Shanxi's wide hand-pulled flat noodle: each salted-dough portion is pressed into a thick slab, then stretched and smacked against the board until it fans out into a glossy, ribbon-like sheet that cooks in under a minute. One of the ten officially recognised Shanxi noodles (2022), with a distinctive southern Shanxi (Yongji) style finished with shrimp, seaweed, and aged vinegar.
Shanxi's 扯面 belongs to the ancient lineage of Chinese hand-formed wheat noodles: textual predecessors run from the Han-dynasty 汤饼 (soup cakes) through the Tang 长寿面 (long-life noodle) to the Song-dynasty 水滑面 (water-slicked noodle) described in Wu Zimu's 《梦粱录》 — salt-water dough stretched thin, then boiled. Yongji County (永济) in southern Shanxi developed a distinctive clear-broth version, seasoned with shrimp flakes, dried seaweed, and vinegar, that became the regional style now identified as authentic 扯面. In June 2022 扯面 was officially listed among the 十大山西面食.
Wide, silky ribbons with a springy give and glassy smoothness; the edges slightly thinner and chewier, the centre soft and almost translucent. A pour of Shanxi aged vinegar cuts through the floury richness; chilli oil pools in the surface creases. Each mouthful delivers layered texture along the noodle's variable cross-section.
Adding salt (about 2% by flour weight) to the dough water suppresses electrostatic repulsion between negatively charged glutenin and gliadin protein chains, promoting more disulfide cross-links and tightening the gluten network. Resting (醒面) for 20 minutes lets water fully penetrate the protein matrix and bond formation reach equilibrium. The repeated stretching and board-smacking action of 扯面 aligns gluten fibre bundles longitudinally — mechanically analogous to silk drawing — increasing tensile strength while the sheet thins. Once dropped into boiling water, starch gelatinises within 40–60 seconds, locking the aligned gluten network into a smooth, springy ribbon.
Variations
Southern Shanxi Yongji-style: clear broth with shrimp flakes, dried seaweed, and a sharp aged-vinegar finish. Northern Shanxi style: chilli oil poured over dry noodles, closer to the Shaanxi 油泼 tradition. Some cooks press a lengthwise groove into each portion before pulling, splitting it cleanly into two or four parallel ribbons of equal width. The same dough, pulled into smaller irregular pieces, becomes 手撕猫耳朵.
On the Palate
Where Shanxi Hand-Pulled Flat Noodles sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 2
How it's made
7 steps · 30 min
- 110 min
Dissolve 1 tsp salt in 150 ml warm water. Pour into 300 g flour and mix until shaggy, then turn out and knead vigorously for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.
- 220 min
Shape into a ball, cover with a damp cloth, and rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes; the gluten network will fully develop and the dough will relax into extensibility.
Watch outRest the dough at least 20 minutes until it relaxes — pull it before the gluten unwinds and the sheet snaps instead of stretching thin.
- 35 min
Divide dough into four portions of about 75 g each. Roll each into a short cylinder, brush the surfaces lightly with oil to prevent sticking, and rest 5 more minutes.
- 45 min
Take one portion; flatten with your palm and press a lengthwise groove down the centre with a fingertip. Grip the two ends and pull outward while gently bouncing and smacking the dough against the board 3–4 times. Repeat the pull-and-smack sequence until the sheet reaches 2–3 mm thickness and about 20–25 cm width. Repeat for remaining portions.
Watch outPull and smack the dough against the board as you stretch — that action aligns the gluten so the flat noodle thins evenly without tearing.
- 52 min
Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous rolling boil. Carefully lay the pulled sheets into the water one at a time and stir once with a chopstick to prevent sticking.
- 62 min
Cook until the noodles float and the edges appear slightly translucent, 40–60 seconds. Scoop into deep bowls with a splash of cooking broth.
Watch outThe noodles are done once they float and the edges look slightly translucent, 40–60 seconds — overcooked they turn slack and mushy.
- 73 min
Whisk together Shanxi aged vinegar, chilli oil, sesame oil, crushed garlic, and a pinch of salt; pour over the noodles, toss to coat, and garnish with chopped scallion.
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