Here they found a promising spot, but after several months, a development project forced them to move to their current spot. But faced with the hard economic times that can plague many remote areas in China, the brothers fled to the big city of Guangzhou, formerly called Canton. Initially he and his brother wanted to stay in their hometown in Shanxi province, where they could care for their aging parents. "On a good month, we make the equivalent of $250 to $350," boastsĬhen, smiling he reaches out for a handful of orders from hungry customers.īut it wasn't all that easy at first. Over the years, Cheng says, noodle pulling became popular in other parts of the country as well, and many took to it as a way to make a living. "It requires great dexterity and patience."Ĭheng says this ancient noodle- making technique originated in the northern part of China in Lanzhou, where la mien and other noodles are a staple. "It's a very special technique," explains Cheng Nan Hai, a noted chef who heads the culinary program at the Guangzhou Tourism School. In fact, as soon as they land on the counter, they clump together, making me think that's why these noodles are often made larger, like spaghetti. But Chen tosses them aside, saying they're much too thin to cook correctly. I quickly nod and out come 32 beautifully shaped noodles - even more perfect than those made by machine. A group walks by, clearly more smitten by my fascination than by the noodles themselves.īefore I can release the shutter button, Chen pulls the dough again, this time producing 16 strands.
He seals the ends together, and out come eight strands. He pulls the dough as wide as his arms will stretch, and all of a sudden four large strands appear. He looks up, and with a beaming smile and a spring in his movement, his swings the dough up and down, up and down, as if playing with a jump rope. He pulls it into a log shape about 3 inches wide, and - bang! - hits it against the counter.
But the similarities end there.īang! He slams the dough. I'm ready, I think, to chronicle it all.Ĭhen repeats the process, creating a well with flour and water, mixing, then kneading and shaping it into a ball, much like the way I'd make bread at home. My eyes are fixed on his slender hands, my finger nervously tapping the shutter release of my camera.
0 kommentar(er)
