Noodles have been an indispensable part of China's food culture for thousands of years. Especially in the north, the cold climate has made people more dependent on pasta for warmth. So among the many noodle dishes in northern China, which 5 are the most representative?
1. Lanzhou ramen
When it comes to Chinese noodles, Lanzhou ramen must be at the top of the list. The origins of Lanzhou ramen can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty, where hand-drawn noodles are perfectly combined with a delicious beef bone broth to form this unique noodle dish.
Lanzhou ramen is most famous for its noodles, which are repeatedly stretched, the gluten is fully fermented, and the texture is very elastic. Paired with the yellow and clear beef bone broth, it is full of fresh fragrance. A bowl of fragrant, sweet and savory ramen that will whet your appetite.
Today's Lanzhou ramen has long spread from Lanzhou to all corners of China, and is deeply loved by ordinary people. A bowl of Lanzhou ramen, the aroma of noodles wafting in the rich bone broth of ão makes people want to take it away.
Second, the old Beijing fried noodles
In the north, there is one type of noodle dish that is also loved by people, and that is the old Beijing fried sauce noodles. Originating from the eight major restaurants in Yanjing during the Qing Dynasty, this noodle dish combines handmade thin noodles with a characteristic "fried sauce", which is warm in winter and cool in summer, suitable for all ages.
The essence of the old Beijing fried sauce noodles lies in its "fried sauce". The "fried sauce" is simmered over a slow fire based on large bones and fatty meat, and various seasonings are added, giving it a strong flavor of oil. This sauce can be eaten in noodles with cuttlefish juice or chopped green onions, or as a dipping sauce. The noodles are made from wheat noodles and are hand-pulled and full of flavor.
A bowl of golden steaming fried noodles, exuding a rich aroma of meat, and handmade noodles with Q elastic tendons, are extremely appetizing, which is a homely but not simple delicacy in the minds of old Beijingers.
3. Oily noodles
When you come to the northwest, there is also a different kind of noodle - oily noodles. This noodle dish originated in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, and is named "oily noodles" because of the hot oil poured over the pasta.
The noodles are made with a yellowish color made from mountain wheat, and the soup is made from lamb bones. Rinse the boiled lasamen and pour hot oil over it, and the surface of the noodles is soaked in oil to reflect an attractive luster.
When a bowl of oil-splashed noodles is served, it is steaming, the noodles are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the soup is clear and oily, and it is extremely delicious. The first bite of noodles melts in the mouth, the Q bomb is strong, the soup base is delicious, and the aftertaste is long. The noodle dish rich in northwest flavor such as oily noodles also makes it one of the top three noodles in the north.
IV. Henan 烩面
When you come to Henan, the land of the Central Plains, there is an equally famous noodle dish - braised noodles. Originating from Kaifeng, this pasta dish uses thin noodles drawn by hand and served with a signature braised sauce for a delicious taste.
The most important thing about Henan braised noodles is its "stewed sauce". To make the stew, you need to select pork bones, fresh soup and other soup as the base soup, add a large amount of bacon, sausages, vegetables and sauces, etc., and process it into Henan's unique stew. The stew is paired with hand-pulled noodles with Q elastic tendons, which is full of flavor and flavor.
When a bowl of Henan braised noodles is served, you will be greeted by a bowl full of milky white braised sauce, rich in minced meat and vegetables, and the noodles melt in your mouth, and the aroma of the braised sauce goes straight to your heart, and the whole process is colorful and appetizing. Such Henan braised noodles also make it among the northern noodle food rankings.
V. Sword cutting surface
The last type of noodle is the knife-cut noodles from Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. This type of noodle originated in the Ming Dynasty and was named "knife-cut noodles" for its unique way of making dough cakes with a special long knife.
The most important thing about the knife-cut noodles is its bread, which is made with high-gluten flour and alkaline water, which has a great taste. To make it, the dough is oiled, fixed on a wooden mold, and quickly cut off with a long knife to form a spiral-shaped noodle.
When a bowl of knife-cut noodles is served, the noodles are white and slender like silk, the soup is bright in color, and the meat sauce is fragrant. The noodles have a strong Q elasticity and a unique taste, and the soup base is light and has an endless aftertaste. This kind of knife-cut noodles has also become a leader in northern noodles.
Lanzhou ramen, old Beijing fried sauce noodles, oil noodles, Henan braised noodles and knife-cut noodles constitute the five most representative noodles in northern China. Each of these five types of noodles has its own flavor and also shows the characteristics of different food cultures in northern China.