How A Pro Makes Chinese Hand-Pulled Noodles, Start to Finish

In this reference video, noodle master Fan Jimei (樊吉梅) from Ding Le Noodle School in Lanzhou demonstrates how to make hand-pulled noodles from start to finish. The recipe is simple (and given in the video) but the process of repeatedly kneading and tearing the dough, while adding an alkaline water (in China, it's "penghui", made from refined plant ash), takes experience to get the dough texture correct.
This video shows the exact process that Fan demonstrates to hundreds of students a year, who then go out across China and into Lanzhou-style noodle shops.
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#lanzhounoodles #chinesefood #chinesenoodles #noodles

[@romkoh]

The science. The skill. The art. The craft. Mesmerizing. Can't stop watching it. Thank you for sharing.

[@pepsichen9684]

Fun fact, in Chinese "拉" (La) means "Hand-Pulled"， “noodle” in Chinese is “麺”( Mian)，The Japanese pronunciation "Ramen"(ラーメン) is almost came from Chinese "La Mian". The difference is that they don't pull by hand but cut by machine.When Chinese “拉麺”（La Mian） culture was introduced to Japan, it had lost its original meaning.

[@freeskier64]

Ramen is not considered as Japanese food in Japan. The Japanese know and call it as Chinese cuisine. Unlike Tempura , some Japanese forget its Portuguese origin

[@ZShawty360]

I can't explain the joy I got from watching this whole process from start to finish, seeing the dough miraculously pull into strings at the end unexpectedly

[@saintcavish]

it's magical, isn't it?

[@genepardy7884]

@@saintcavish It's TOTALLY magical!!!

[@rozainazainon837]

It is truly magical... I have a great respect to dedicated chef who make the noodles..it is more than noodles...it is loves and passions... great respect ❤🎉

[@yvonnereyes9954]

What does the addition of alkaline do? Chewiness?

[@ZShawty360]

@@yvonnereyes9954 The alkaline pH changes the solubility of the proteins in the flour like gluten to create a stronger and more chewy noodle!

[@raymondliewzhenyu92]

I paused the video so she can take a break

[@万熊战车59式]

thank you sir

[@김승훈-c7p]

You're so generous 😊

[@shifeiyue]

谢谢你，好心人。

[@marshandapermata1947]

😂😂

[@DebbieCostello-k8p]

I don’t feel like eating noodles anymore 😅

[@Pinkee3867]

The amount of effort put in to making noodles without kitchen appliances… I am truly humbled and amazed. You can see how tired she was half way through the video, but she mustered through.

[@brunomunemassa8266]

The most daunting process to me is the final noodle stretching but the confidence from the chef makes it look so fun and easy. Also that is some serious arm workout, kudos to the chef she is so skilled ! Also it seems like a nice pay-off for the work it takes to make to eat a delicious meal.

[@saintcavish]

you are absolutely right. pulling noodles isn't that hard, once the dough is done correctly. but pulling them *evenly* -- that's where the experience is...

[@RovingPunster]

​​@@saintcavishI just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge your efforts and express my gratitude for such a helpful vid. ❤ Comments & questions: 1) Tearing: I hadnt seen that before, despite having watched dozens of vids. Is the purpose to help break down the gluten strands (to make it extensible/pullable) without actually damaging the gluten itself (which provides a firm bite) ? I actually tried using some diastatic malt and an autolyse rest, but it oversoftened the dough because it denatured the gluten proteins, and I logged it as a failed experiment. 2) Mix-in: Because I have limited counter space, Ive been using a food processor for the initial mix-in, and add all my water and alkalai at the same time ... THEN I switch to working the dough by hand. From memory I think I was using slightly less than 50% hydration by weight. Does all that sound viable, or should I scrap that and start over using your method ? I kept assumimg that large busy noodle shops surely use something like hobart mixers for large batches of dough. Ill post more questions as they occur. Gratitude. ❤

[@juffurey]

On bizarre foods or no reservations they showed a guy doing a way bigger amount and he was using his entire body weight sitting in this pole that went up and down

[@lq9734]

@@juffureyThat’s 竹升面 bamboo pole noodles. Different in taste and texture from hand pulled noodles.

