Description
A highly visual, high-impact regional noodle boasted by Shanxi, China's noodle holy land. Does NOT use wheat. Highly nutritious 'You Mai' (Oat flour) is kneaded with boiling water, rolled by a finger into thin tubes (like macaroni), packed tightly like a honeycomb in a bamboo steamer, and steamed. Dipped in black vinegar or tomato sauce.
Restaurants serving You Mian Kao Lao Lao (Shanxi Steamed Oat Noodles)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Oat flour(You Mai)
- Boiling water
- Black vinegar
- Chili oil
- Garlic(for dipping sauce)
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- (Dough) Prepare roasted flour made from 'You Mai' (Oats), known globally as oatmeal.
- Add 'boiling water' to the flour and mix rapidly, kneading into an earlobe-soft dough (boiling water develops stickiness).
- (Artisan Shaping: The Art) Pinch off tiny dough balls.
- Place on a smooth slate (or board). Using the heel of your palm, push and smear the dough forward into a paper-thin, tongue-shaped strip ('SWIPE!').
- Roll this strip around your finger into a small 'tube (like macaroni)'.
- Stand these tubes upright in a bamboo steamer, packing them tightly like a 'honeycomb'.
- Steam on high for
- mins.
- (Dipping Sauce) Serve with mutton broth, a special dip of black vinegar/chili oil/garlic, or a tomato-egg sauce. Dip the steamed noodles and eat.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Rustic、earthy roasted aroma of oats and black vinegar tartness
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Knead oatmeal powder with boiling water to recreate)
Pairing
Guo You Rou (Shanxi Pork Stir-fry) / Mutton Soup
Trivia
[Trivia] 'Kao Lao Lao' is named because the shape resembles woven willow baskets used in farming. In cold regions where wheat struggles, Shanxi farmers invented this artistic regional food—arguably a root of pasta—to make highly nutritious oats as delicious as possible.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Use chopsticks to pull the tube noodles one by one from the honeycomb steamer. They possess a unique 'rough, chewy' texture and intense roasted grain aroma characteristic of oats. Dunking them heavily into black vinegar and chili oil transforms this rustic staple into a premium dinner.
Allergen
Wheat (Be aware of oat allergies)