Name: Dan Dan Mian (Dan Dan Noodles)
Yield: Serves 6–8 as part of a Chinese meal and 4–6 as a lunch, snack, or side dish
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. peanut oil; 2 Tbsp. peeled, minced fresh ginger; 2 Tbsp. minced garlic; ¼ cup finely chopped green onions; ½ lb. ground pork; ¼ cup (about 1 oz.) finely chopped zha cai; 2 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine; 3 cups hot chicken broth; 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. soy sauce; 2 tsp. chili oil; ¼ tsp. Chinkiang black vinegar or good-quality balsamic vinegar; 1 lb. fresh extra-thin (1/16-inch) Chinese noodles; 2 cups cold water; 1½ lb. spinach, blanched 5 second and drained for garnish; ⅓ cup chopped unsalted roasted cashew nuts or peanuts, for garnish; ½ tsp. toasted ground Sichuan peppercorns

Wheat noodles with spicy Sichuan peanut sauce and spinach in a bowl.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Lillian Chou

I became quite addicted to dan dan noodles, a famous Sichuan street snack, during the time I lived in Chongqing and would rush to the street upon hearing the peddlers cry “Dan dan mian! Dan dan mian!” Dan is the name of the bamboo shoulder pole from which wood buckets were suspended carrying the noodles (mian) on one end and a cooking vessel on the other.

The sauce for dan dan noodles contains zha cai, which is sometimes called Sichuan preserved vegetable, pickled mustard tuber, or Sichuan pickled mustard. This salted cured vegetable adds rich flavor to all kinds of dishes.

What you’ll need

Preserved Mustard Strips
$14 At Amazon
Shaoxing Rice Wine
$14 At Amazon
Chinkiang Black Vinegar
$8 At Amazon

Cook’s note:

The correct width of the wheat noodles for this dish is 1/16 inch, not the wider ⅛-inch linguine-type noodles that are used in Zha Ziang Mian. These days many supermarkets carry fresh, refrigerated Asian noodles, but fresh angel hair pasta can substitute.

Recipe information

Yield
Serves 6–8 as part of a Chinese meal and 4–6 as a lunch, snack, or side dish

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. peanut oil

2 Tbsp. peeled, minced fresh ginger

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

¼ cup finely chopped green onions

½ lb. ground pork

¼ cup (about 1 oz.) finely chopped zha cai

2 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine

3 cups hot chicken broth

2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. chili oil

¼ tsp. Chinkiang black vinegar or good-quality balsamic vinegar

1 lb. fresh extra-thin (1/16-inch) Chinese noodles

2 cups cold water

1½ lb. spinach, blanched 5 second and drained for garnish

⅓ cup chopped unsalted roasted cashew nuts or peanuts, for garnish

½ tsp. toasted ground Sichuan peppercorns

Preparation

To make the sauce
Step 1
Heat a large wok over high heat until a bead of water dances on the surface and then evaporates. Add the peanut oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the ginger, garlic, and green onions and cook, stirring, just until fragrant. Add the pork and the preserved vegetable and stir until the meat loses its raw color, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook for a few seconds to evaporate the alcohol and then add ½ cup of the chicken broth, soy sauce, chile oil, and vinegar. Bring the liquid to a boil and remove from heat.
To cook the noodles
Step 2
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Remove the noodles from their packaging and fluff the strands to separate. Add the noodles to the boiling water. Let the pot come back up to a boil, then add the 2 cups cold water. Bring to a boil again and immediately drain the noodles. Shake the colander to drain the noodles well and then divide the noodles between the individual serving bowls.
To serve
Step 3
Top each serving of noodles with some spicy pork mixture and ladle over a bit of the remaining hot chicken broth. Place some of the blanched spinach on one side of the noodles and sprinkle with the chopped nuts and a little ground Sichuan peppercorns. Serve immediately.