[@juffurey]

@@lq9734 aha, thanks for the explanation

[@zzzzingify]

Took my kids to China last summer vacation, we had best beef hand pulled noodle soup ever, I think it was Lanzhou hand pulled noodle soup(hopefully I spelled it right) the noodles were so delicious and incredible, after I watched your video I realized no wonder it tasted so good.

[@Aapig]

The type is LaMian(hand pulled noodle), and the name is generally called Lanzhou Beef Noodles.

[@Frigenguy1]

Wonderful video. The visuals were amazing and I'm glad that none of the process was edited out. It felt as if I was in a culinary class. Thank you.

[@saintcavish]

thanks so much, that was the intention!

[@randomstoragespace]

Agree. What annoys me about every food film on Netflix is most of the process getting cut out. THAT is the art, not the over the top editing, lighting, sound design and after effects.

[@gky7170]

Hand pulled noodle making is an artform in itself. The mouthfeel of these noodles cannot be replicated by machines!

[@polofar99]

Same feelings. The ramen made on site is much more delicious than the machine-made noodles. I love LANZHOU&XINJIANG ramen.

[@zincfive]

I've been fascinated by hand pulled noodles since I first saw them on travels in China. I've seen probably most of the videos on KZbin, most of which concentrate on the pulling process, none compare to this method for preparing the dough, no resting step to develop gluten. Really authentic method, excellent, simple presentation, nicely filmed. I'm sure I could learn make the dough reliably with what you are presenting here. Excellent video...

[@saintcavish]

thanks for recognizing that. there are, in my opinion, two separate skills involved in pulling noodles. the first and most important is preparing the dough. without a properly made dough, it's impossible to pull noodles. conversely, with a properly made dough, almost anyone can pull noodles. the second is not pulling, which is not difficult. the hard part is pulling evenly, and that takes muscle training and experience to be able to work with the tension in the dough. good luck mastering it!

[@zincfive]

@@saintcavish I'm curious about the ingredients. Do you feel a good quality high protein bread flour like king arthur, or maybe caputo 00 pizza flour would work well? I'm also interested in the alkali powder Peng hui. This seems available on ebay or ali express shipped from China in a blue bag, but the ingredients are murky. Is this the stuff that they use in Lanzhou? Is this a unique traditional ash from weeds, or are they using an analog like potassium or sodium carbonate or blend? There is a brand of ramen Kansui Powder powder that is easily available, has transparent ingredients, a few types of sodium and/or potassium carbonates, apparently you can get different results of chewiness or stretchiness. You can also heat baking soda to make sodium carbonate...

[@RovingPunster]

​@zincfive Im a fellow fan of La Mian, and have been trying to learn it on & off again for a long time. As for alkalai ... here in the USA its hard to source pengui, so I make something of similar strength (but chemically slightly different) called sodium carbonate, aka washing soda. Basically, you take regular baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and bake it to convert it into the former, which is quite a bit stronger. From memory, I think the solution I mix up has a pH of 13 ish. Anyway, it's an alternate option. Another alkalai solution is a japanese product called Kansui Water.

[@weidonghu4422]

Best Lamian making tutorial video on the internet, period!

[@kattebelletje]

Thanks for this video, great to see those steps again in great detail, she was one of my teachers at Dingle Noodle School! The portion size when starting to pull is more like 300 to 350 grams of dough. In order to get the noodles right, the flour itself is also super important (protein content of 12%) and needs to be milled very finely; without the penghui (alkaline salt) pulling noodles at this level is impossible.

[@sarahgeraceunitedmartialar5709]

Hi. Would you know where one could get the penghui in the U.S.? Thanks.

