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- Title
Culinary archaeology: Millet noodles in Late Neolithic China.
- Authors
Houyuan Lu; Xiaoyan Yang; Maolin Ye; Kam-Biu Liu; Zhengkai Xia; Xiaoyan Ren; Linhai Cai; Naiqin Wu; Tung-Sheng Liu
- Abstract
Noodles have been a popular staple food in many parts of the world for at least 2,000 years, although it is debatable whether the Chinese, the Italians or the Arabs invented them first. Here we analyse a prehistoric sample of noodles contained in a well preserved, sealed earthenware bowl discovered in the Late Neolithic archaeological site of Lajia in northwestern China. We identify millet as the source of the abundant seed-husk phytoliths and starch grains present in the vessel. This shows that the conversion of ground millet flour into dough that could be repeatedly stretched into long, thin strands for the preparation of boiled noodles was already established in this region 4,000 years ago.
- Subjects
CHINA; COOKING; NEOLITHIC Period; NOODLES; FOOD science; HISTORICAL archaeology; ARCHAEOLOGY
- Publication
Nature, 2005, Vol 437, Issue 7061, p967
- ISSN
0028-0836
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/437967a