Shanxi · noodle
Knife-Cut Noodles
刀削面 · Dāoxiāo Miàn
Shanxi wheat noodles cut directly off a dough block with a curved knife. Chewy, irregular, satisfying.
Knife-cut noodles (dao xiao mian) are a Shanxi specialty. The cook holds a block of stiff wheat dough on the shoulder; using a curved knife, slices noodles directly into a pot of boiling water in rapid 'shaving' motions. The resulting noodles have an irregular, slightly thick-thin shape and a particularly chewy texture. Served with simple sauces — chilli oil, vinegar, soy, scallion — or in a soup.
Where to try
Shanxi noodle houses; Beijing's Shanxi-style restaurants. Look for 'dao xiao mian' on the sign.
Dietary notes
Wheat (gluten).
Cities to try Knife-Cut Noodles
Other north dishes
- Beijing Lamb Hot Pot涮羊肉
Beijing-Mongolian style hot pot — clear broth, thinly-sliced lamb, sesame-paste dipping sauce.
- Boiled Dumplings (Shuijiao)水饺
Wheat-wrapper dumplings filled with pork-and-cabbage, lamb-and-leek, or vegetable, boiled and served with vinegar.
- Cat's Ear Noodles猫耳朵
Small thumbnail-pinched Shanxi pasta, shaped like cat's ears. Stir-fried with vegetables or in soup.
- Goubuli Baozi狗不理包子
Tianjin's signature steamed pork buns. The original house, founded 1858, is still operating.