闻名天下的“兰州牛肉面”传说起源于唐代，是兰州的特色风味小吃，拥有悠久的历史。牛肉面俗称“牛肉拉面”，是兰州最具特色的大众化经济小吃。“蓬灰和面面成线，苦练技巧最关键”，兰州拉面选用富含面筋、韧性强的优质精粉，以兰州当地的草木烧制的蓬灰和成软面，并在前一天由膀圆力大的小伙子先将大团软面反复捣、揉、抻、拉、摔、掼后，捋成长条，揪成茶杯粗、筷子长的一条条面节，然后根据食客的爱好，拉出大小粗细不同的面条。拉面是一手绝活，一个面节正好拉一大碗面，每拉一下，要在手腕上回折一次，拉到最后，双手上下抖动几次，则面条柔韧绵长，粗细均匀。
According to legend, the world famous “Lanzhou Handpulled Beef Noodle”, also known as "Beef Noodle" originated in the Tang Dynasty. As Lanzhou’s feature snack with a long history, it is the most popular and economic food in Lanzhou.“Pulling dough into noodles, practice is the most critical”. The raw material is well-chosen high-quality flour rich in gluten,which is springy and tough. First mix flour with homemade plant ash to make large dough, and then a strong puller will take a lump of dough and repeatedly stretching it to produce many strands of thin, long noodle. The skills include stirring,kneading, stretching, pulling, throwing, and hurling, which are repeated several times until the desired thickness and quantity is achieved.
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观看拉面好像是欣赏杂技表演，拉到最后时的“一拉一闪”又仿佛是舞蹈演员在挥舞着彩带。牛肉拉面的优劣取决于清汤。兰州人吃牛肉面，先喝一口汤，便知是不是地道。熬汤时常选用草原上出产的肥嫩牦牛肉或黄牛肉，加大块牛头骨和腿骨，再按比例加入牛肝汤和鸡汤，在特大罐形铁锅内熬成即可，肉汤气香味浓，清亮澄澈。Watching the pulling spectators enjoy watching acrobatic performances; pullers’ motions also look like a dancer waving a ribbon. However, the quality of the noodle depends on the merits of soup. Local people can judge whether it is authentic by just a sip of soup. When cooking the soup, a large pot is used; grassland yak meat or cattle beef, cattle skulls and leg bones are added in addition to bovine liver soup and chicken broth, so the soup smells tempting but with clear color.
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兰州人吃牛肉面吃出了名堂，吃上了瘾。如今，兰州市的每条街巷，无论大小，至少都有一两家牛肉面馆。黄河岸边的古城兰州，弥漫在大街小巷的，永远有那股牛肉面的清香。“兰州人三天不来个‘牛大碗’就心火难捺。”听起来有点夸张，不过，牛肉面确实已成为兰州人生活中不可或缺的一部分。Lanzhou people are addicted to eating Beef Noodle. Today,in the street in Lanzhou City, regardless of size, there is at least one or two eateries to sell it, so the entire city smells like beef noodle. “If Lanzhou people don’t eat a bowl for three days, they will die of desire”, which sounds a bit exaggerated, but Beef Noodle has indeed become an integral part of life in Lanzhou.
别以为煮面条加上牛肉片就是牛肉面了。兰州牛肉面的精致与吃法考究令人瞠目。一碗牛肉面的品质要求是：一清，汤要清；二白，放白萝卜；三黄，面色金黄非常筋道；四绿，放香菜和绿蒜苗；五红，经过调配后用清油炸制而成的红辣椒油。
However if you think Beef Noodle is equal to beef plus noodle, you are wrong. Lanzhou Beef Noodle has staggering features: clear soup, white radish, yellowish and chewy noodle,green coriander and garlic, and red chili oil.
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兰州牛肉面的做法：调汤：
在兰州做牛肉面非常讲究汤的做法，一碗好的牛肉面主要在调汤上。一锅汤要用48 味调料，先用清水开锅煮牛骨，牛骨出味后，加调料包（48种调料在一个纱布包里）煮出味，就是所谓的高汤。将骨头和调料捞出，加清水调到鲜美的口味待用。这时候的汤是清澈见底的，味道非常鲜美。在兰州，人们都有“喝头汤”的习惯，就是早上６点牛肉面店刚开始营业喝汤，因那时的汤非常鲜美好喝。
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How to cook Lanzhou Beef NoodleSoup:
The quality of Beef Noodle depends on the quality of soup, which is made from 48 seasonings. First, boil the bovine bone with water, add the seasoning packet (48 kinds of spices in a gauze bag), when the soup becomes tasty, the soup stock is done, and then remove the bones and spices, add boiled water to dilute for later use. This time, the soup is crystal clear, but the taste is very delicious. Lanzhou people have a habit of “drinking the first soup”, that is, drinking the soup at 6 am when the beef noodle house has just opened, because the soup at that time is very fresh and yummy.
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和面：牛肉面不同于其他面的地方，就是必须用当地的黄河水（水质比较硬）和当地制成的蓬灰（用小麦秆像烧碳一样烧制而成）和面，这样的面才筋道好吃。
Dough kneading:
Different from other noodles Lanzhou Beef Noodle uses the water of Yellow River (water is harder) and plant ash (burning wheat-straw to ash) when kneading the dough, so the noodle is more springy and chewy.
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酱制牛肉丁：牛肉面里放的小牛肉块，是牛肉面的重要组成部分，很多人面吃完了还在捞碗里的小牛肉丁吃。
Sauced beef dices:
Of course, Beef Noodle must have beef. When you finish a bowl, never forget the beef dices sinking in the bottom.
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选配料：一碗牛肉面要想做到色香味俱全，就要选上好的白萝卜、香菜、蒜苗，萝卜切成透明的片状，蒜苗和香菜切成小段。Condiments:
To achieve the color, flavor and taste, white radish, coriander, and garlic will be added and cut into slices for trimming.
选自《丝绸之路中英合本》这本书，版权所有。
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