Lanzhou beef noodles, also known as Lanzhou clear soup beef noodles, is one of the "Top Ten Noodles in China" and is a flavor snack in the Lanzhou region of Gansu Province. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info it has won the praise of customers at home and even around the world with the unique flavor of "the soup mirror is clear, the meat is fragrant, and the noodles are fine" and "one clear, two white, three red, four green and five yellow", one clear (soup clear), two white (radish white), three red (chili oil red), four green (coriander, garlic seedling green), and five yellow (noodles yellow and bright). It has been rated as one of the three major Chinese fast food by the China Cuisine Association, and has been praised as "the first side of China".

Legend has it that Lanzhou beef noodles originated in the Tang Dynasty. At present, there are historical records that Lanzhou beef noodles began in the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, and the founder: Chen Weijing [1]. After the inheritance and improvement of later generations, the standard of Lanzhou beef noodles has been unified with "one clear (soup), two white (radish), three red (spicy), four green (coriander and garlic sprouts), and five yellow (noodles yellow and bright)". The five major steps of its production, from the selection of ingredients, the mixing of noodles, the noodles, to the slippers and ramen, all skillfully use the physical properties of the ingredients contained, that is, the extensibility and elasticity of the gluten protein.

Lanzhou ramen is the most distinctive popular economic snack in Lanzhou. The authentic Lanzhou beef ramen was founded in 1915 by Ma Baozi, a Hui person.

Lanzhou clear soup beef ramen was originally a flavor food for entertaining high-ranking guests in Northwest China. Because of its delicious taste and affordability, it is not only everywhere in Lanzhou, but also has Lanzhou beef noodle restaurants in all provinces and even in many countries and regions in the world. Lanzhou locals generally call Lanzhou beef ramen "beef noodles". Young people also call it "Niu Da" or "Niu Da Bowl", which means "Big Bowl of Beef Noodles".

Lanzhou ramen has a history of 200 years, and its founder, Chen Weijing, was a student of Guozi Jian Tai during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty. [1] The brothers Chen Weilin, Chen Harmonic Sing and Chen Harmony Sing played a key role in the improvement and unification of the Lanzhou beef noodle standard (one clear, two white, three red, four green, and five yellow), turning this street snack into a delicacy for mass consumption. Hot pot noodles were founded by Ma Baozi in 1915, when Ma Baozi's family was poor and forced by life, he made hot pot beef noodles at home and sold them along the streets of the city on his shoulder. Later, he mixed the soup with boiled beef and mutton liver into the beef noodles, which was fragrant and fragrant, and everyone liked his beef noodles. Then he opened his own shop, no need to sell along the street, just thought of launching a free "a bowl of soup in the store", the customer came in, and the guy immediately served a bowl of fragrant and hot beef soup for the guests to drink, refreshing, refreshing. Ma Baozi's clear soup beef noodles became famous, Ma Baozi operated until 1925, and his son Ma Jiesan took over the operation, Ma Jiesan continued to work the Qing characters, and constantly improved the beef ramen, until later the fame of all parties, was given the reputation of "smelling the fragrance and getting off the horse, knowing the taste of parking". To identify the authenticity of Lanzhou ramen, it is necessary to see if there is a free bowl of soup in the store, there must be a soup gift for authenticity, the soup of beef and mutton liver is a clear purpose, and the people of the Western Regions have many eyes like torches, which is obviously related to drinking this soup; Second, depending on whether the soup of beef ramen is clear, the soup is not authentic. Maybe the soup giveaway has long been omitted.

After he opened his own shop in 1919, he no longer had to sell on the street. Ma Baozi's clear soup beef noodle shop has also become famous, and it is widely spread among the Dongxiang, Sala, Baoan and other ethnic groups in the northwest. Lanzhou beef ramen is famous all over the world for its bowl of noodles, and is famous for its fresh meat soup and fine noodle quality, which embodies the wisdom and hard work of Chen Ma and countless subsequent chefs specializing in clear soup beef noodles.

