Text/Nangong Qin
Shanxi saying has a cloud "do not eat noodles for a day, do not count eating", which shows the love and love of Shanxi people for food. In December 2006, the China Cuisine Association officially awarded Shanxi the title of "Hometown of Chinese Noodles", which shows the long history and high level of its noodles. In the same year, Shanxi noodles were classified as the first batch of intangible cultural heritage in the province based on traditional handicrafts, and in 2008, it officially became the second batch of intangible cultural heritage at the national level. "Noodles" have given life to Shanxi people, accompanied them to grow and develop, and gradually penetrated into all aspects of Shanxi people's diet, life and psychology.
At the same time, Shanxi is known as the "kingdom of small grains", and its pasta is not limited to wheat noodles, but also has sorghum noodles, corn flour, buckwheat noodles, quinoa noodles, mixed bean noodles, rice noodles, etc., which constitute the cornerstone of Shanxi's multi-grain rich noodle kingdom. Shanxi noodles pay attention to "coarse grain fine, fine grain fine", this pasta production skills is a big test, Shanxi noodles are a lot of practices, just cooked noodles have rolling, cutting, plucking, sipping, rubbing, pressing, rubbing, leaking, pulling and other means, with different toppings, it magically changes out of different postures, color, aroma, taste of noodles to come. The rest are steamed and fried, and the list goes on.
<h1>First, the history of Shanxi pasta</h1>
The entire northern region basically belongs to the noodle culture circle, and the noodle tradition of Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Shaanxi, Gansu and other places adjacent to Shanxi is also relatively long. However, specific to the Shanxi region, it holds its own distinct regional characteristics. Shanxi folk have the legend of "Yao made stone cakes, noodles flowing fang", which also tells the relationship between Yao and pasta. Legend has it that once Yao saw the grain being pressed down by the upside-down wall, some of it was broken, some of it became crushed powder, and then it was rained, and the grain became a paste. Yao used his hands to hold the grain slab one by one, hoping that the sun would dry it and collect it.
Unexpectedly, the person who attached it was like a fire, roasting the stone hot, causing the grain slab on the bluestone slab to dry out and turn yellow, and emitting a strange fragrance. Yao thought it was delicious, so he summoned the people and taught them to smash the valley with stones, and then thinly spread it on the yu stone slab with water, leaves and pulp, and roast it under the bluestone slab to eat. The practice of making stone cakes is still circulating in the Yao capital Linfen and Yuncheng area, and people call it Yao Wang Cake or Shi Zi Bun. Of course, the current Yaowang cake is generally made of thin noodles, some with a little pepper leaves, salt sugar and egg paste, etc., its crispness is far from the Yao era of stone cake can be compared, but this method of food, especially popular in Yaoxiang, objectively proves the longevity and continuity of Shanxi noodle culture.
With the development of the whole society and the improvement of dietary standards, Shanxi's pasta has also developed accordingly. "When gao qi, the so-called pro-law kuta, I want to use buckwheat for it." This pasta, called "Promoting the Law of Kuta", is rumored to be related to The Gonggaoyang of Taiyuan. During the former Eastern Wei regime, he dominated Jinyang, and later established the Northern Qi regime as emperor, and when he made soup cake feasts for his son, he created the river leak noodle system. When eating this noodle, it will "suddenly" sound, and people will call this noodle "Promoting the Law Kuta", which shows that the history of this noodle made of buckwheat in Shanxi is at least nearly 1,500 years old.
During this period, stuffed steamed buns (i.e., buns), spring cakes, wontons, pancakes, etc. also appeared. The large number of Shanxi pastry points that appeared and had an impact throughout the country was in the Ming and Qing dynasties, especially in the Qing Dynasty. It is said that the local noodles produced in the Yuan Dynasty have been famous in the Qing Dynasty, "the noodles and hard, must be kneaded more, the better kneading, as a long piece in the palm, with a fast knife to cut slender thin slices, boiled in boiling water, poured with soup or brine, very interesting." Pingyao, Jiexiu and other places, the practice is very good. ”
With the evolution of history, Shanxi pasta has gone through its formation, development and prosperity process, forming today's commendable noodle culture.
