Pickled Vegetable Zi’er Noodles

Pickled Vegetable Zi’er Noodles

　　Ingredients: 300g flour, 100g pickled vegetables, salt, lard, monosodium glutamate (MSG), pepper, sesame oil, chopped scallions, deseeded tomatoes, green cucumber skin, and other seasonings to taste.

　　Method: Knead the flour with water into a dough, let it rest on the cutting board for 10 minutes. Roll it into thin strips, then cut into small cubes. Press and roll each cube with your thumb on the flat surface of a special small wooden comb to form a thin noodle with a textured, curled edge. Cut the pickled vegetables into short sections. Boil water in a pot, add the pickled vegetables, and then the noodles. Season the broth with salt, lard, MSG, pepper, sesame oil, and chopped scallions. Add small diamond-shaped slices of tomato skin and green cucumber skin for color. Once cooked, ladle the noodles and soup into a bowl to serve.

　　Flavor Profile: The noodles are smooth and tender, and the broth is savory, salty, tangy, and aromatic.

　　Technical Tips: Ensure the noodles are uniformly sized and thinly rolled. The dough should not be too firm. Use the stems rather than the leaves of the pickled vegetables.