The Analysis on the Translation Process of Chapter

Sino-US English Teaching, ISSN 1539-8072
June 2013, Vol. 10, No. 6, 485-492
The Analysis on the Translation Process of Chapter Two in
A Bite of China
WANG Jing
Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, China
Taking Chapter Two in A Bite of China as research subject, the purpose of the present paper is to analyze the
writing and stylistic characteristics, and to introduce the translation process of the text as well as to introduce
Chinese cuisine culture to the English world. Based on Skopos Theory and the English translation of the text,
this paper analyzes different strategies and methods in the process of translation, including domesticating,
foreignizing, inversion, division and so on. This paper also analyzes the difficult problems and the solutions in
translation. The author hopes the strategies and specific methods mentioned in this paper can make
contribution to practical translation work and chinese food culture in A Bite of China can be better presented in
the English world.
Keywords: A Bite of China, writing and stylistic characteristics, translation process, translation strategies and
All Rights Reserved.
methods
Introduction of the ST (Source Text)
ST is one part of Chapter Two in a book called A Bite of China which has gone into print in June, 2012.
A Bite of China broadcast by China Central Television is a 2012 Chinese documentary television series
directed by CHEN Xiao-qin and narrated by Lee Li-hong. It first appeared at the China Central Television on
May 14, 2012, and quickly gained much popularity. Having started filming in March 2011, This seven-episode
documentary series introduces the history and story behind delicious foods of various kinds in more than 60
locations all around China.
It presents rituals and custom in Chinese people’s daily life by introducing a variety of delicious food in all the parts of China. A panoramic view is provided to understand a series of food materials and the characteristics
Chinese food exclusively owns. By introducing more cultural elements related to Chinese delicacies, it presents
the unique etiquette and ethics culture that lie behind those marvelous Chinese food. Through the topics from
characteristic ingredients to various cooking techniques, it reveals a time-honored history of Chinese cuisine as
well as the delicacy and profundity of Chinese food culture. With 360-degree introduction to traditional Chinese
cuisine of A Bite of China, the public in China are deeply moved by the tastes of home, memories of childhood,
joys of work, and vision of life in each simple story.
WANG Jing, master, School of Foreign Languages, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law.
486
THE ANALYSIS ON THE TRANSLATION PROCESS OF CHAPTER TWO
Analysis of the ST
The ST in A Bite of China is featured by formal and precise language, lively and vivid description of the Chinese cuisine. What is more, the outstanding features in the ST rest on numerous long and complicate
sentences with relatively loose structure, many descriptive vocabulary of traditional Chinese food.
Firstly, long and complicated sentences, namely compound sentences and complex sentences, are one of the most essential features in the ST. Chinese sentences are constructed on basis of many clauses without any
conjunctions. Hence, it is a critical step of translation to understand inner relation among clauses and the relation
of clauses to outer context.
Secondly, the ST adapts a quantity of precisely descriptive vocabulary, four-character-structured words in particular. Many color words such as “红艳”,“翠绿”, and“白净” in the ST frequently contain positive
connotation reflecting profound cultural deposit and pleasant visual enjoyment.
Skopos Theory and Translation Strategies, Methods
Skopos Theory
In the 1970s, Hans J. Vermeer introduced Skopos into translation theory as a technical term for the purpose of a translation and of the action of translation. Skopos Theory determines the translation methods and strategies
that are to be employed in order to produce a functionally adequate result. Hans J. Vermeer views translation as
an intercultural action, a form of transnational action based on a ST. Any action has an aim or purpose, so does
translation. According to Skopos Theory, one form of behavior is nevertheless held to be more appropriate than
the order to attain the intended goal or purpose. The translation process is determined by the purpose of the All Rights Reserved.
overall translational action.
A TT (target text) is an offer of information in target culture and TL (target language) concerning an offer of
information in a source culture and SL (source language). The Chinese ST attached in this paper has a purpose of
displaying traditional Chinese food, cuisine and authentic local culture, and the English TT has a purpose of
doing the same for TT addressees. The translator plays a key role in the reservation of flavor of Chinese ST and
the production of the translation. Certain culture-specific lexical items in the Chinese ST are retained as much as
possible in the TT in order to maintain the local color of the ST, for example, items such as “肉夹馍” (Roujiamo,
Chinese hamburgers) and “寿星公” (the god of longevity).
Translation Strategies
Domestication. Ventui (1995) introduced two types of translating strategies: domestication and foreignization. Domestication involves “an ethnocentric reduction of the foreign text to TL cultural values” (p. 20);
Domestication is the one that the translator “leaves the reader in peace, as much as possible, and moves the author
towards him” (p. 20). The author would like to illustrate it by two examples (see Examples 1-2).
Example (1) 每个人根据自己喜好的口感，掰出大小形状不一的馍块。

