Legend has it that discerning diners can tell the age of the chicken used in the soup by taste. Older chickens raised in open farms where they can roam free are best because their sinuous flesh lends a stronger flavor to the soup.

But stronger doesn't necessarily mean better. The flavor of the soup must not be allowed to overpower the refreshing taste of wheat in the noodles.

This all sounds like much ado about nothing. If you think so, you probably don't know what you missed.

We are not talking about the meaning of culinary art or similar lofty subjects. Let's talk about making money.

Zhejiang province, as we all know, is a low-cost manufacturing center, producing trillions of yuan in goods for export around the world. This model of economic growth is hit by rising labor and land costs, which have slashed manufacturers' profit margins to the bone.

There has been much talk about industrial restructuring, but little real progress has been made. There might be something that the entrepreneurs producing shoes, clothing and accessories can learn from the master Zhejiang chefs who demand nothing less than perfection even when cooking a bowl of yangchun noodles. It's the undivided attention to detail, irrespective of how laborious the process is, that distinguishes them from the common cooks.

It doesn't cost much to serve a bowl of plain noodles. But it is the yardstick by which many eateries are judged. Diners here believe that a restaurant that serves a decent bowl of plain noodles can be trusted to do other dishes right. That trust is a valuable asset that allows the restaurant owner to charge a premium.

There is really nothing high-tech special about the iPhone, for instance. It's the attention to detail that sells.

(China Daily 10/21/2013 page8)