;

5 When all the noodles are almost cooked, you can use a spoon to scoop out the excess soup in the pot. (Otherwise it will become soup noodles);

6 Add salted chicken essence to the pot, sprinkle with chopped green onion, the last step is very important, pour the fried oil just now, use chopsticks to put the noodles and these seasonings on top Mix evenly in the pot and take it out of the pot.

4) Beijing style braised noodles

Main ingredients: pork belly, shiitake mushrooms, yellow flowers, fungus, mushrooms

Accessories: eggs, hand-rolled noodles

Seasoning: onion, ginger, garlic, pepper, water starch, chicken essence, salt, dark soy sauce, sesame oil

Method:

1. Shiitake mushrooms, yellow flowers, fungus, mushroom, Soak in hot water until it boils. After washing, do not pour away the water in which the mushrooms grew. Filter out and marinate it for later use;

2. Take a soup pot, add green onions, ginger, pork belly, cook and cut into thin slices, slice mushrooms and yellow flowers. Put the mushrooms, fungus, and mushrooms into the pot together, add the meat soup and the mushroom-growing water, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt, chicken essence, dark soy sauce, and seasoning to thicken. Then add the beaten eggs, take out, pour into the soup basin, and marinate. It's done;

3. Take a wok, add some sesame oil, salad oil and a few peppercorns, add minced garlic, fry until fragrant and pour it on the prepared marinade.

4. Boil the noodles and pour the marinade.

Features: Both rice and vegetables, Beijing-style famous food, common people’s favorite, a must-have for the Chinese New Year

5) Tomato Braised Noodles

Method:

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! ) 3 eggs, put them in a container and mix well. Cut tomatoes into cubes.

2) Put a little oil in the pot. When the oil is hot, add the eggs and stir-fry. (Bright yellow is sufficient)

3) Add tomatoes, stir-fry for a few times, then add water (two bowls)

4) After ten minutes, add salt and MSG.

5) Get out of the pot after settling the debt. (Starch and water)

6) 1 pound of dried noodles (hand-dried noodles are best), rinse with cold water after cooking.

7) Put the noodles in a bowl and pour tomato and egg marinade on top.

Comments: Simple and refreshing.

6) Stewed noodles with shredded chicken

1) Let the mushrooms, yellow flowers, fungus, and hazelnut mushrooms rise in boiling water, drain the water, and cut into suitable lengths. But don’t forget to save the soup used to make them.

2) Cook two chicken legs and tear them into shreds by hand. Don't cut with a knife~~

3) After the oil is hot, add the green onions, add the shredded chicken and stir-fry for one minute. Add the mushrooms, yellow flowers, fungus, and hazelnut mushrooms, and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. The soup in which these things are soaked is added to the pot first. If it is not enough, add more water to cover these things.

4) Add dark soy sauce, salt, a little sugar (must not be too much), and salt.

5) When these things are estimated to be cooked, pour the water starch in one direction (it takes about a bowl). After marinating, throw in the 2 beaten eggs. Turn off the heat after half a minute. Lift away from the stove.

6) Use a small container (a frying spoon will suffice), pour some cooking oil, put the Sichuan peppercorns in, and heat it on the fire. When the oil is hot and the Sichuan peppercorns smell comes out, turn off the heat. , just pour it evenly onto the prepared marinade immediately, but remember to pick out the pepper before eating.