Noodles by the Knife

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Soft and slippery on the outside， pared noodles （刀削面 d`oxi`omi3n） are actually pretty chewy. But， it’s not just what’s in the bowl that attracts its fans； the method itself is a real visual treat （眼福 y2nf%）. In front of a boiling pot， the chef slices the dough into noodles with a flip of the wrist so quick that you’ll swear black and blue that he’s a kung fu master in disguise. A skilled chef can make two slices a second and use 25 kilograms of dough in a single minute. Each slice is surprisingly consistent， roughly 20 centimeters long， in the shape of a willow tree leave with a fine edge and thick center. Viewers are often dazzled by the speed. When the first slice touches the water， the next piece is in the air forming a white arc above the dough. The pot used to cook the noodles is usually relatively large， full of boiling water and rolling with vapor. All the noodles seem to splash about inside like hungry little fish （which is actually pretty neat considering the pot takes on the scent of the ocean）.

Pared noodles are tightly connected to their roots in Shanxi （山西） Province， where grain abounds in the basin of the Yellow River and its branches. Naturally， Shanxi people rely on grain， mostly wheaten food （面食mi3nsh！）， over rice， which is more popular in the south.

Like Sichuan people and their spice or Hunan people and their stinky tofu， the attachment between Shanxi people and their mianshi is deep； to the extent that they won’t be satisfied if a meal doesn’t have wheaten food （无面不欢 w% mi3n b& hu`n）. Though the ingredients are simple， time and resourcefulness have given birth to a variety of dishes and flavors. As the saying goes： “With one kind of flour， there are a hundred ways to cook and eat it.” （一样面百样做，一样面百

样吃。Y！ y3ng mi3n b2i y3ng zu7， y！ y3ng mi3n b2i y3ng ch～.） Steamed， boiled， and fried， there are over 280 different dishes with established and delicious recipes. When you include all the variations and styles， there are as many as over 400 different mianshi dishes in Shanxi culinary culture. Of all these delicacies， pared noodles are perhaps the most famous， thanks to the unconventional technique and showmanship involved. And， as with just about everything in China， it has an origins story.

Legend has it that， in the early Yuan Dynasty （1206-1368）， the rulers confiscated all the weapons among the people for fear of an uprising. Even cooking knives were tightly controlled―ten families needed to share one knife. One day， an old couple wanted to have noodles for lunch， but it wasn’t their turn with the knife. The old man suggested they use a thin piece of iron they found on the side of the road， and said： “If it’s too soft to cut， then shave.” They never needed to borrow the town knife again.

If you want to try authentic pared noodles in Beijing， Jinyang Restaurant （晋阳饭庄） is your best bet. Founded in 1959， it is Beijing’s oldest Shanxi restaurant. Jinyang is also the name of an ancient metropolis in Shanxi that served as the capital city for many dynasties.

A bowl of tasty pared noodles consists of three critical elements： the preparation of the dough， the slicing， and the sauce. The ratio of flour and water should be kept at three to one. After the dough is formed， it should be covered with a piece of wet cloth and set for half an hour. Kneading requires strength and technique to get the dough well-shaped and balanced in terms of texture. When it comes to slicing， chefs at Jingyang Restaurant maintain the tradition of using a thin iron sheet， which they sharpen themselves and bend to fit the curve of the dough. The sauce （卤 l^ or 浇头 ji`otou） for pared noodles varies from dinner table to dinner table. In the case of Jingyang Restaurant， their seafood flavored sauce is what keeps the customers coming back time and time again.- LIU JUE （刘珏）