[英语角] Chinese noodles have a long history

Chinese noodles have a long history. They are served to celebrate holidays and birthdays. You can boil them, stir-fry them, stew them or fry them. Shanxi produces a great variety of noodles, such as daoxiao noodles, tijianr noodles, and yigenr noodles, all of which are Shanxi specialties. La mian is one of the traditional noodle dishes of Shanxi, and it’s also the most basic type of Shanxi noodles. One slab of dough can quickly be stretched into thin “Dragon whisker noodles”. Our chef is an expert at making la mian. Look, in the hands of the chef, the dough is really well-behaved. It’s like a ballet for the hands. 　　The resulting noodles are thin, stretchable and sturdy, and quite pliable. This is a true master at work.

The essential thing about la mian is to use equal force, and the two hands must work together smoothly. The left hand makes a twirl, and then the right hand 　　makes a twirl in a smooth movement. This is the only way to make the noodles right. Making noodles right really does require a lot practice. This last step is even more crucial. It not only requires equal force, but a lot of patience in order to stretch the noodles out long and thin.

Shanxi Noodles are definitely a local specialty and these can be prepared in several ways. Each kind cooked by a special method has a unique name and taste, such as the Fried Oats Noodle, Pulled Noodle, Mao Erduo (Cat's Ear, for it takes the shape of a cat's ear.), Sliced Noodle, and many more. You must taste the noodles yourself to discover how delicious they are.