Bean Paste Noodles (Mian Mian)

Bean Paste Noodles (Mian Mian)

　　Shanxi noodles are famous throughout China. "One type of flour, a hundred ways to make it; one type of flour, a hundred ways to eat it—365 days a year, never the same dish twice." This saying refers to how Shanxi people can create a rich variety of noodle dishes using just simple flour, even managing to serve a different main dish every day of the year without repetition. In the hands of Shanxi locals, a small lump of dough is twisted, rolled, and pulled with incredible skill, forming a unique noodle culture all its own.

　　 Mian Mian is one of the many types of noodles, locally called "mian ge dou er" in Pingyao dialect. The character "抿" (mian) in Mian Mian refers to the method of making these noodles, while "尖" (jian) describes their shape after being cooked. Traditionally, Mian Mian is made from bean paste flour and is also called Bean Paste Noodles. In modern preparations, it’s common to mix bean paste flour with corn flour, sorghum flour, or wheat flour (regular flour).

　　 The tools used to make Mian Jian (another type of noodle) and Mian Mian are different. To make Mian Mian, a mian bed (pressing board) and mian shovel (left image) are used, whereas for Mian Jian, a mian scraper (right image) is used. The mian bed has no blade, is slightly concave downward, and has a round opening. It comes with a mian hook, which is used to press the dough. The mian scraper is crescent-shaped with an upward-facing blade, so the resulting noodles are shaped differently—Mian Jian noodles are flat, while Mian Mian noodles are round. When making Mian Jian, it's important not to rush, as the crescent blade can easily cut your palm. Both tools are usually used for making coarse grain noodles.

　　 The dough preparation methods for Mian Mian and Mian Jian are quite similar. To prevent the dough from becoming too elastic, both types of dough shouldn’t be prepared too early; otherwise, they won’t press down well and should only be mixed when it's time to cook. However, Mian Mian dough is softer and typically made by mixing wheat flour with bean paste flour. Mian Jian dough, on the other hand, is firmer—slightly harder than dumpling dough—and can sometimes be even harder than that. Mian Mian dough is softer than dumpling dough. Both doughs have a semi-dry, semi-wet consistency.

　　 Tools used to make Mian Mian and Mian Jian (Pingyao dialect: "ca ze")

　　 How to make Mian Mian: Place the dough on the mian bed and press it downward forcefully using the mian shovel or your palm.

　　 After cooking, scoop the Mian Mian out with a strainer and serve it typically with various gravies (made from ingredients like tomatoes or stir-fried meat, using any preferred method) or stewed dishes.