Chuantongmianshi Making Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
Lanzhou beef noodle is a path pioneered by Ma Baozi and improved by Ma Jiesan. According to modern local gazetteers, the craft was founded by the Hui Muslim Ma Baozi; his son Ma Jiesan worked on the character "qing" (clear), continuously improving the craft, and thus earned the praise "dismount at the scent, stop at the taste." The two generations' achievements lie, one in establishing its name, the other in clarifying its broth, so Lanzhou people recognize the noodle by first recognizing the broth. This craft has a history of over 100 years and has been transmitted for 6 generations. Its continuation over a hundred-plus years is not rigid conservatism but continuous development on the basis of transmission: the clarity of broth, fineness of noodle, and tenderness of meat have each been corrected by successive generations upon the prior order, coalescing into today's color standard of "one clear, two white, three red, four green, five yellow." In terms of spread, it radiates from Lanzhou as the core to the surroundings; today there are thousands of shops in the city, more than 40,000 nationwide, with hundreds of thousands of practitioners, and stores in over 40 overseas countries—the breadth of its spread is rare among traditional pasta crafts.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Lanzhou beef noodle craft is a kind of China's traditional pasta-making crafts, radiating from Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, as the core to surrounding areas. Lanzhou is the only provincial-capital city the Yellow River runs through, with farming culture on the south bank and nomadic culture on the north bank, located at the transition between China's first and second topographic steps. The wheat produced on the Loess Plateau of the second step and the beef produced on the first step in places like Gannan and Qinghai are the fine ingredients of Lanzhou beef noodle. The Lanzhou beef noodle has strict and standardized craft procedures, mainly divided into noodle making and broth simmering. Noodle making has five steps: selecting ingredients, mixing dough, resting dough, stretching the strip, and pulling noodles. The simmering of Lanzhou beef noodle broth is also quite particular: fresh yak or yellow-cattle beef from the Gannan grasslands is selected, washed with clean water, soaked, then simmered. During simmering, more than a dozen seasonings such as tsaka (caoguo), ginger slices, prickly ash, nutmeg, clove, pepper, and bai zhi (angelica) are added, and simmered on low heat for 5–7 hours so the umami of beef and bone dissolves into the broth. The beef is lifted out and salt and other auxiliary ingredients are added to make a clear, bright, delicious, and fragrant beef broth. Pouring the broth is the final step of Lanzhou beef noodle making. The cooked pulled noodles are poured with clear broth, garnished with cooked beef cubes, coriander, and garlic sprouts, and seasoned with bright-red chili oil to complete the dish. Through a hundred years of continuation, the Lanzhou beef noodle has continuously developed on the basis of transmission, gradually forming the craft essence of "clear broth bright, tender meat fragrant, fine noodle long," and forming the broth-noodle characteristics of "one clear, two white, three red, four green, five yellow." The Lanzhou beef noodle craft has a history of over 100 years. According to modern local gazetteers, the craft was founded by the Hui Muslim Ma Baozi; his son Ma Jiesan worked on the character "qing" (clear), continuously improving the craft, and earned the praise "dismount at the scent, stop at the taste." To date, the Lanzhou beef noodle craft has been transmitted for 6 generations. The Lanzhou beef noodle craft embodies Lanzhou's culinary culture and local flavor, and is first-hand material for studying local folkways.
Selecting flour and resting the dough
Noodle-making runs in five steps: choosing the flour, mixing, resting, laying the strips and pulling. The dough must be rested enough to stretch.
Laying and pulling the strips
After repeated kneading, greasing and coiling, the strips are cooked and pulled to one of five thicknesses crossed with three widths.
Slow-simmered yak broth
Yak or yellow-cattle beef from the Gannan grasslands is soaked and simmered five to seven hours with a dozen aromatics.
Lifting the meat and seasoning the soup
The beef is lifted out, salt and seasonings added, and a clear, savoury broth is ready for ladling.
Ladling the broth and adding garnishes
Cooked noodles are topped with clear broth, diced beef, coriander and garlic shoots, and finished with bright red chilli oil.
Ma Jiesan's pursuit of clarity
Ma Jiesan refined his father's trade in the direction of a clear broth, achieving clear soup, fragrant meat and fine long noodles.
One clear, two white, three red, four green, five yellow
Five colours define the finished bowl: clear soup, white radish, red chilli oil, green garlic and coriander, and yellow noodles.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
According to diners' needs, the noodles can be divided into five thicknesses—coarse, second-thin, third-thin, thin, and capillary—and three widths—extra-wide, wide, and leek-leaf.
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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
At present, there are over 1,300 beef noodle shops just in Lanzhou, more than 40,000 Lanzhou beef noodle shops (stores) nationwide, and as many as 500,000 directly engaged practitioners. Lanzhou beef noodle has now become a beautiful city card of Lanzhou, its influence nearly covering the whole country, with over 160 Lanzhou beef noodle shops in more than 40 overseas countries. The transmission and development of the Lanzhou beef noodle craft and related industries not only promote the transmission and spread of Chinese culinary culture but also play a positive role in driving local economic development.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Wang Qingai 04-1907
- Li Huizhong 05-2858
- Li Jiangang 05-2859
- Jia Zhiliang
- Rexiti Yimiti
- Hatamusha Nuer
- Yu Zhenling
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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