Scraped Noodles
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Scraped Noodles (commonly 擦尖 / Cā jiān, also referred to regionally as 刮面 / 剐面 / gua mian) are a Shanxi noodle family made by pressing soft dough through a scraping board or grater so short, flat pieces fall directly into boiling water. Related Jin techniques include other "tip" noodles such as 剔尖 (picked/flicked tips), but scraped-board 擦尖 is the core sense of this page. Soft claims that one county alone owns all scraped noodles are folk. This page is not Knife-cut Noodles (刀削面, shaved with a knife from a dough loaf), not Biangbiang Noodles (wide belt noodles), and not Youpo Noodles (oil-splashed hand noodles).[1]
Characteristics
Short, irregular flat pieces; slippery-smooth bite; often served in savory sauce or soup; sorghum "red flour" versions exist in Xinzhou styles.
Ingredients (overview)
Wheat flour or mixed grain flours (including sorghum in some Xinzhou red-flour styles); water; sauce or broth toppings (tomato-egg, meat sauce, etc.). Overview only.
History and culture
Part of Shanxi's large handmade-noodle repertoire; local standards and craft writing document 擦尖 technique with a crescent scraping bed. English may say "scraped noodles," "cajian," or "Shanxi scraped noodles." See Shanxi Food, Knife-cut Noodles, and Youpo Noodles.
Serving and variations
Everyday staple bowl with sauce or soup. See Shanxi Food, Knife-cut Noodles, Biangbiang Noodles, and Youpo Noodles.