对西安人来说，这个举手之
劳是一个弥足享受的过程。

In Chinese “举手之劳” originally means that it is easy for you to lift a finger to help others. Nida put forward a functional definition of meaning in which a word acquires meaning through its context and can produce
varying responses according to culture. Therefore, considering the whole context, we could clearly understand
THE ANALYSIS ON THE TRANSLATION PROCESS OF CHAPTER TWO487
that “举手之劳”in this sentence means a process of taking part in dealing with the food. So the author’s
translation goes like this:
“You could divide it with fingers into pieces with different shapes to your own taste. For Xi’an people, it is such a great enjoyment for them to participate in food processing personally”.
Example (2) 吃臊子面最讲究的要数流水席
The most essential point for enjoying Saozi noodles is to hold a open dinner where a bowel of
noodles is served separately as the guests arrive in succession.
Foreignization. Venuti (1995) considered the foreignization method to be “an ethnodevident pressure on TL cultural values to register the linguistic and cultural difference of the foreign text, sending the reader aboad”
(p. 20). The aim of foreignization is to keep the original flavor of the SL. It is highly desirable in an effort to
restrain the ethnocentric violence of translation. Given the propose of the ST to introduce the Chines catering
culture to the TL culture, we highlight the foreign identity of the ST and protect it from the ideological dominance
of the target culture. In regard to culture-specific words, foreignization is undoubtedly a desirable to preserve the
original color of the ST. So the author translates “肉夹馍” into Roujiamo, and “秦腔剧团” is faithfully rendered
as the qin-qiang vocal style troupe.
Translation Methods
Division. Division is mainly applied to the translation of long and complicated Chinese sentences. English sentence building with the emphasis to logic is characterized by hypotaxis. While Chinese sentence building
without any conjunctions is focused on parataxis. Therefore, in order to make up the gap between Chinese and All Rights Reserved.
English sentences’ pattern, we divide long and loosely structured Chinese sentences into well knit ones (see
Example 3).
Example (3) 陕西人把肉丁炒制的配料叫臊子，岐山臊子的制作更为讲究，肉丁要切得薄而匀，干
煸至透明状，再配以醋和秦椒辣面，文火慢炒，上等的臊子应该色泽鲜红纯正，口感
酸辣突出，这样一勺色泽油亮、辣而不燥的红油臊子正是岐山臊子面的精髓所在。

Shanxi people call stirred diced meat Saozi which requires a complicated making process that
first you dice meat into thin square pieces, stirring these thin diced meat until they turn crystal
color and then slowly stir them with gentle heat, vinegar and red chili powder. The first-class
Saozi is characterized by scarlet color and its distinctively sour and spicy taste, therefore the
quintessence of Qishan Saozi noodles lies in a spoon of bright-colored and red oil Saozi.
This long Chinese sentence contains much information involved two topics—the making process of Saozi and the quintessence of Saozi noodles. Therefore, the author decides to cut the long sentence into two parts. The
first part is composed of an appositive clause which elucidates the procedures of making Saozi. The second part is
a paratactic structure introducing the unique characteristic of Saozi noodles. With the appropriate division of a
complex Chinese sentence, the English versions are equipped with a clear logic and compact structure.
Inversion. Inversion is an translation method which means the necessary alteration or adjustment of clause order. Chinese sentence building is featured by parataxis so we need to sort out the inner relation of a long
Chinese sentence and reorganize it in accordance with English way of expression. The author will take sentences
below as examples (see Example 4).
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THE ANALYSIS ON THE TRANSLATION PROCESS OF CHAPTER TWO
Example (4) 这样压出来的面具有独特的韧性，配上用猪骨、大地鱼、虾籽等材料熬制 3个小时以
上的汤头，就是一碗鲜美无比的云吞捞面，这是岭南人的最爱。