[@chefeirkka1638]

@@sarahgeraceunitedmartialar5709 I believe the active component of penghui is just Potssium Carbonate(K2CO3)，peng（蓬）is a kind of grass and hui（灰）means ash after burn, and it was the most easy way to obtain K2CO3. You can buy pearl ash as a substitute, if obtaining the pure potassium carbonate is somewhat challenging

[@woolfel]

thank you. I've been trying to learn hand pulled noodles on my own for over a decade and use the easier uyghur hand pulled technique. the lanzhou technique is amazing and when ever I eat them, the texture is just fantastic.

[@saintcavish]

the key to the lanzhou style is the penghui, the alkaline "ash" (it's now synthetic). prepping the dough correctly is important but making it pull-able is really not so difficult when you have the penghui. the xinjiang style (la tiaozi) is much more work!

[@woolfel]

@@saintcavish LOL I've tried with commercial alkaline water from my local chinese store, but never been able to get any where near what master Fan Jimei demonstrates in the video. If only it was as easy as just using penghui

[@yingyikuang2884]

I’m from Lanzhou and grew up eating NiuRouMian (beef hand-pulled noodles) all the time. However, I’ve never actually seen how they’re made from start to finish, not to mention the intricate techniques behind them. Thank you for showcasing this part of Chinese food culture in your video-it's really well done.

[@yingyikuang2884]

By the way, Penghui powder-made by burning a local tumbleweed (bitter fleabane) and grinding it into a powder-is the essential component that gives these noodles their distinct texture and subtly unique flavor. We Lanzhounese all know this, but this is the first time I’ve actually seen exactly how and at which stage it’s added to the dough.

[@boostnicho6891]

确实 好久不回兰州了 就想那一口牛大碗

[@edwinhuang803]

There are many vidoes about hand-pulled noodles but the production of your video such as the canmera angle and BGM is top-notch. I'm mesmerized by the hand movements of the chef!

[@AARon-ck7zz]

my shoulder and wrists hurt watching this. Much respect to the chef

[@大米小麦-w6w]

🎉the best channel to document Chinese culinary in such detail and pro way. Respect

[@saintcavish]

Wow, thank you

[@Qoo-pepper]

Very sophisticated video! It likes a documentary, in terms of lights and shadows, editing and music. Awesome job ❤

[@jennyb.6657]

This is so soothing and meditative to watch. Thank you for the calmness that you bring to the audience and admirers of this beautiful artisan craft. Mesmerizingly authentic and beautiful. Looking forward to more of your cinematic videos!

[@6demonai]

Amazing, I often wonder how people came up with the techniques to produce things like this. It's so involved for something, that on the surface seems like an everyday, simple food stuff. Thanks for the video.

[@lq9734]

As a civilization they’ve been making noodles for at least 4000 years. Noodles indeed evolved.

[@gummo-ti7lh]

This is beautiful. The mastering is insane. Much respect to the master chef.

[@eduardochozas7411]

The amount of human effort to make these noodles is remarkable. So impressive.

[@saintcavish]

it's an incredible amount of knowledge and technique behind such a simple meal

[@editfazekas3854]

And to think that our mothers and grandmothers all did it on a weekly basis! Until the 1970s that is in East Europe.

[@Etheryss]

Truly an amazing process to watch! I know why you titled her as a "master," given how expertly Jimei handles the dough but makes the motions so smoothly for a procedure that's undoubtedly incredibly difficult to replicate. When I'm watching, I know what I see is a process of art. Seeing the dough transform with each step and change the way the gluten behaves is so cool! No shortcuts have been taken, which I'm sure reflects in how those noodles taste and feel. I regret not being able to try them, but amazing work all the same!

[@dsulli7383]

I guess I never realized you have to be an athlete and a rocket scientist to make great noodles.

