The memories of noodles in the morning light of Bashu remain. For Chengdu people, the beginning of the day is often hidden in the atmosphere of a steaming bowl of noodles full of fragrance.
The sky was just getting slightly brighter, and the time-honored shops on the streets and alleys set up stoves one after another. The rolling boiling water, the jumping noodles, and the dense steam intertwined with each other to form the most moving early morning symphony in this city full of fireworks.
Chengdu is a place named the "City of Gastronomy" by UNESCO. Its breakfast noodles are not only something to fill the stomach, but also a living epic of food culture. It carries the farming wisdom accumulated over thousands of years in Shu and the philosophy contained in urban life.
The craft code of Tianfu Maixiang is the first key to interpret Chengdu’s noodle culture.
The Chengdu Plain has always been known as the "Land of Abundance". The wheat flour it produces has very moderate strength. The flour produced after grinding has a natural sweet flavor of grains.
Chefs who are good at making traditional pastries are very clear about this. They adhere to the concept of "a place has a unique taste and only eat specific ingredients at specific times." When kneading the dough, they have already incorporated the highest level of respect for the ingredients.
For example, the noodles of classic dandan noodles must be rolled by hand. If required, they should be thin but not broken, tough but not hard, so that the noodles will have the right elasticity when you eat them.
To make the dough for steamed buns, you need to adjust the water temperature and the proofing time according to the seasonal temperature and humidity. To make the dough, you also need to adjust the water temperature and the proofing time according to the seasonal temperature and humidity. This seemingly simple technique is actually the crystallization of the Shu people's experience in dialogue with nature for thousands of years.
In this city, every kneading and beating of flour continues to extend a simple and profound flavor philosophy.
The spicy and delicious aroma deep in the market outlines the unique flavor portrait of Chengdu breakfast.
Walking into the old street near Qingyang Community, there is always a long queue for Granny Liu's spicy noodles .
The secretly prepared pork belly is made from pork belly, which is cut into cubes by hand. Then, it is seasoned with Pixian bean paste and slowly stir-fried over low heat until it reaches a crispy and fragrant state. Then, the broth made from stick bones is added. At this time, the soup is red and bright, and the pork belly has a dry aroma.
Pour it on the surface of the water leaves that have been boiled to the right level, then sprinkle a handful of chopped green onions, and add a spoonful of minced garlic to instantly stimulate a complex aroma.
The pork buns with cured meat and pork belly located in the alley behind Chunxi Road have a different flavor. The pork belly has been soaked in old brine for decades, which is fat but not greasy.
Each bite of these flavors hidden in the streets carries a strong imprint of Chengdu. They are mildly numb, mellowly spicy, fresh and translucent, and fragrant.
The cultural genes in food customs have made Chengdu go beyond simple taste enjoyment.
For old Chengdu people, eating noodles has a certain emphasis, which is to go through the steps of "picking, mixing, and sucking three". First, you have to use chopsticks to pick up the noodles at the bottom of the bowl to spread them. Then, you have to stir quickly so that each noodle can be coated with sauce. Finally, you have to suck the noodles into your mouth against the edge of the bowl, and then make a satisfying sound. Making such a sound is the greatest compliment given to the chef.
Standing at a vegetarian restaurant near Wenshu Monastery, you can see traces of the traditional sweet noodle noodles. The noodles as thick as chopsticks are rolled by hand. After being cooked, they are mixed with soy sauce, sesame paste, and red oil. The first thing you taste when you enter the mouth is sweet, then spicy, and finally numb. The flavors are layered in depth, symbolizing the various tastes in life.
These eating habits may seem casual on the surface, but in fact, they contain the optimistic and tolerant attitude of Chengdu people and the attitude of enjoying the present moment. Moreover, this is also the spiritual background of this city that has not declined for thousands of years.
Nowadays, those flavors full of urban memories are gaining new life through systematic inheritance of skills.
There is a training classroom located near Kuanzhai Alley. In this classroom, young apprentices are following the master master, learning to identify the gluten of flour and master the subtle changes in heat.
Not only did they learn how to make authentic red oil, they also further understood why the red oil must be mixed with two wattle sticks and Chaotian pepper in proportion. The former can enhance the color and aroma, while the latter brings spiciness like injecting soul.
This kind of inheritance is not a simple copy, but is based on the foundation of maintaining the authentic Chengdu flavor, prompting the traditional pasta to show new vitality, glow with a different kind of vitality, and show new vitality.
When the students knead a ball of dough smoothly with their own hands and watch the dough bloom into a flower made of pasta when it boils in water, what they touch is not only the skills, but also the beating rhythm of life in this gourmet capital with a thousand-year history.
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