<h1>Second, the pasta characteristics of Pingyao in Jinzhong</h1>
Ten miles of different winds, a hundred miles of different customs. Looking at the land of the Three Jins, the large latitude span leads to differences in products between the north and the south, and differences in historical traditions also lead to slight differences in food culture. Specific to each region, the northern, central, southern and southeastern pasta styles have their own advantages, and it is precisely because of the characteristics of each region that the Shanxi noodle culture has been formed. Pingyao has always been an important agricultural product production and supply base in jinzhong region of Shanxi Province. In addition to the famous ancient city of Pingyao, which has a history of more than 2,800 years and has been inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List, pingyao still retains many food customs that have been passed down from generation to generation, and "delicious pasta" is one of the most important dietary features.
For a long time, there is no obvious distinction between the main and vice in the diet structure of Pingyao, and it is often based on millet porridge, steamed buns and burnt cakes in the morning and night, and various kinds of pasta at noon. Pingyao people eat noodles, steaming and frying, simmering and stir-frying can make noodles, which can really be said to have reached the realm of "one side is a hundred things, one side is a hundred flavors". There are many kinds of noodles, ordinary flour in the hands of Pingyao people can make countless varieties of noodles, especially coarse grain fine, fine grain fine making is endlessly evocative.
In the main pasta dishes of the general family, in addition to the use of wheat flour, but also the use of sorghum, noodles, buckwheat noodles, mung bean noodles, soybean noodles, millet noodles, corn flour and other coarse grains, it can be said that "grain flour" are used. Coarse grain noodles are divided into boiling, steaming, stove and other methods: cooking is cooked with boiling water and then seasoned, vegetables to eat noodles, such as white noodles / sorghum noodles of the rubbing of the earthworm, sorghum noodles and bean noodles of the sorghum noodles, sorghum noodles and soybean noodles of the fish, sorghum noodles / corn noodles of the cutting board, sorghum noodles/ corn noodles, sorghum noodles, sorghum noodles, orphans, shovel slices, buckwheat noodles / sorghum noodles of the river fishing, corn noodles / sorghum noodles / soba noodle paste, etc.; steamed food is the noodles eaten after steaming in the cage drawer, there are sorghum noodles, distilled earthworms, corn noodle nests , Yellow day (i.e. hair cake), cornmeal/wheat flour paste, flour noodles, etc.; stove food is a food made of tweezers, such as cornmeal fire, yellow frying, dry noodle cakes, stone dry cakes, etc.
In addition, different types of coarse grain pasta can also be fried with various types of vegetables and meats to make a variety of fried noodles with more flavor. With the continuous improvement of people's living standards, fine grains have become the protagonists of Pingyao people's tables, while coarse grains are used to adjust taste. Fine grain products are mainly refined from wheat flour. Noodles include knife-cut noodles, rubbing roundworms, pulling strips, river fishing, picking tips, willow leaf noodles, long rolled noodles, pinching knots, cutting boards, dipping slices, etc., steamed buns, fried buns, horns, hot noodle dumplings, etc., stove food has flammels, steamed cakes, boiled cakes, dough cakes, shortbread, sugar cakes, mooncakes, oil cakes, fritters, oil twist flowers, oil bergamot, etc., in addition to bowl holders, enemas and other snacks. Red and white celebrations, party banquets are also indispensable to the figure of noodles, "Pingyao banquets generally set up nine bowls and nine plates, dishes are sumptuous, you can arrange the local so-called 'four four', 'eight eight', 'eight eight one collar two' 'eight eight one lead four' high-end banquet", it can be said that noodles are everywhere in the life of Pingyao people.
<h1>3. Summary</h1>
Shanxi pasta is a food culture thing formed in history, and the special natural ecology, human factors, economic factors, and historical and cultural environment have provided unique conditions for its formation and development, so that Shanxi noodles generally show the characteristics of rich raw materials, diverse production methods, variety, and unique food customs. Pasta, like the world-famous old vinegar and cultural relics on the ground, is a cultural symbol of Shanxi. In addition to continuing to play the basic function of diet, it also needs people to examine from a historical perspective and deeply interpret it from a cultural point of view, so as to exert its cultural effectiveness, so that more people can pay attention to its culture and promote its development. In particular, it is placed at the level of intangible cultural heritage to recognize it, protect it and develop it.
bibliography:
1. Liu Jiajia, "Research on Pasta Culture in Shanxi from a Historical Perspective", Master's Thesis of Central China Normal University, 2012.
2. Zhang Xiaojie, "Research on Pasta Customs and Culture in Life Etiquette in Pingyao, Shanxi", Master's Thesis of Guangxi Normal University, 2017.