To some people, there is nothing better than the smell of meat cooking over an open air. Throughout the world, people love to eat barbecue, because it helps bring friends and families together. Having a barbecue makes people think about how things were with their ancestors. Cooking over coals or an open fire makes people feel more social.

Most countries have barbecue traditions and they usually take place on national holidays. In the United States, it is a tradition to have a barbecue of hamburgers and hot dogs on July 4, which is Independence Day.

In South America, especially in Argentina, barbecue is a way of life. All sorts of meats and sausages are put on a large grill together over hot coals. Barbecue is even considered the national dish in Agentina, and it is given the name asado in Spanish. This means not only the dish, but also the social event that surrounds an Argentinean barbecue.

When a person speaks about Turkish barbecue, the kebab immediately comes to mind. The tradition of taking different meats, and sometimes vegetables as well, and spearing them with a sharp stick has crossed cultural lines today. Especially anywhere in the English-speaking world, the thought of shish-kebab will make barbecue lovers’ mouths water.

Wherever you go in the world, you are almost certain to come across a local method of preparing barbecue. If you visit different places, be brave and try the special local food.

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China is a noodle paradise (天堂). The home of wheaten food (面食) across the world is China, and the home of wheaten food in China is Shanxi Province. As an American student, my first experience with noodles was in Shanxi when I was an exchange (交换) student.

Everyone knows noodles are the king of Shanxi food. There are more than 100 ways to make noodles. Among them, my favorite is the knife-cut noodles. The knife-cut noodles are one of the top five noodles in China, with the other four being Hubei’s hot-dry noodles, Sichuan’s Dan Dan noodles, Beijing’s fried sauce noodles and Shandong’s Yifu noodles.

Once in a restaurant, I ordered knife-cut noodles and I was lucky to see how the cook made them from the window of the kitchen. I felt really surprised to see the cook shave (削) the noodles so quickly! When I tasted the noodles for the first time, I felt super glad.

When I first learned to make knife-cut noodles, the more I practiced, the harder it seemed. But later, when I got the angle (角度) right, it became a lot easier. In fact, you need a lot of skills if you want to cook them. The first thing you need to do is to make a dough (面团). After that, let your dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Then cut the noodles by running the knife up and down. The most difficult part is getting the right angle between the knife and noodles. Finally, let them cook in the hot water for 5 minutes. The reason why people like knife-cut noodles is that they have a special taste. Also, it is an art form that takes years of practice.