Locals in Quzhou County always eat cooked wheaten food as staple food and especially like noodles. But during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, wheat yield was quite low while bean crops were cultivated in a relatively great number. Therefore, people mixed wheat flour with bean flour to make noodles which are commonly known as “mixed noodles.” With time passing by, people have gained experience in its recipe and production skills. The noodles thus made are more delicious and refreshing than those made from wheat flour.

　　曲周人素来以面食为主，尤其喜食面条，但在明清时代，小麦产量甚低，而豆类作物种植较多，人们便以小麦面与豆面掺和制作面条，俗称杂面。久而久之，人 们在配方比例、制作技术方面摸索出了经验，所制杂面美味爽口，胜过麦面所做。

　　Under the reign of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty, manual workshops making and selling dry mixed noodles and restaurant and eating houses selling cooked mixed noodles began to appear in Quzhou County. Among them, the Zhao’s at the east gate was the most skillful one. They mixed wheat flour, mung bean flour and soybean flour up according to certain ratios and poured egg sauce to knead dough. The mixed noodles made from such dough are even in thickness and transparent in color. The regular and un-scattered shape is No. 1 in the whole county. While eating the noodles, people use chicken bruillon as soup or eat together with gravy. It is tasty and not greasy at all.

　　到明朝万历年间，曲周县城开始出现以制作、出售杂面为业的手工作坊和以卖杂面为主的餐馆、饭店,其中东关赵家技艺精湛，他们用麦面、绿豆面、黄豆面按比例配料，用鸡蛋汁和面，所制杂面粗细均匀，色泽明透，不散不乱，冠绝全县。吃曲面时，可以用鸡汁调汤，或以肉卤相佐，美味可口，食之不腻。

　　Under the reign of Emperor Xianfeng of the Qing Dynasty, someone from Quzhou held office in the capital and brought such mixed noodles to Beijing to give them to other officials and friends as presents. Those who had tasted the noodles all praised and it became famous thereafter.

　　到了清朝咸丰年间，有曲周人在京供职并将这种杂面带进北京，馈赠官宦和亲友，人们吃后，无不赞美，因此而名声大震。

　　曲面取绿豆、黄豆、冬小麦3种主料，按一定比例磨成细粉，合置盆中，拌入鸡蛋清与芝麻香油。调和成面块；揉和约半小时以上，使之成为软、柔、韧兼备的熟面，再用纯绿豆粉做铺面，用面杖擀压成薄片，以快刀切为粗细一致的细条，最后按规格断拢成把，成为成品。条细如丝，色泽淡黄，煮熟后具有果子露香味，入口柔滑，咀嚼筋韧。质疏散不粘连，耐贮存，便携带。为高蛋白营养食品，极宜糖尿病、高血压、动脉硬化等患者及年老体弱者食用。

Today's reader is Becky German,

from the USA. 

She is an English teacher of 

ShiJiazhuang Tiedao University. 

Becky German 来自美国，

现任石家庄铁道大学外语教师。