[@YishenLi-u4p]

The quality and the texture of this clip definitely can compare with the Chef’s Table. It’s engaging and full of detail. Thank you for introducing the thing runs in my veins in such an elegant way. Please do carry on!

[@MT-kr8cn]

Thanks for this edition, and the back music its a great choice for this art of making hand made noodles

[@laziafnahdamar7947]

finally a proper video how to make hand pulled noodles !

[@saintcavish]

glad you enjoyed it!

[@toyoale]

We're able to do It now, after practicing over ten years 😂

[@henrydickerson9776]

This is satisfying. No wasted motion. Just elegant perfection.

[@hoangle8030]

thanks for sharing your life knowledge and master piece with the rest of the world. I have tried in the last 6 months practice this skill but got no where until this video. Thanks from Texas, USA

[@lukerymarz]

Simply amazing. I know what this takes. Seeing the dough transform in fifteen minutes was a joy to watch. Thank you for this video. Immense appreciation to the chef!

[@saintcavish]

thank you for watching and appreciating the skill!

[@paulhuun]

Crazy stuff.. just watched thousand years worth of techniques and know-how.

[@pwking1115]

That was amazing! I must admit I was getting tired of watching that tearing over and over again, but you could tell it was going somewhere. Then when she pulled those noodles, oh my goodness!! Well worth the wait!! Lol, great video!!

[@wulawrence1358]

Truly frrom start to finish! Amazing noodle work! Great soundtracks too!

[@saintcavish]

glad you liked the music!

[@franklunt8975]

This is the first vid I've watched all through for ages. So much effort for such a limited amount of noodles. Excellent 👍

[@saintcavish]

that's a great compliment, thank you. it's a tremendous effort for what seems like such a simple dish.

[@Mars_architects_bali]

Penghui is hard to find .. even in China .. but there are alkaline substitutes .. like baking soda can be baked in the oven to change its composition.. there are some tutorial’s online how to achieve this

[@foreveryung572]

Truly a master!!! Bowing with respect! Looks easy but probably takes years to master

[@thomiokith]

Absolutely a work of art. Would love to see more of these. ❤

[@saintcavish]

thanks, we're working on them!

[@AntedAP]

Thank you for this video, it left me speechless, it was a pleasure to see and reminded me very much of an extremely rare and almost forgotten type of Italian pasta. Made in the region of Sardinia, it is called “su filindeu” which is translated with “I fili di Dio” in Italian and "The Threads of God" in english. You should check it and how it's made because it is so similar to this one :)

[@bhargavichinniah4450]

Best channel… amazing videography.. please put more restaurant recipes like this

[@saintcavish]

thanks, we will try!

[@Fireandagrill]

No cuts, no breaks, all the details 👍

[@MJ-cd2oh]

Incredibly beautiful skills and Strength!

[@jonhandel8159]

This is a skill that cannot be accurately duplicated by any machine.

[@saintcavish]

100%

[@JyothiHm-c9h]

Your videos are always so helpful, thank you!

[@thomasd4738]

best China content out there

[@saintcavish]

and we've only just begun :)

[@ผองศรีงามประเสริฐ]

Awesome video, looking forward to the next one!

[@lucaskubo1175]

the techniques are amazing and mesmerizing! incredible chef

[@saintcavish]

thanks, she is great!

[@hspg]

This is the first time I have seen it from start to finish. I had no idea the dough is torn apart then put back together multiple times. It's a very interesting process, thank you for sharing!

[@woodshed_moments]

The process of making this noodle was as tedious as it was monotonous to observe... however meticulous the process, my hat goes off to who produced this content. The editing and the style for which it unpacked the rather laborious process of this variety of chinese noodle making was absolutely fantastic - very well done 👍

[@hypno5690]

Least verbose tim pool fan

[@helix7564]

Truly amazing technique

[@PraveenDoddmani]

Loved the content, keep it coming!

