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Ganmianpi

Ganmianpi, (Pinyin: Gǎn Miàn Pí, Simplified Chinese: 擀面皮, Traditional Chinese: 擀麵皮) is a type of Chinese noodle dish. The best-known version is made in Qishan County, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province. There are many varieties of Mianpi, which can be categorized into rolled, steamed, and griddled types.

History[edit]

Legend has it that during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, a villager named Wang Tongren from Bamuchi Village, north of Qishan, worked in the imperial kitchen specializing in making Mianpi. As it was made with wheat flour and served as a royal dish in the capital, it was called "Yu Jing Fen" (Imperial Capital Flour). After Wang Tongren returned to his hometown in his old age, he focused on running a Mianpi snack business, gradually spreading it throughout the Guanzhong region, making it a famous delicacy in Baoji.^[1]

Recipe[edit]

The production process of Mianpi is complex. It is also found in Henan, Shanxi, and other regions. During production, wheat flour is first washed with water to extract "noodle water," which is essentially starch water. The mixture is then steamed in a steamer and rolled out with a rolling pin. The main seasoning is locally made chili oil, supplemented with gluten washed out from wheat flour, which has a high protein content. The gluten strands in rolled Mianpi are different from those in steamed Mianpi. The difference lies in the fact that the "top" is boiled in water rather than steamed. After cooking, the noodles are torn by hand and mixed evenly in a small pot (a pot without a stove). The main characteristic of this dish is that the surface of the cold noodles has indentations that can hold the chili oil, and the chewy gluten strands serve as a substitute for meat.

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