Longhua Bobian Noodles

Longhua Bobian Noodles

　　Bobian noodles are a specialty of Longhua—truly a local specialty.

　　To understand Bobian noodles, you first need to know about white buckwheat flour. Many people are familiar with buckwheat, but since buckwheat is usually black, how can there be white buckwheat flour? It turns out that the variety is the same; the difference lies in the processing method. Before milling, the black husk on the buckwheat kernel is first removed, not only the husk but also the darker parts of the kernel adjacent to the husk. What remains is the core part, which is then milled into flour—so white it’s nearly indistinguishable from wheat flour. Buckwheat is inherently a low-yield crop, producing no more than 100 jin per mu at best. After going through this process of selecting the least from the little, the usable buckwheat flour becomes even scarcer, making it naturally very precious.

　　Now we can talk about Bobian noodles—noodles made from white buckwheat flour. Why are they called Bobian noodles? This refers to how they’re made. The white buckwheat flour is divided into four equal parts. First, one part is scalded with boiling water, and then the other three parts are moistened with cold water and gradually kneaded into the scalded portion. Finally, the mixture is kneaded into dough. It is left to rest for 10 minutes to achieve the right texture, then rolled out on a board into a flatbread about less than a foot wide and 3 fen thick. Now comes the actual "bobian" (pulling) process—the chef grips both handles of a special noodle knife and swiftly and evenly slices the dough into fine strands. As the knife moves, the dough shrinks while the noodles are neatly aligned behind it. Finally, the noodles are dropped into a rapidly boiling pot of water. After a short time, they are scooped out, placed in bowls, and served with toppings or sauce. The resulting noodles are as thin as dried noodles, with clear edges and corners. Their color is described as “white as jade, whiter than snow and frost” (as noted by Emperor Qianlong), and their taste is refreshingly crisp, with a delicate fragrance that lingers.