In 1925, after his son Ma Jiesan took over the operation, Ma Jiesan continued to work the word "Qing", and constantly improved the beef ramen, until later became famous in all parties, and was given the title of "smelling the fragrance and getting off the horse, knowing the taste of parking".

Uncle Ma's beef noodles

Uncle Ma's beef noodles (2 photos)

The Qing Dynasty poet Zhang Shu once praised Uncle Ma's "Lanzhou beef noodles" like this:

The rain passed through Jincheng Pass, and the white horse returned violently. Several degrees of water in the Yellow River, the road is poor.

The ramen is fragrant, but the Ma family is the only one. It is difficult to renew the deliciousness, and look back on the hometown.

The sunrise recites the scriptures, and the white tower is empty at dusk. Burning incense sighed to himself, only looking forward to beef noodles.

Entering the mountain is not five springs, and the heart must be empty. The mountain is quiet and the waves are urgent, and I think of entering the fairyland.

It can be seen that at least during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, "Lanzhou clear soup beef ramen" was already a delicious snack in Lanzhou.

Legend has it that in the 40s of the 20th century, Ma Baozi hot pot noodle restaurant on Jiuquan Road in Lanzhou was frequented by a bearded official. Once at dinner, he asked for the name of the restaurant, and the owner was truthful. He said, this hot pot noodles don't like to hear, you see this noodle soup is clear and rotten, and it looks beautiful and delicious, so it is better to call it "clear soup beef noodles". This bearded official is Mr. Yu Youren. He later returned to Chongqing, and after his praise, Lanzhou beef ramen became famous throughout the country. From this point of view, Mr. Yu Youren is the earliest spokesperson of Lanzhou beef ramen.

Yu Youren left revolutionary footprints in Longshang, and also left a large number of ink treasures, and if the name of the clear soup beef noodles came out of old age, it was also a great luck. Folklore always likes to associate important things with famous people, although the authenticity is doubtful, but it is the inertia of people's thinking.

Historical controversy

Mr. Deng Ming, a local historian of Lanzhou, believes that the history of Lanzhou beef ramen is clear. In the 90s of the 20th century, with the gradual popularization of the Internet, the ridicule of netizens, and commercial purposes, the history of Lanzhou beef ramen was artificially messed up.

In the following 200 years, Lanzhou beef ramen is famous for its fresh meat and fine noodle quality, and in 1999, it was identified by the state as one of the three major Chinese fast food pilot varieties, and was known as "China's first noodles".

There are many beef noodle brands in Lanzhou, competition incentives, and a sharp decline in public funds to eat and drink, resulting in a depression in the high-end hotel industry, and many large hotels in Lanzhou have transformed into beef noodles, which makes the beef noodle industry face a test, and many beef noodle restaurants have to work the taste to maintain market share.

The development of Lanzhou beef ramen is generally divided into four stages:

The first stage from 1915 to the early 80s of the 20th century until the reform and opening up, was not popular, and after the founding of New China, there were more than a dozen noodle restaurants at most.

The second stage, from the early 80s of the 20th century to the mid-90s of the 20th century, saw a surge in quantity and a large difference in quality. With brand awareness, the popularity of a single store began to affect sales, and a large number of operations expanded to other places. At that time, when there were not enough seats in the beef noodle restaurant, the location was cramped, uncomfortable, and unhygienic, and diners could only squat on the street to taste ramen, which was also a major sight in Lanzhou in the old days. Since the early 1990s, new beef noodle chains have improved on these shortcomings. But the fast-food character of the whole beef noodle restaurant is still retained.

The third stageIn the mid-90s of the 20th century, chain franchising began to appear, and the standard operation of enterprises gradually became a consensus.

The fourth stage: from the mid-90s of the 20th century to the present, the construction of corporate culture and standardized industrial processes began to be established and developed. Lanzhou beef ramen has rapidly realized the transformation from a local snack to a mass fast food quality in the fission-like growth of quantity.