At the table
With separate soup, add a little spicy broth to the noodle bowl, mix and taste before adding more. Eat with chopsticks and a spoon; leave whole spices. The all-spicy-soup serving is a stronger option.
Ask for the spicy soup separately and confirm heat and oil. This version has peanut oil, sesame, wheat and soy. Check noodle and seasoning labels; optional eggs, tofu rolls and sausage add ingredients.
Some versions use soybean oil instead of peanut oil. Tofu-sheet rolls, boiled eggs, sausage or cabbage may be extra sides; they are not in this plain noodle-and-beef-soup version.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Some versions use soybean oil instead of peanut oil. Tofu-sheet rolls, boiled eggs, sausage or cabbage may be extra sides; they are not in this plain noodle-and-beef-soup version.
Typical ingredients
Wheat noodles小麦面条
Beef牛肉
Peanut oil花生油
Cumin孜然
Fennel seeds小茴香
Garlic大蒜
Ginger姜
Soy sauce醬油
White vinegar白醋
Sugar糖
Star anise八角
Cloves丁香
Tsaoko (Chinese black cardamom)草果
Shisanxiang mixed spice十三香复合香料
Sichuan peppercorns花椒
Five-spice powder五香粉
Chicken seasoning鸡精
Sesame seeds芝麻
Dried red chilies干红辣椒
Chili oil辣椒油
Salt食盐
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)味精Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Chili heat, Sichuan-pepper tingle and cumin-rich beef aroma.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Smooth chewy thick-centered noodle shavings; oily liquid broth and tender beef strips.
- How it’s made
- Infuse peanut oil with cumin and fennel, strain, then fry garlic, ginger and beef strips. Add dark soy, white vinegar, sugar, star anise, cloves, tsaoko, thirteen-spice, ground cumin and Sichuan pepper, five-spice and chicken seasoning. Simmer water with ground sesame, five-spice, dried chili and chili oil, add the beef mixture and finish with salt and MSG. Boil purchased knife-shaved noodles separately with salt and MSG for serving.
Some versions use soybean oil instead of peanut oil. Tofu-sheet rolls, boiled eggs, sausage or cabbage may be extra sides; they are not in this plain noodle-and-beef-soup version.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Heilongjiang.
About this regional connection
Heilongjiang: Local culinary association; not a claim of exclusive origin.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有鸡西刀削面吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
Jixi knife-shaved noodles
Jixi pairs chewy knife-shaved noodles with a chili-and-beef soup rich in warm spices. Serving soup separately lets diners control how much reaches the noodles.