From “A Shanxi Mother-in-Law Becomes an Internet Sensation in Paris, Conquering Foreigners with a Bowl of Knife-cut Noodles” to “A Mother-in-Law from Datong Sets Up a Stall in France”…a series of heated topics have ignited like a raging fire, rapidly heating up this cross-border culinary legend.
During the Paris Olympic Games, along the Left and Right Banks of the Seine, the two “KONGFU PATE” (Kung Fu Knife-cut Noodles) shops were filled with tourists from all over the world who had come to sample this bowl of noodles imbued with Chinese charm. What is the magic of Shanxi Knife-cut Noodles?
If eating knife-cut noodles is a feast for the palate, then just watching the chefs cut the noodles in Shanxi is already a feast for the eyes. Shanxi noodles are like a gorgeous and colorful scroll painting of the martial arts world. Knife-cut noodles have become renowned in this culinary realm, and this is inseparable from the superb skills of the chefs. Each chef is a knight in the world of noodles, and the cutting knife in their hands is like a knight’s sword, wielded with ease and displaying unparalleled skill.
As the name suggests, knife-cut noodles are made entirely by cutting with a knife, a perfect union of art and cuisine. Only a specially made curved cutting knife can produce noodles with a thick center and thin edges, sharp edges, and a uniform shape resembling willow leaves.
Superb “martial arts” and exquisite skills are undoubtedly the key to the deliciousness of knife-cut noodles. However, for a bowl of noodles to win praise from all noodle lovers, it cannot be separated from its rich and varied toppings. These toppings, like the soul of knife-cut noodles, give them a unique flavor and personality.
If you prefer a sour taste, then a simple tomato and egg topping is the perfect match; if you value nutritional balance, then a stew of mixed vegetables will be the perfect choice for the topping; if you are a meat lover, then a pot of stir-fried meat may not even be enough for one meal…
Pair it with seasonal vegetables like cucumber shreds, chive flowers, mung bean sprouts, boiled soybeans, chopped green garlic, and a drizzle of aged vinegar, and you’ll be completely enchanted.
And if you crave a “heavier” taste, then stir-fried knife-cut noodles are also a great option. As the name suggests, stir-fried knife-cut noodles involve frying the cooked noodles. The stir-fried noodles are smooth on the outside and chewy inside, soft but not sticky. Having a bowl at night time, hot and fragrant, is simply irresistible with each slurp!
Such meticulous delicacies are not only a treat for the taste buds but also a carrier of cultural heritage. This, perhaps, is the profound manifestation of the “kung fu” of cuisine and the reason why it has become a sensation on the streets of Paris.