The favorite food of Lingnan peolpe is a bowel of delicious Yuntun Laomian (dumplings plus
noodles) made of distinctively tough taste noodles with an excellent accompany of the soup
cooking with ribs, fish, shrimp spawns for three hours.
As we all know, Chinese is a language with topic-prominent while English with subject-prominent. This Chinese sentence, structured by four clauses, has an explicit main topic, namely the major components of a bowel
of Yuntun Laomian. With a clear understanding of its topic, the author takes Yuntun Laomian as its subject
connected by a attributive clause (see Example 5).
Example (5) 臊子面的配菜讲究五色，木耳豆腐寓意黑白分明，鸡蛋象征富贵，红萝卜寓意日子红
火，蒜苗代表生机勃发，红黄绿白黑五种颜色代表了岐山人对生活的美好祝福。

The ingredients in Saozi noodles must have five kinds of colors, namely red, yellow, green,
white, black, presenting Qishan people’s good wishes of life, black fungus and white tofu for
clear attitude, eggs for richness, red carrots for better life, garlic bolt for vitality.
First, the author finds out the topic of this sentence that is the five colors of Saozi noodles. Therefore, the author inverses the clause order which corresponds to English subject-prominent structure.
Translation Approach to Semantic Zero
Language is the carrier of culture. The vocabulary in language is the deposits of cultural information reflecting the unique cultural values of one nation. Due to Chinese and Western differences in material culture,
All Rights Reserved.
spiritual culture and social culture, the phenomenon of semantic zero exits between Chinese and English
vocabulary. Therefore, some Chinese culture-loaded words could not find a corresponding way of expression in
English. With regard to semantic zero, we will adapt flexible translation strategies such as transliteration,
annotation, just to name a few, to bridge the gap of cultural background knowledge for the TT readers.
Generally speaking, the translation of culture-loaded words not only promotes cultural exchange and interaction between Chinese and Western world but also demonstrates meaning and value of translation as an
effective method in cross-culture communication.
(1) Transliteration plus domestication (see Example 6).
Example (6) 肉夹馍 Roujiamo (Chinese hamburgers)
云吞捞面Yuntun Laomian (dumplings plus noodles)
(2) Transliteration plus foreignization (see Example 7).
Example (7) 泡馍Paomo (cruded pancake in soup)
兰州拉面Lamzhou Lamian (Lanzhou hand-stretched beef noodles)
(3) Annotation plus foreignization (see Example 8).
Example (8) 寿星公the god of longevity (In China, people call the person celebrating his own birthday the
god of longevity, which expresses the wish of a long life to him).
讨口彩speaking auspicious words (On certain occasions like festivals or birthday feast,
Chinese people will speak auspicious words to symbolize our best wishes for good life, for
instance, “May you be prosperous” and so on).
THE ANALYSIS ON THE TRANSLATION PROCESS OF CHAPTER TWO489
Problems in the Process of Translation
First, many proper nouns involved with Chinese dishes and culture-loading words are a difficult part for the author, for example, 肉夹馍 (Chinese hamburgers), 泡馍 (cruded pancake in soup), and 讨口彩 (speaking
auspicious words). When translating those nouns or culture-loading words, the author looks up them in the
dictionary or searches the Internet. Those instruments can help us to better understand cultural knowledge of the
SL and translate the text accurately.
Second, another difficult place is many adjective expressions to describe the taste of food, such as“爽脆弹牙”, “韧性十足”, and “软糯浓郁”.It is a thorny task to translate these four character-structured Chinese words.
Due to much overlapping meaning in four character-structured words, the author decides to translate the core
meaning of these words.
What the Author Has Learned From the Project
The author learns a lot during the course of translating this article. First, it is important to master translation theories and skills. Translation of a sentence should be guided by a certain theory. While the flexible mastery of
theories or skills is not enough, we should learn to integrate all kinds of theories and skills into practice, which is
necessary and challenging. Only when we know how to apply the theory into practice, can we really understand
the theories and the skills and translate them better in the future.
Secondly, it is beneficial for the author to enhance the cultural background and knowledge of our mother tongue. During the process of translation, the author also makes up the gaps of Chinese folk custom knowledge. All Rights Reserved.
At the same time, the author is pleased to be a communicator of Chinese culture so that these precious folk
custom culture can be introduced to the TT readers. For example, the paper mentioned how people hold their
birthday party as well as the symbols of the five colors in Saozi noodles.
The last point is, in order to be a good translator, the author should spend more effort on Chinese and English by reading famous literature and newspapers. In translation, only with the good mastery of Chinese and
English can we express the meaning contained in text accurately and organize the sentence in a way which is in
line with Chinese or English habit. All in all, a good translator should be equipped with excellent Chinese and
English competence so that the translation of the text can be expressed in authentic Chinese or English and be
well understood by the TT readers.
References
CCTV Documentary Channel. (2012).A bite of China. Beijing: Guangming Daily Press.
GUO, Z. Z., & LI, Q. S. (2008). A practical course in translation between English and Chinese (英汉互译实用教程).Wuhan: Wuhan University Press.
Lee, J. (2001). A coursebook for English Chinese translation (英汉翻译教程).Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.
Munday, J. (2001). Introducing translation studies: Theories and application. London and New York: Routledge.
Newmark, P. (2001a). A textbook of translation.London and New York: Routledge.
Newmark, P. (2001b). Approaches to translation. London and New York: Routledge.
Nord, C. (2001). Translation as a purposeful activity—Fuctionalist approaches explained. London and New York: Routledge.
Venuti, L. (1995). The translator’s invisibility. London and New York: Routledge.
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THE ANALYSIS ON THE TRANSLATION PROCESS OF CHAPTER TWO
Appendix: Chapter Two in A Bite of China
第二章 主食的故事
《舌尖上的中国》光明日报出版社 作者：中央电视台记录频道
1000多年前，中国以秦岭-淮河一线划分出南稻北麦的农业分布，因此造成了南方人爱吃米、北方人则离不开面食的现象。

