Noodles are an ever-evolving reflection of culture. From its inception, noodles have been instrumental to the cultures in which it resides. Noodles are interesting, because like rice, the noodle is a mostly tasteless food. It is not until accompanying flavors are added that the noodle comes to life. Even in the most simple forms of noodle as seen in “Noodles Pressed and Pulled” are eaten by purists served with lard and shrimp roe. Ultimately, the noodle is the vessel by which flavor is delivered while also enhancing and developing those flavors along the way. “Dan Dan Noodles!” shows how noodles are used as the base for spicy and savory dishes alike. The street noodles described in this chapter are very affordable and provided everyone from all socio-economic classes access to a tasty snack. With the fierce competition in Chengdu, the vendors were forced to innovate new recipes in order to cultivate a loyal consumer base. This period was important in causing an explosion of new and inventive Chinese dishes. I believe that the noodle can be symbolic of the Chinese mindset. Like the noodle and its ever-evolving history, the Chinese people have forged forward through millennia and many political dynasties carving an increasingly complex cultural heritage and history. Also, like the noodle, the Chinese people have remained true to the principles and traditions that have gotten them to where they are now. So like the Chinese people, the noodle has evolved while maintaining ties to its roots. Italians have a close connection to noodles just like the Chinese, but their relationship differs. Italy is the heart of the Mediterranean Sea and was the center of many financial and cultural revolutions in the past millennia. With a constant influx of new flavors and tastes, Italy was still able to develop its own national identity with separate sub regional identities. As talked about in the “History of Pasta,” wheat was very easily grown across Italy. The adoption of the noodle was because of the availability of wheat lending to cheap production of pasta. Like the Chinese though, pasta is never eaten on its own. The noodle is always paired with sauces and spices to create a more complex dish.
By analyzing both sentiments, I think I can make a definition of my own. The noodle is a vessel that serves as the foundation of a dish taking the flavor profile of the ingredients by which the dish derives its identity from. The noodle is symbolic of much more however. It takes on the issues and prosperity of its culture, and the effects are always seen immediately. Traditional dishes and recipes have to give way to new recipes due to an ever shifting marketplace of ingredients and availability. For example, tomatoes were in no part of the Italian cookbook until the mid 19th century. Once they were discovered to not be poisonous, the tomato began to become an Italian staple. Italian cuisine also went under changes due to Arabic influences in the 8th century. Even though these Arabic invasions eventually ceased, the impact that they had on cuisine was long lasting and became a part of the region’s cuisine. Pasta could be viewed as a timeline with each important event adding to that timeline. What made the noodle up to a certain point never changed with the advent of new techniques and ingredients. If you made a chronological mosaic of noodle dishes invented in Italy and China respectively, I believe that the mosaic would coincide with major events and cultural shifts that occurred in each country. The events that make the food pass, but the food is passed on.