Lamian

Hand-pulled lamian noodles are one of the cornerstones of traditional Chinese cuisine, and they probably originated in Northern China where wheat has known to be a staple crop for thousands of years. However, the earliest written record describing the unique method of making these noodles was found in a 1504 book Songshi Yangsheng Bu, written by Song Xu.

Interestingly, lamian noodles can be stretched into strings that are more than a meter long, and they are traditionally served for the Lunar New Year celebrations as their length symbolizes prosperity and long life. Lamian noodles are widely used in numerous stir-fry dishes and soups, especially those made with beef or mutton.

In fact, one of the most popular lamian dishes and the city of Lanzhou's favorite meal is the hearty niu rou mian soup: noodles in a light beef broth, usually flavored with la jiao jiang (lit. hot chili oil). And while beef noodles are a typical food of the Hui people, a Muslim minority traditionally preparing only halāl dishes, another common lamian variety is the spicy zhajiangmian - noodles topped with ground pork and stir-fried with a fermented soybean paste called zhajiand.

For a light summer meal, lamian noodles can also be stir-fried and served cold in numerous shredded vegetable salads, and just like with other types of pasta, the variations are endless.