老饕聊北京炸酱面Noodles with Soy Bean Paste, Beijing Style
炸酱麵是北京的一道传统麵食，选用手擀面，麵条筋道，加上菜码、炸酱製作而成。菜码可以种类丰富，通常有水萝卜丝（红丝）、白萝卜丝、黄瓜丝、豆芽等组成，还可以加入其它菜码。菜码色彩丰富、清凉可人。
炸酱，是北京炸酱麵灵魂所在，通常用五花肉（瘦多肥少），与黄酱、甜麵酱一起製作。中国製作肉酱有一千多年歷史。北魏时期，著名的农学家贾思勰的《齐民要术》记载了肉酱製作法：“取良杀新肉、去脂、细銼”，“合脂令酱腻”。北京炸酱麵口感筋道，菜码丰富，肉酱浓香，十分美味，值得一试。
Zhajiangmian (Soybean Paste Noodle) is a traditional noodle dish from Beijing. It is made with hand-rolled noodles that are chewy and springy, served with fresh vegetable sides and fried soybean paste. The vegetable sides come in a rich variety, typically including shredded red radish, shredded white radish, shredded cucumber, and bean sprouts, with other vegetables also available. They are colorful, fresh, and refreshing.
The fried soybean paste is the soul of Beijing Zhajiangmian. It is usually made with streaky pork (more lean than fat) cooked with yellow soybean paste and sweet bean sauce. China has a history of making meat paste spanning more than a thousand years. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, the famous agronomist Jia Sixie recorded the method of making meat paste in Qi Min Yao Shu (Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People): “Select freshly slaughtered fine meat, remove fat, mince finely” and “Add fat to make the paste rich and smooth.” Beijing Zhajiangmian features chewy noodles, abundant vegetable sides, and fragrant meat paste, making it incredibly delicious and well worth trying.
