Shanxi slice noodle　　Shanxi slice noodle is sourced from Taiyuan province Shanxi in 12 century. It is ranked as one of four famous noodle dishes in Shanxi and one of five national noodle fishes in China. It is qualified as king of noodle. The noodle is internal virtual but outside is hard, soft and smooth and very digestive. According to records, Shanxi slice noodle was originally from Shanxi, is a hot-boiled dish widely circulated in the public. In province Shanxi, regardless city or village, women, young lady and men all can make the Shanxi slice noodle. Among Shanxi slice noodles, the most famous is Datong Shanxi slice noodle.　　Shanxi slice noodle is a gourmet of local residents in Shanxi. It is famous for special taste. Shanxi slice noodle is cut manually, thus got the name. The sliced noodle cut by knife is thick in the middle, but thin from two sides, with a clear edge cut, in the shape of willow leaves. When bite, smooth outside but hard inside, soft but not sticky, with more bite, more tasty, welcomed by dinners.　　The dough needs to be hard, harder than dough of dumpling. After rest, make the dough smooth. When make the dough, all force needs to come from one direction. After the first cut from right corner of the dough, the next cut should be from the route of the first cut and the third is the same too. The same, the second skin cut is after the first skin cut too, if not good for cutting, then make the dough again for continue.　　Regarding Shanxi slice noodle, there is a fable. It is said Mongolian conquered yellow river and set up Yuan Dynasty. In order to be against public rebellion, they took away all mineral utensils and made some rules. Ten families use one knife and take turns to use the knife while cooking, after cooking, the knife should be returned back to Mongolian. One noon, when an old man step out of the door of one Mongolian, he was touched by a thin iron slice on the floor, he picked it up and brought home. After he returned home, the whole family was waiting for having lunch. But he did not bring knife back, but suddenly, he thought of the iron slice. He asked his wife to use the iron slice for cutting noddle. Because the iron slice is soft, so his wife used the iron slice cut dough into slices into hot water, dipped with sauce, all family found the noodle was so delicious. Later the cooking method is passing around across whole Shanxi.　　“Shanxi slice noodle wakes me up from the dream and made me taste home”. While eating Shanxi slice noodle, while hearing the songs “the best scenery in Shanxi”, one will have a real good experience of travelling to Shanxi.

　　Kaolaolao is a traditional wheat dish in frigid zone of Shanxi. Kaolaolao is an exquisite dish made by oat flour. The shape of kaolao is the same as “ Dou” which is a bamboo basket with even top and bottom for filling water or packing, thus got the name as  Laolao in public.　　The manufacture skill of Kaolaolao is vey strict. The oat flour is poured by hot boil water. It is mixed by rolling pin. When it is still hot, it is need to be made smooth. The small oat dough was put into hand, rub, twist and round the finger, at last turn into the round kaolaolao. It has the size of around 10cm long, 5cm wide and in the shape of cylinder. Then it is steamed, when it is served, with sauce. It is so delicious, pleasant, and memorable. Kaolaolao has two ways for serving, one is dipped with sauce, sauce is usually made by ground meat, and there are sauce made by meat, potato and eggplants too. Another way is fried with vegetables. If comes to Pingyao, it is a must go delicious cuisine for you.　　Oat flour has very high nutrition. It contain more Calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin, it is exquisite-made, hard, hunger-resisting, anti-cold, but very nutritious. Oat flour is able to protect liver, kidney, make blood and strengthen immunity. It also can strengthen body and brain, clarify eyes and made us beauty. If eating oat flour often, it can promote brain, decrease cholesterol and heal diabetes. It is both nutritious and can decrease blood and anti-cancer.

　　Pingyao beef is famous for bright red color, strong fragrance, once bite, it is melt. And it is rich in culture. It is manufactured from Ming Dynasty. In Jiaqing and Daoguang year of Qing dynasty, it is so well-known. Of course, the growth fame of Pingyao beef is related with the growth of business of merchant Shanxi.　　Pingyao beef is a Han traditional dish of county Pingyao in middle of Shanxi province. Pingyao beef is one of the long-lasting, broad and profound Chinese food. To late Qing dynasty and during the republic of China, Pingyao beef has been served as a compulsory food for banquet of those dignitaries. It is recorded in Qing Dynasty, cixi once visited Pingyao, after trying Pingyao beef, she feel it was so fragrant and vigorous, tasty and sleepless. So pingyao beef is named as a tribute by her. Until 30s in last century, Pingyao beef had reached to Beijing, Tianjin and Xian. At that time, during festival in autumn and winter, all business men came to Pingyao and traded Pingyao beef which had been known around the whole country. In 1956, in the national renowned food exhibition held by Beijing, pingyao beef was remarked as national famous food, selling so far to Korea, Mongolian, Singapore, Thailand, Philippine and Indonesia.　　Pingyao beef bear special skill from operations of beef slaughter, pickling, hot-boil, adding salt, water in solar seasoning. The beef made is bright red, tender in meat, fat but not greasy, lean but not hard, thick flavor, nutritious and very good for stomach and spleen.　　Ping yao beef do not add any pigment, but with bright red color. The meat is fat, but not greasy. It is lean, but not hard. The texture is tight, hard and soft evenly both outside and inside. When bite, it is soft. It is medium salty with thick taste. Long time eating, it can strengthen stomach and spleen, add appetite. When manufacture, quality beef need to be used with special manufacture skill. Approved by national meat quality test, Pingyao beef contain Calcium, iron, zinc 127％、59％、32％ higher than the average beef and vitamin much higher than the average beef too.　　It is said, when Pingyao beef is served, if not cut, you can smell nothing. Once cut, the rich flavor is so enticing, even few meters far away, you still can smell it. Pingyao beef is so delicious, soft, fresh, reputed- everlasting, that is related to its special ways for manufacture. Reason one is when slaughtering beef, it is bled immediately and thoroughly. Reason second is due to cook by appointed portion of the beef. Reason third is for long-time boiling by salty water and thick coup. The salty water is the local well water in the city, boiling, simmering by little fire, and immersed in the thick soup. The dish color is red with clear texture, soft, tender and fresh perfect for wine and rice.