‍Originated from north China's Shanxi Province, Daoxiao (sliced) noodles is one of the five signature noodle dishes in China, others being "Huimian" from Henan Province, "Hot-and-dry" from Hubei Province, "Dandan" from Sichuan Province, and the one with soybean paste from Beijing. 

To make Daoxiao noodles, hold the dough with one hand, and slice the noodles into a pot of boiling water with the other.

The story behind this dish dates back to China's Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), when the power that occupied the now Shanxi Province region confiscated all personal metal wares, including knives for cooking. Ten households were allowed to share one knife.

A woman asked her husband to borrow the knife from their neighbor before preparing dinner, but it was unavailable at the moment. The man stumbled across a thin piece of iron on his way home and brought it back. He suggested that they try slicing the noodles instead of cutting with a knife, as the dough was hard. The sliced noodles were thick at the center but soft on the edges. The tradition of making Daoxiao noodles has been popular since then.

There are multiple ways to coat the noodles. The sauce could be with smashed tomato, fried mince, meat soup, or others. With seasonal vegetables and a bit of vinegar at the side, it is one of the most popular noodle dishes across China.