几千公里外的西安，老城区里的一家饭馆永远站满了等候的人，能够让直爽的关中人这样耐心等待的，大概只
有肉夹馍了。

在西安，馍是最被当地人接受的主食，而肉夹馍则是馍的最经典吃法。

肉夹馍，是两种食物的绝妙组合—白吉馍和腊汁肉。

西安人吃的白吉馍用火烤制，加入30多种调料、慢火熬制而成的肉软糯浓郁，馍的平淡，更加凸显出肉的醇
香。

历史上的西安，曾经是世界上最繁华的都市，13个王朝在这里建都，全世界的人都汇集到这里，带来了各地不同的美食。

直至今日，这里依然是中国人的主食天堂。

泡馍也是从馍变化出来的一种西安主食，每个人根据自己喜好的口感，掰出大小形状不一的馍块。

对西安人来说，这个举手之劳是一个弥足享受的过程。

在西北，主食和汤的完美融合，除了牛羊肉泡馍，还不能漏了兰州牛肉面。

兰州人的早晨，是从一碗牛肉面开始的。

这个黄河穿城而过的城市，有着1000多家清真拉面馆，每天要消耗100万碗以上的牛肉面，柔韧、滚烫的口感是兰
州拉面令人赞不绝口的关键。

100年前，回族人 (the Hui) 马保子把煮过牛羊肝的汤兑入锅中，清香扑鼻的热锅子面大受欢迎。

肉汤的清与浊，是检验牛肉面是否正宗的秘籍之一，一碗绝佳的牛肉拉面应该具有汤汁清爽、萝卜白净、辣油红艳、香菜翠绿、面条黄亮
五个特点。

马保子又在和面时创造性地加入了蓬灰水，使得面团更加富于弹性。

拉面的全部工序要靠手工操作，想拉出
粗细不同的大宽、韭叶、毛细、荞麦棱子，不但要臂力过人，对力道的控制也要刚中带柔。

同样的麦子，磨成同样的面All Rights Reserved.
粉，却可以做出不同的面条，表现出不同的精彩。

对于面条的口感，南方人和北方人的要求也有着天壤之别。

广州人喜欢的细面与兰州拉面的口感完全不同，爽脆弹牙，韧性十足。

华南地区的广东，尽管稻米一年能熟两到三季，也并不妨碍广东人爱吃面。

和这种面用的是鸭蛋。

用传统方式和好面团之后还要碾压，而关键的是压面时的力度。

用毛竹碾压面团，利用人体弹跳的重力，让面团受力均匀，压薄的面皮便可以用来制作面条和云吞皮。

这样压出来的面具有独特的韧性，配上用猪
骨、大地鱼、虾籽等材料熬制 3个小时以上的汤头，就是一碗鲜美无比的云吞捞面，这是岭南人的最爱。

广州人把这种
传统方法制作出来的面条叫做竹升面。

这种古老的压面方式，广东人世世代代沿用至今。

同样是做面，广东人用毛竹，中原人用的则是擀面杖。

擀面，是中原女孩子成长中必须掌握的生活技艺。

早面午席，是丁村人做寿请客的习俗，为了老伴的70大寿，卫大妈早早地就为宴席上要吃的面食做起了准备。

中国人称这碗特
地为生日准备的面为长寿面。

为什么过生日要吃面？面条是怎么成为中国人贺寿的象征的呢？有一个说法是，面条的形状长而瘦，谐音“长寿”，于是面条当仁不让地成为讲究讨口彩的中国人最喜爱的生日主食。

在丁村人的寿宴上，有一项仪式必须由全村人共同完成。

吃面之前，挑出一根最长的面条，放在寿星公的碗里，要等他吃下这碗带着全村人的长命百岁祝福的面条，一场寿宴才算圆满。

陕西岐山人过寿也吃面。

每逢老人做寿，岐山人都会聚在一起，请来秦腔剧团搭台唱戏，这时候一碗热腾腾、酸辣可口的岐山臊子面是绝不可少的。

吃臊子面最讲究的要数流水席，早上天刚亮，吃面的流水席就开了。

据当地的史志记
载，岐山臊子面起源于3000年前，只吃面不喝汤是当地人约定俗成的饮食规矩。

陕西人把肉丁炒制的配料叫臊子，岐山
臊子的制作更为讲究，肉丁要切得薄而匀，干煸至透明状，再配以醋和秦椒辣面，文火慢炒，上等的臊子应该色泽鲜红
纯正，口感酸辣突出，这样一勺色泽油亮、辣而不燥的红油臊子正是岐山臊子面的精髓所在。

臊子面的配菜讲究五色，
THE ANALYSIS ON THE TRANSLATION PROCESS OF CHAPTER TWO491
木耳豆腐寓意黑白分明，鸡蛋象征富贵，红萝卜寓意日子红火，蒜苗代表生机勃发，红黄绿白黑五种颜色代表了岐山人
对生活的美好祝福。

