【Winter Bowls】Simmering Youcha in the Morning Light

冬日的天色亮得晚，山西的晨霭里总飘着一股朴拙又温暖的焦香。这香气，属于一碗已在这片土地上飘香千年的油茶。对许多山西人而言，冬天的清晨，便是从这样一碗暖稠咸香的油茶开始的。

Winter mornings dawn late in Shanxi, and the early mist always carries a simple yet warm, toasted aroma—belonging to a bowl of Youcha that has been wafting through this land for over a thousand years. For many Shanxi people, a winter morning begins precisely with such a bowl of warm, thick, savory Youcha.

名为“油茶”，却与茶叶无关。取寻常面粉，入铁锅以文火耐心焙炒，待颜色转为微黄、麦香四溢时，再加入熔化的羊油或牛油，让油脂的润泽与炒面的焦香在翻炒中彻底融合。这还不够，炒好的“油茶面”需细细碾碎、过筛，直至质地幼滑如沙。讲究的人家，还会拌入烘香的芝麻、碾碎的花生与核桃仁，为这朴素的底味增添一层丰腴的坚果香与口感。这过程看似简单，却极需耐心与火候的把握，一如山西人骨子里那份沉静与实诚。

Called “Youcha” (Stir-Fried Flour Tea), it has nothing to do with tea leaves. Ordinary wheat flour is taken and patiently dry-roasted in an iron wok over gentle heat until it turns a light golden brown and radiates a toasty wheat fragrance. Then, melted lamb fat or beef tallow is added, allowing the richness of the oil and the toasted aroma of the flour to blend thoroughly through stirring. But that is not all—the roasted “Youcha flour” must be finely crushed and sifted until its texture becomes as smooth as sand. In more particular households, roasted sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, and walnuts will be mixed in, adding a layer of rich nuttiness and texture to this humble base. The process may seem simple, yet it demands patience and precise control of heat—much like the calm and earnest nature ingrained in Shanxi people.

寒风侵骨的早晨，母亲从陶罐里铲出几勺油茶面，入锅加水，添一撮盐，小火慢熬。不消片刻，清水便化作一锅稠滑润泽的暖羹，香气厚实而温醇，氤氲满屋。掰碎的麻花、手撕的馍块、或是烤得酥脆的烧饼，往里一泡，便迅速吸饱了汤汁。干粮的麦香与油茶的咸香彼此渗透，麻花外软内韧，馍块绵中带劲，一口下去，焦香、油润、咸酥、暖滑，种种滋味在口中层层化开，扎实地熨帖了空了一夜的胃腹。

On biting-cold mornings, a mother scoops a few spoonfuls of Youcha flour from an earthen jar into a pot, adds water and a pinch of salt, and simmers it over low heat. In no time, the clear water transforms into a pot of smooth, glossy, warm paste, its aroma substantial and mellow, steaming and filling the room. Broken pieces of Mahua (fried dough twists), hand-torn Mantou (steamed buns), or crisp Shaobing (baked flatbread) are soaked in it, quickly absorbing the rich broth. The wheat fragrance of the dry staples and the savory aroma of the Youcha penetrate each other; the Mahua turns soft on the outside yet remains chewy inside, the Mantou becomes tender yet resilient. With one bite, the toasted aroma, oily richness, savory crispness, and warm smoothness unfold layer by layer in the mouth, solidly comforting the stomach that has been empty overnight.