Yang Ling dipped in the water
Dipping water noodles is a kind of noodle unique to the Yangling region of Shaanxi Province, which is loved by the public because it is simple and easy to make and tireless. Dipping water surface is not limited by the season, as long as you want to eat, you can eat at any time. Not only do Yangling locals love to eat, but more and more foreigners also have a special love for dipping water. The locals use four sentences to summarize its characteristics: the noodles are white and thin, the garlic is spicy, and the soup noodles are packed in pots, and the more you chew, the more fragrant you feel. Indeed, as long as you eat Yang Ling once dipped in the water, it is appropriate, and it is difficult not to eat it from now on. Good food, there is never a shortage of repeat customers.
Yangling is located in the middle of the Guanzhong Plain, as early as 4,000 years ago, Houji once "taught the people to harvest, tree art and grain", the history of farming can not be said to be far away, and as the business card of Yangling cuisine dipped in water, historical records are not recorded. However, in the folk, there has always been such a version of its origin. According to legend, during the Tang Zhenguan period, after a peasant woman in Yangling mixed with her husband, she became resentful and spread a stomach full of gas on the noodles when cooking with noodles. Add more water to the noodles, add more water to the noodles, back and forth, over and over again, and knead the dough ninety-nine eighty-one times. When the noodles were too tough to roll out, they kneaded the noodles and made noodles as long as the trouser belt, and the soup was cooked a little. The peasant woman made a meal that had never been cooked before, but she was praised by her husband. So this pass spread, and the practice of dipping the water surface was improved and soon spread to the capital City of Chang'an. After Tang Taizong Li Shimin tasted it, he praised the dipping water surface and gave him the book "Dipping Water Pants with Noodles". With official approval, the practice of dipping water surface has been justifiably passed down.
The dictionary interpretation of the word "dip" is to dip it in a liquid, powder or paste and take it out, combined with the consumption of dipping water, it is also very appropriate and accurate. Don't underestimate this dip, because it has many strokes, is not commonly used, and often makes jokes. Once a foreigner said that the dipping water surface became scorched water surface, the noodle shop owner thought that the accent difference heard into the pulp water surface, he said no, the person was anxious, thinking that the boss deliberately did not sell to him, pointed to the dipping water surface on the table next to him and asked the boss: Isn't it? The boss understood that the outsider was naturally embarrassed. For example, the noodle noodles are often read as folded noodles by outsiders, which is a very interesting phenomenon, but one thing is certain, the use of these uncommon words is not to flaunt the so-called culture, its causes are more complex, there are historical reasons, there are regional reasons, for today's people, the biggest benefit is to impress people. The word "water" dipped in the water surface is understood by many people as the water we drink, but I think it is not right, it should mean soup. Yangling people call the soup "water", so this "water" is not the other "water". "Noodles" naturally refers to noodles. In this way, the meaning of the name "dipping water noodles" becomes: noodles eaten with soup sauce.
Dipping water surface kung fu is all on the noodles, the noodles sing the protagonist, and the noodles must be prepared to be delicious. Although ordinary flour can also be used to dip the water surface, the gluten is greatly reduced, so it is best to use high gluten flour to make the flour dipped in the water. When you put a small amount of salt in the water when you are noodles, you can improve the taste of the noodles and increase the strength of the tendons. Adding water should be added little by little, and stirred while adding, so as to control the softness and hardness of the surface. When the noodles are uniformly flocculent and there is no excess flour on the bottom of the basin, it indicates that the water has been added, and then the milk is put on and kneaded vigorously. Kneading the dough is a slow kung fu, anxious, the dough is too big to be kneaded separately, but be sure to knead every tiny knot, the process is a bit like a massage for the noodles, the noodles are kneaded from the inside to the outside, the noodles have a unique face, and the kneaded dough is like the belly of the little lady white and light. Knead the dough and cover with a clean damp cloth, and you need to wake up for half an hour.
The dough is chopped into even strips, coated with vegetable oil and coated with plastic wrap for later. When the water boils, roll out the noodles, pull the flinging belt into three or five centimeters wide, put more than one meter of noodles into the boiling water, and then grab a few washed and prepared alfalfa, celery or greens and throw them into the pot.
The noodles are cooked out of the pot and served in pots, and the soup in the pot is thin, green and white. At this time, prepare another bowl of soup, and you can "open".
For dipping water, the taste of the soup affects the taste of the noodles, and the soup cooking becomes the key to the success or failure of the dipping water. In general, the onion, ginger and garlic seedlings are often used to fry the flavor of the spices, the tomato juice, the egg flower shape, and sometimes the yellow flowers, fungus, etc., to enrich the content of the soup. The soup should be added with an appropriate amount of water during cooking, so it will not appear sticky. The soup is generally eaten cold in the summer, which can prevent heat and cool down; in winter, it needs to be heated and eaten, which can drive away the cold and keep warm. Garlic paste and spicy seeds are both favorites of Shaanxi people, and they are also indispensable seasoning magic weapons for dipping water surfaces, similar to DIY items, which guests can add to the soup bowl according to their own taste preferences. In terms of eating, dipping water surface is similar to crossing the bridge rice noodles, but the taste is completely different. The taste of the dipped water soup is known for its aroma, spicyness, and sourness, and it is slightly heavier, so that the noodle taste is just right. The soup prepared by an experienced chef does not feel heavy when the guest eats the first noodle, nor does it feel light when eating the last noodle.
The shape of the dipped water surface is simple, the aftertaste is endless, and the simplicity and thickness of Yang Lingren's body are revealed. It is precisely because of this that dipping water surface has become the preferred meal for local relatives and friends in Yangling to gather and negotiate business. Speaking of which, there is another little story. Once, several newly enrolled Xinong girls in the same dormitory met outside the school to eat dipped water noodles. Usually, the amount of food is very small, that time each person actually ate three or four noodles (about six to eight two), there is a girl who looks at everyone so able to eat, she does not smile rudely: I really did not see it, you are all big belly, usually hidden deep enough! Those girls also laughed and leaned forward and backward after listening to it. Dipping in the water surface is fragrant and delicious, which makes people have a big appetite, and unconsciously they play an extraordinary role.
The years have changed, and the true taste has not changed. For a long time, the technique of dipping water surface has been developed and passed down along two lines: the farmhouse has the homely practice of the farmer, and the merchant has the secret of the merchant. The farmer's approach is more casual, and the variety of materials is more flexible; in order to pursue consistent taste, the merchant is more strict in the selection of materials and production process. In recent years, with the improvement of people's living standards, the ancient skill of dipping water surface has also been highly valued by the government. In March 2009, "Yangling Dipping Water Surface Making Technique" was included in the list of the first batch of intangible cultural heritage items in Yangling District. In April 2018, "Yangling Dipping Water Surface Making Technique" was included in the sixth batch of intangible cultural heritage list in Shaanxi Province.
Dipping in the water is taking unprecedented steps, out of Shaanxi and into the world. In the near future, dipping water will be known and loved by more people, bringing them extraordinary taste enjoyment.
(August 19, 2019 ended in Yangling)