Bin County Royal Noodles

Bin County Royal Noodles

　　A local specialty noodle dish from Bin County. Royal Noodles, also known as Jade Noodles or Silt Noodles, are a unique wheat flour-based food distinct from liangpi (cold skin noodles). They are called “Silt Noodles” due to their preparation method, “Jade Noodles” because of their glossy, jade-like color, and “Royal Noodles” as they were once served as a tribute to the imperial court.

　　Legend has it that they were invented by Lady Jiang, the wife of Gu Gong Danfu, the ancient king of Zhou who lived in Bin. Lady Jiang was the virtuous, beautiful, and wise woman praised in the “Book of Songs · Da Ya · Mian,” and she was renowned for her cooking skills. Later, when Gu Gong Danfu moved from Bin to Qi and passed through Liangshan in Qian County, Lady Jiang brought the technique for making Royal Noodles to Qian County and Qi areas. However, due to differences in soil and water, the wheat flour there was used to make what is now known as “liangpi (cold noodles),” which has been passed down to this day. More than 100 years later, King Wu of Zhou, the great-grandson of Gu Gong Danfu, overthrew the Shang Dynasty and established the Zhou Dynasty. He personally visited his ancestral land, the Bin Kingdom, to pay homage and specifically requested to eat the Jade Noodles, which were created by his great-grandmother and named by his great-grandfather. From then on, Silt Noodles came to be known as “Royal Noodles.” During the Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties, when their capitals were established in Xianyang and Chang’an, Bin County’s Royal Noodles remained a staple in the imperial court. In her later years, Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty enjoyed studying historical archives and conducted extensive research on the history of the Zhou people’s ancestors in Bin and the “Book of Songs · Bin Feng.” As a result, she had the “Bin Feng Bridge” built in the Summer Palace. She even discovered records in ancient texts about Lady Jiang, the first wife of King Wu of Zhou, making Silt Noodles over 3,000 years ago, which deeply moved her. Later, when the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China and Cixi fled to Xi’an, she specifically ordered a serving of Binzhou Silt Noodles. Although it has evolved over 3,000 years, the noodle still follows the four original steps created by Lady Jiang: washing the silt dough, kneading the silt dough, steaming the silt dough, and slicing the silt dough. Later, pressing the silt dough was added — that is, pressing the steamed silt dough into noodle-like strips. Alternatively, the dough can be gently stirred and refined over low heat until semi-cooked, then kneaded into long, thin strips and steamed in a basket. Afterward, it is slowly cooled and sliced into extremely thin pieces using a sharp blade, then served with mashed garlic, minced ginger, mature vinegar, fine salt, and sesame oil. The Royal Noodles are tender, smooth, soft, and pleasantly slippery.

　　The preparation method is as follows: Take a suitable amount of high-quality fine flour, mix it evenly, and knead it into a dough. Place the dough in a basin of cold water and repeatedly knead and wash it until the gluten is completely cleaned out. Then strain the resulting starchy water through a sieve and let it settle in a cool, clean place overnight. The next day, pour off the clear water on top, and gently refine the starch slurry in a pot over low heat until it forms into a solid mass. Knead it by hand into small pieces, steam them in a basket for an hour, and then remove. Press the steamed dough into noodle-like strips using a noodle press. Alternatively, you can gently stir and refine the dough over low heat in the pot until it is semi-cooked, then knead it into long, thin strips and steam them in a basket. Then let it cool slowly, and slice it into very thin pieces using a sharp knife. Serve with mashed garlic, minced ginger, mature vinegar, fine salt, and sesame oil. The Royal Noodles are tender, smooth, soft, and pleasantly slippery.

　　In April 2003, the Royal Noodles made by Xiao Xinzhàn from Bin County won the title of “Xi’an–Xianyang Famous Tourism Product” at the “Culinary Kingdom of China Tour · Xi’an–Xianyang Gourmet Tourism Week” event.