Noodles, pulled into thin threads by chefs such as this one in Beijing, are an inexpensive meal for factory workers. (Thorn Birds/ CNImaging /Newscom)
Posted on 08/20/2007 4:46:29 PM PDT by JACKRUSSELL
Deng Derong cracks his hard-boiled egg against the wooden table, peels it, and drops the contents into his steaming soup bowl. As his chopsticks stir the pungent broth, a line of customers head past his table to the counter at the back of his drab restaurant.
Mr. Deng, a retired soldier who sports a white cotton trilby hat and black safari suit, bends to his morning bowl of beef noodle soup. The dish is a daily staple in Lanzhou, a city of 3.2 million stretched along the upper Yellow River,where generations of cooks have perfected its combination of hand-pulled noodles, peppery, oily broth, and tiny chunks of tender beef.
"This dish is for everyone. I eat it in winter, in summer. It's cheap," he says. The last point is the most salient. On the menu outside Deng's local eatery, a large bowl of beef noodles, or "niu rou mian," costs 33 cents. (An egg is extra.) Across the city, at hundreds of similar noodle shops, though not all, the price is the same.
This coincidence is explained by a recent government decision to cap the price of beef noodles in Lanzhou, after restaurant owners tried to raise prices. The policy has drawn national attention, at a time of soaring national food prices that pushed inflation last month to a 10-year high.
Critics call it a throwback to China's old planned economy that doesn't tackle the problem of rising prices for meat and eggs, and a dozen or so other ingredients found in a bowl of beef noodle soup.
But proponents say that lowly paid workers in Lanzhou's factories need a filling meal, and nothing hits the spot like a spicy bowl of noodle soup. Sure, the cost of living is going up in China – housing is a constant......
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
Noodles, pulled into thin threads by chefs such as this one in Beijing, are an inexpensive meal for factory workers. (Thorn Birds/ CNImaging /Newscom)
I buy the Ramen soup. At 10 cents a pack, it has about 400 calories, lotsa protein and easy to digest. A perfect lunch for a senior citizen. (I smash the long noodles first)
who knows what chemical will be found there next
No tellen where those hands have been.
But good straight also. :-)
What protein? Ramen is noodles, a tablespoon of dried somethings, and enough salt and MSG to elevate the blood pressure of a Tibetan monk.
Mrs VS
When I worked in Korea, we would stop at the rest stops along the expressway and get a bowl of Udong (sp) and Kimchi. The Udong was broth with a long, thick noodle in it, and was pretty good. It seemed like they always had a different type of Kimchi, from the conventional cabbage type to a variety made from shallots.
“enough salt and MSG to elevate the blood pressure of a Tibetan monk.”
You beat me too it.
I don’t think those noodles are made in China.
“It seemed like they always had a different type of Kimchi, from the conventional cabbage type to a variety made from shallots.”
Kimchi is broken down into 100 types and then sub-categorized into even more. Then, factor in each family’s recipe which has been handed down for generations, location, climate, and availability of vegetables.
Evidence of the existence of kimchi dates back to the 7th century. Hot pepper was introduced and used in kimchi in the 17th century.
Kimchi is such an extensive staple dish that a museum is set up in Seoul for displays, history, and even samples.
It’s not bad protein. 4 grams per serving. I like to mix a can of corn in with it, or if it’s pork flavor, drop in a ham hock. If I really want to go fancy, do both. But I only use half the seasoning packet, or a little less. There’s too much salt and other crap in those seasoning packets.
RAMEN - MADE IN THE USA
A perfect example of why government price controls don’t work.
Had to think for a minute......very funny!
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