几千年来，臊子汤在岐山村村落落的面锅里翻滚着，岐山臊子面更成为一种精彩绝伦的艺术品。

(in Chinese)
Chapter Two “The Story of Staple Foods”
Guangming Daily Press, Author: CCTV Documentary Channel
One thousand years ago, Qinling Mountains-Huaihe River Line in China (a boundary line of South China and North China) had contributed to the agricultural distribution that rice was grown in the south of China and wheat in the north of China. Therefore,
people in South China prefer rice while people in North China love wheat. In Xi’an, several thousand kilometers away, a restaurant
in older section of the city is always full of customers waiting in a long queue. Probable only Roujiamo (Chinese hamburgers) could
make frank and candid Guanzhong (the central part of Shanxi province) people patiently waiting for.
Bun is the most acceptable staple food in Xi’an while the most classic way to eat bun is Roujiamo (Chinese hamburgers).
Roujiamo is comprised of Baiji bun and the pork stewed by delicious soup with the blending of seasonings, a fantastic combination
of two kinds of food. Baiji bun favored by Xi’an people is cooked on fire while the pork is stewed by soup adding more than 30
flavorings, which tastes tender and rich. The plainness of Baiji bun highlights the aroma of the pork in no better way.
In China’s history, Xi’an, once the most prosperous metropolis in the world, had been the capital city in 13 dynasties. People all over the world gathered here and brought a variety of delicious food in different regions to Xi’an. Today, Xi’an is still the paradise
of staple food for Chinese people.
There is another staple food in Xi’an-Paomo (cruded pancake in soup) evolving from the bun. You could divide it with fingers into pieces with different shapes to your own taste. For Xi’an people, it is such a great enjoyment for them to participate in food
processing personally.
Apart from crudded pancake in mutton soup or in beef soup, Lanzhou hand-stretched beef noodles is also a perfect combination of staple food and soup we can not ignore in Northwest China. Lanzhou people’s morning starts from a bowel of beef noodles.
Lanzhou, a city that Yellow River flows through, has more than one thousand halal hand-stretched noodle restaurants with daily
consumption of over one million bowels of beef noodles. People are full of praise for pliable and scalding taste of Lanzhou Lamian All Rights Reserved.
(hand-stretched noodles).
One hundred years ago, Baozi Ma, the Hui, cooked noodles with soup of lamb liver and ox liver. Such hot noodles gained tremendous popularity among the people for its delicate fragrance. The clarity of beef noodles soup is the key to testify the
authenticity of beef noodles. A bowel of first-class beef noodles is characterized by clear soup, snow-white radish, bright red chilly
oil, fresh green coriander as well as silky yellow noodles. When mixing dough with water Baozi Ma innovatively added penghui
(alkali) which made dough much more resilient. All the procedures of making Lamian are made by hand. In order to pull out noodles
with different degree of thickness and breadth such as flatness, Chinese leek, hair, buckwheat, you not only need powerful arm
strength but also exert the appropriate control of physical strength when pulling the dough. A pile of wheat ground to flour was made
into noodles with different shapes, displaying different performances.
As for noodles’ taste, people living in South China have significantly different preferences with people in North China.
Thin-stranded noodles favored by Cantonese tastes relatively crisp and tough, which is completely different with Lanzhou Lamian.
In Guangdong province situated in South China, people will not lesson their love for noodles even with two to three quarters’ harvest
of rice in one year.
It is with duck eggs that Cantonese knead dough. After finishing the dough making with the traditional method, the dough needs to be repeatedly rolled out. However, the crucial point is how to better control the strength of pressing the dough. With Moso
