Chinese name: 川北凉粉 (chuān běi liáng fěn) Style: Sichuan (Szechuan) Cuisine Characteristics: Clear noodles in chili sauce tastes a little bit hot, fresh, soft and pleasant. Having a history of over 90 years, clear noodles in chili sauce has been well-known in Sichuan since it was first produced. Noodles can be made from rice, green beans, peas or other beans, while the clear noodles in this dish are usually made of peas of high quality after being hulled.

Ingredients: clear noodles, 250 g Preparation: cut clear noodles into slices that are cut again into strps or just cut into thin slices. Put them into a soup plate.

Seasonings: salt soy sauce prickly ash seeds powder sesame oil  chicken essence (chicken stock/bouillon) or monosodium glutamate mashed garlic mashed green onion  ground chili vinegar Note: the amount of the seasonings listed above can be appropriately used according to one's personal taste.

Methods:

Step 1: Mix together the mashed garlic and green onion, ground chili, prickly ash seeds powder, salt, chicken essence, sesame oil, vinegar and soy sauce. Add into the clear noodle slices.

Step 2: Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add some cooking oil to be heated up to about 90℃ (194℉). Spoon the oil out and pour in the seasonings, adding in the clear noodles.

Step 3: Stir it well with chopsticks or a spatula until all the materials are mixed up. Finally, pour it into a prepared porcelain plate.

A plate of tasty clear noodles in chili sauce comes out which can be eaten singly or with rice, ready to be served.

Legend about Clear Noodles in Chili Sauce
Years ago, a peasant named Xie Tianlu sold clear noodles in a shelter. His clear noodles was praised by all of the customers because of the uniqueness of the combination of seasonings with the noodles. Later, another peasant Chen Hongshun did a thorough study of the techniques for making clear noodles, adopted Xie Tianlu's good points and improved them. Chen Hongshun selected fresh peas and ground them, and then he paid great attention to the heat control when making the clear noodles. Thus, Chen's noodles are clear but not transparent, thin but not broken superior of Xie's. Soon, Chen's clear noodles became well-known in northern Sichuan, hence its name.

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  On Oct. 5, 2010, Mr. Thomas Edward Wellems, Ms. Marilyn Irene Powell & Ms. Dianne Louise Wellems visited a local family in Xian which is a representative family especially chosen by Travelchinaguide for foreigners to know about the true life of the Chinese people. What's more exciting is that they had an on-spot cooking class in the family by learning to cook Eggplant in Sichuan Style & Clear Noodles in Chili Sauce.
  

  Ms. Marilyn Irene Powell & Ms. Dianne Louise Wellems in a Chinese Family

 More popular cold dishes in China:

Enoki Mushroom in Chili Oil

Cold Wheat Gluten

Cold Chayote

Cold Celery and Dry Bean Curd

Cold Lotus Root in Vinegar Sauce