Happiness is a good bowl of noodles, and right now we have many reasons to be happy. At first glance it’s a simple dish: the combining of flour and water to make a dough, which in turn is pulled or cut into ribbons, to be flicked into the roiling, bubbling waters and drained. These are augmented by toppings, either soothing or explosive. But like all the best simple things, it’s complicated. Good noodle-making is about the careful management of unseeable glutens and starches. There is the heat and depth of the liquids in which the noodles are simmered and the time they loiter there. It’s about the balance and shameless excess of the things that go on top; the crunchy chilli oils, bean pastes and crisp vegetables, applied like your mouth has been good today and deserves rewards.
幸福就是一碗好面，而现在我们有许多理由感到幸福。乍一看，面条是一道简单的美食：将面粉和水揉成面团，再拉或切成面条，投入翻滚的沸水中煮熟捞出。面条上可以加各种配料，有的温和，有的辛辣。但正如所有最美好的简单事物一样，面条其实并不简单。好面条的关键在于对看不见的面筋和淀粉的精细把控。还要考虑煮面汤水的温度和深度，以及面条在其中停留的时间。更要讲究配料的平衡与丰盛——酥脆的辣椒油、豆瓣酱和爽口的蔬菜，仿佛在犒赏今天表现出色的味蕾。