-
Sao’zi Soup Noodles are a traditional Chinese noodle dish known for their rich flavor and diverse ingredients. The core of the dish is the sao’zi soup, made from minced meat, vegetables, seasonings, and a special broth. It has a balanced sour and spicy taste with a savory sweetness. "Sao’zi" refers to stir-fried diced or minced meat, typically pork, combined with various ingredients like tofu cubes, potatoes, kelp sprouts, dried daylily buds, and carrots, adding layers of texture and nutrition.
The noodles are handmade by skilled chefs, ensuring they are chewy and absorb the rich flavors of the Sao’zi soup. Diners can choose additional toppings or add ingredients like vinegar and chili oil to customize the flavor. This dish is not only nutritious and hearty but also a classic home-cooked favorite in northern China.
**Classification of Handmade Noodle Thickness:**
Handmade noodles are primarily categorized into the following seven thickness standards:
1. Wide (about two fingers wide)
2. Medium wide (about one finger wide)
3. Chive leaf (the width of chive leaves)
4. Medium thin (approximately 4 mm in diameter)
5. Thin (approximately 3 mm in diameter)
6. Fine (the thickness of a pencil lead)
7. Hair-thin (the thickness of a fine wire)
**Classification by Noodle Shape:**
1. Round Noodles: These have a circular cross-section. They can be categorized from thin to thick into “hair-thin,” “fine,” “medium thin,” “medium,” “thin,” and “wide.” For example, “hair-thin” noodles have a diameter of about 0.5-1 mm, “fine” noodles have a diameter of 1-2 mm, “medium thin” noodles have a diameter of 2-3 mm, and “wide” noodles have a diameter of about 5-7 mm.
2. Flat Noodles: These have a flat cross-section. They can be categorized from narrow to wide into “chive leaf,” “thin wide,” “wide,” “extra wide,” and “belt width.” For instance, “chive leaf” noodles are about 5 mm wide, while “belt width” noodles are about 30-40 mm wide.
3. Ridged Noodles: These have unique shapes with triangular or quadrilateral cross-sections. Common types include “buckwheat ridges” and “square ridges.”
'Bite of China' Ground Pork Noodle Soup
Noodles with tofu, kelp buds, dried lily, carrots, potato chunks and ground pork soup
