Knife-cut noodles
刀削面 / 刀削麵 · dāoxiāomiàn (pinyin)
Thick, chewy ribbon noodles shaved off a block of wheat dough straight into boiling water with a knife; associated with Shanxi.
What it means
Knife-cut noodles (刀削面, dāoxiāomiàn) are made by slicing strips of dough with a knife directly into boiling water, rather than pulling or stretching the dough. Wikipedia describes the result as ribbon-shaped, fairly thick and chewy.
The shaving leaves jagged edges. A China Daily regional page says those edges hold on to broth and chili oil, and describes the noodles as typically served in beef or mutton broth with chili oil. The Woks of Life describes packaged versions as wide with ruffled edges that hold sauce. Wikipedia says they are usually served in broth but can also be fried.
The noodle is associated with Shanxi province, and Wikipedia says the Datong style became particularly well known. It adds that a skilled chef can shave up to 200 strands a minute. This entry does not state an origin date.
A common mix-up
Knife-cut noodles are shaved from a dough block, not pulled; do not confuse them with hand-pulled lamian.
Questions people ask
How are knife-cut noodles different from hand-pulled noodles?
Knife-cut noodles are sliced from a block of dough into boiling water, per Wikipedia. Hand-pulled noodles are stretched and folded by hand.
Where are knife-cut noodles from?
They are associated with Shanxi province. Wikipedia says the Datong style became particularly well known.
Sources & further reading
Background and preparation references. Our descriptions are editorial summaries, not restaurant reviews.