[@MT-kr8cn]

watching this again...sooo magic!❤

[@WallaOberley]

Loved this video, keep up the great work!

[@optic_greenland4765]

I’m trying to play black ops 6 ranked but this video I can’t stop watching it from start to end love it 🥳

[@AftinGoring]

Amazing content as always!

[@susand8214]

Skill level of the chart for just the water application

[@lesliespann6420]

Beautiful! Thank you for this offering. 💚

[@saintcavish]

thanks so much! glad you enjoyed it.

[@SaravanaSudharshn]

This was exactly what I needed, thanks!

[@Gerrardstrike]

This was so incredible to watch.

[@subramani3207]

Great video! Really enjoyed it.

[@littleelf314]

Really appreciate the insights in this video.

[@Lily-MaeBullock-v8l]

Fantastic video, really appreciate your effort!

[@ChakravarthiChakri-q1y]

Fantastic explanation, thank you!

[@Thalasundar-t3j]

Thank you for this video, very enlightening!

[@VativelVativel-w2e]

This video was amazing, learned a lot.

[@StellaMitchell-p5j]

You explained this so well, thank you!

[@chasmenear7130]

This is a true art form, and deceptive in the sense that she makes this look like easy work. The only equivalent I know of is Italian women making shape pastas.

[@vaishnavisuryavanshi1827]

Very well done, appreciate this video!

[@joseantoniorodriguez2160]

Thanks for sharing this, learned a lot.

[@5.AntoineDubois]

Great job, this video was very useful!

[@IIJOSEPHXII]

Great video. Really enjoyable to watch like meditation.

[@Pregash.s]

This was very informative, appreciate it.

[@ygvtrfdrghfg]

Thank you for the great content!

[@biendereviere]

Sadly I’m gluten intolerant so I can’t enjoy eating these noodles ; but luckily I can watch mesmerised how they are made 🥹

[@YishenLi-u4p]

The quality and the texture of this clip definitely can compare with the Chef’s Table. It’s engaging and full of detail. Thank you for introducing the thing runs in my veins in such an elegant way. Please do carry on!

[@BenjaminHarper-t4t]

Your videos are always so helpful, thank you!

[@NatanielSmith-r3v]

Awesome video, looking forward to the next one!

[@MariaHaall]

Loved this video, keep up the great work!

[@SallyRamirez-q6l]

Loved the content, keep it coming!

[@IrmaCurtis-f9t]

Really appreciate the insights in this video.

[@JosueGill-t4m]

Great video! Really enjoyed it.

[@ChandiniN-mn9df]

Fantastic video, really appreciate your effort!

[@DianePattersond]

Amazing content as always!

[@CharlesWatson-i3y]

Thank you for this video, very enlightening!

[@GojmeyHokmne]

You explained this so well, thank you!

[@CallieHuff-z3r]

This was exactly what I needed, thanks!

[@Ugyi-s4k]

Very well done, appreciate this video!

[@RicardoMeyer-w8h]

Fantastic explanation, thank you!

[@pasupuletisrinu4565]

This was very informative, appreciate it.

[@ClarissaEstrada-i1i]

This video was amazing, learned a lot.

[@Tamilselvi-x9w8r]

Thanks for sharing this, learned a lot.

[@AlinaLee-t8l]

Great job, this video was very useful!

[@KarlBenson-u7n]

Thank you for the great content!

[@DharmendraKumar-ko4wd]

Your videos are always so helpful, thank you!

[@Sahilulla]

Awesome video, looking forward to the next one!

[@GarbaHassan-b7s]

Loved this video, keep up the great work!

[@BabulalRandi]

Loved the content, keep it coming!

[@priyankabiswas8644]

Amazing content as always!

[@AubreyMyers-t9l]

Really appreciate the insights in this video.

[@mbzvsg]

Fantastic video, really appreciate your effort!

[@BaskaraoKillo]

You explained this so well, thank you!