bamboo to roll out the dough, Cantonese believe that the dough could bear the same pressure of the physical gravity by jumping up
and down. Such flat and thin flour wrappers can be used to make noodles and dumpling wrappers. Cantonese call it zhusheng
noodles made with this traditional method. This ancient dough pressing method has been passed down by Cantonese from
generation to generation. The favorite food of Lingnan peolpe is a bowel of delicious Yuntun Laomian (dumplings plus noodles)
made of distinctively tough taste noodles with an excellent accompany of the soup cooking with ribs, fish, shrimp spawns for three
hours.
Cantonese make noodles with a Moso bamboo while people in Central Plains with a rolling pin. How to roll out the dough is the life skill that girls in Central Plains must learn. It is the custom for DING villager to celebrate birthday by cooking noodles in the
morning and hosting a feast in the noon. To celebrate her husband’s 70th birthday, Aunt WEI gets up early to make preparation for
noodles at the feast. Chinese call the noodles cooked especially for birthday longevity noodles.
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THE ANALYSIS ON THE TRANSLATION PROCESS OF CHAPTER TWO
Why do Chinese eat noodles at birthday? How does the noodles become a symbol of birthday celebration? The reason is that length and thinness, features of noodles’ shape, is a homonym for “longevity” in Chinese. It is a matter of course that noodles has
become the most favorite birthday staple food of Chinese people who care about speaking auspicious words (On certain occasions
like festivals or birthday feast, Chinese people will speak auspicious words to symbolize our best wishes for good life, for instance,
“May you be prosperous” and so on).
At the birthday feast in DING village, all the villagers will work together to complish a job that before starting to eat noodles, everyone must pick up the longest noodle and put it into the bowel of the god of longevity (In China, people call the person
celebrating his own birthday the god of longevity, which expresses the wish of a long life to him). Only when he eats up this bowel
of noodles full of blessings of long life, the birthday feast is regarded as a complete success.
Qishan people in Shanxi Province also eat noodles when celebrating birthday. Qishan people will gather together to enjoy Chinese opera performed by the qin-qiang vocal style troupe on the elder’s birthday celebration. A bowel of hot, sour and spicy
Qishan Saozi (diced meat stirred with special ingredients) noodles is a necessity on such occasion. Nevertheless, the most essential
point for enjoying Saozi noodles is to hold a open dinner where a bowel of noodles is served separately as the guests arrive in
succession. The open dinner starts at the crack of dawn. According to local historical records, when Qishan Saozi noodles was
originated three thousand years ago, a diet ritual, eating up noodles without drinking soup, had established. Shanxi people call
stirred diced meat Saozi which requires a complicated making process that first you dice meat into thin square pieces, stirring these
thin diced meat until they turn crystal color and then slowly stir them with gentle heat, vinegar and red chili powder. The first-class
Saozi is characterized by scarlet color and its distinctively sour and spicy taste, therefore, the quintessence of Qishan Saozi noodles
lies in a spoon of bright-colored and red oil Saozi. The ingredients in Saozi noodles must have five kinds of colors, namely red,
yellow, green, white, and black, presenting Qishan people’s good wishes of life. Black fungus and white tofu for clear attitude, eggs
for richness, red carrots for better life, garlic bolt for vitality. Over one thousand years, Qishan Saozi noodles has become a fantastic
work of art in Qishan people’ life with Saozi soup boiling in every Qishan villiagers’ pots.
(in English)
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