Knife-cut noodles are a type of noodle often associated with Shanxi province, prepared by thinly cutting a block of dough directly into boiling water; the result is ribbon-shaped, fairly thick and chewy. They belong to Jin cuisine and to the Jin-speaking area of central and northern Shanxi, where they are a household staple and are locally called xiao mian. Outside the province the noodle shops are mostly run by people from southern Shanxi and serve the noodles in soup, so the dish now sits on tables far beyond the province's borders. Among the knife-cut variations in Shanxi the style from Datong became the most famous; the dish's fame is a Shanxi-wide story, not the property of a single town.
From the journal
Knives and Boiled Noodles from Shanxi
Knife-cut noodles and the boiled dough shapes that go with them: a Jin cuisine tradition of central and northern Shanxi, made from hard high-gluten dough and shaped by hand at the pot.
In the same city · Taiyuan ↗A dish that became a national standard
Boiled dough, plain water and a willow leaf
The dough is worked before it meets the knife. It is kneaded many times and drawn out into a long roll, then cut with a special blade; the traditional knife is a broad sheet of metal with both ends turned up, and the cook shaves from it the way a pencil is sharpened, dropping the strips straight into a pot of boiling water. What falls in is pointed at both ends and wide in the middle, a willow leaf in shape with a triangular section. After cooking the noodles are lifted out, and a rinse in cold water makes them springier. In central Shanxi the habit is to boil them in plain water, then pour over fried vegetables, meat or gravy and mix.
The knife and the hand that holds it
The technique is learned over years: a skilled chef can slice up to two hundred strands a minute, and cooking oil is added to the dough to increase its elasticity and chewiness. High-gluten flour is used, so the dough is firmer and more elastic than an ordinary noodle and is harder to digest. The traditional stance is one hand holding the roll and the other working the blade, and in recent years a performance has grown up in which the cook balances the dough on his head and cuts with both hands. Several blades are in use, from the professional knife to the Datong hooked blade, to a wheeled knife for beginners and machines for shops that need volume. The noodle is usually served in broth, though it is sometimes fried.