Clear Soup Hele Noodles

Clear Soup Hele Noodles

　　Clear Soup Hele Noodles are one of the most distinctive dishes from Jincheng, known for their simple yet unique preparation. First comes the “dough-making” process — place white flour in a mixing bowl, pour in water (note: use cold water in summer and warm water in winter), then knead by hand until the flour and water are fully blended. Seal the dough and let it rest. Meanwhile, it’s time to prepare the side ingredients. The typical toppings for Clear Soup Hele Noodles include carrots, green beans, bean sprouts, and cellophane noodles. You can also add tofu, potatoes, and so on. Wash and slice the carrots and green beans, soak the cellophane noodles in water until softened. Combine all these ingredients, drizzle a little sesame oil, add a small amount of salt and MSG, and stir everything by hand until well mixed. This allows the different ingredients to blend and enhance each other’s flavors — the mixed topping emits an inviting aroma even from a distance. Once the topping is ready, it’s time to cook the noodles. The rested dough is as pristine and glossy as a bride-to-be. Traditionally, hele noodles were made using a manual noodle press, known as “pressing hele noodles.” But with modern advancements, mechanical noodle presses have been invented. Take a suitably sized piece of dough, put it into the press, turn on the machine, and uniformly thick hele noodles are automatically extruded into the pot. The noodles in the boiling water look like dragons swirling through the waves. Once cooked, scoop the noodles into a bowl, pour the prepared topping over them, add some shredded or sliced meat on top, sprinkle with sesame salt, and your bowl of Clear Soup Hele Noodles is complete. When eating, mix the meat, vegetables, and noodles together — the aroma is irresistible, the noodles are chewy and firm. Elderly folks in Jincheng say that Clear Soup Hele Noodles have the most “homey” flavor.