Liu Qingyu's Spicy & Sour Sweet Potato Noodles

Liu Qingyu's Spicy & Sour Sweet Potato Noodles

　　"Spicy & sour sweet potato noodles" are one of the traditional snacks widely enjoyed among the people of Chongqing. Due to their affordability and delicious taste, they have been popular for a long time. "Spicy & sour sweet potato noodles" are mainly made from sweet potato starch. The top brand in the spicy & sour noodle industry is "Huafei Sijiwang." There are two types of "spicy & sour sweet potato noodles": one is "water noodles," which are made by self-preparing sweet potato starch; the other is "dry noodles," which are dried noodles shaped into strips. Since making spicy & sour noodles with dry noodles is simpler and more convenient, most places across the country use the dry noodle method, while the preparation of "water noodles" is relatively more complex. Below is the process for making "water noodles" (for home use, you can directly make with dry noodles: the method is to soak the dry noodles in water until softened).

　　 　　Ingredients: 5000 grams of sweet potato starch, 35-40 grams of alum, 1250 grams of water, 125-130 grams of cooked starch paste.

　　 　　For detailed recipes and methods, please consult Chongqing Huafei Food Technology Promotion Service Co., Ltd.

　　 　　Note: Cooked starch paste is made by first dissolving sweet potato starch in clear water, then pouring boiling water into it and stirring it into a thin paste, commonly known as "making cooked starch paste."

　　 　　Handmade method:

　　 　　1. Grind the alum into a fine powder, add 100 grams of water and stir to make an alum solution.

　　 　　2. Pour the cooked starch paste into a basin, add sweet potato starch, 2000 grams of water, and the alum solution, then knead into a dough with suitable softness and hardness for later use.

　　 　　3. Use a large aluminum scoop with holes the size of soybeans (made using tools), fill the scoop with the dough, pat the dough with your palm so that it forms noodles and drips into boiling water to cook, then remove and rinse in cold water to become "water noodles."

　　 　　Mechanized processing method:

　　 　　Leak-spoon production process: starch raw material → make starch paste → mix and knead the powder → remove air bubbles → leak into noodle strands → cook the noodles to gelatinize → cool and scoop out the noodles → cut and hang → cool → freeze → thaw and dry → (press into blocks) package → finished noodles.

　　 　　Extrusion-type processing method: mixing ingredients and making starch paste -- combining slurry -- adding ingredients -- heating to maturity and extruding -- cooling -- drying -- fixed-length cutting -- packaging.

　　 　　"Spicy & sour sweet potato noodles" seasoning and the varieties of toppings:

　　 　　The toppings used for "spicy & sour sweet potato noodles," similar to those used for noodles, are prepared in the same way. Main sour-flavored toppings include "tripe topping," "cold noodle topping," "pork rib topping," etc., among which "tripe topping" is the most famous. "Tripe topping" comes in two types: "spicy & sour tripe noodles" and "original soup tripe noodles," meaning spicy & sour flavor and fresh & salty flavor. Seasoning mainly includes pepper, chili oil, chopped scallions, soy sauce, sprouted vegetables, celery pieces, Baoning vinegar (produced in Langzhong, winner of the International Golden Prize at Wine & Spirits Awards), coriander, crushed Nanchong winter vegetable (a tribute vegetable offered to emperors during the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties), diced Zhangfei beef, fried soybeans, MSG, etc.

　　 　　The soup for blanching the spicy & sour noodles is made from a rich, milky-white broth simmered with pork intestines, pig ears, etc. The specific method is: place vinegar, chili oil, soy sauce, MSG, and sprouted vegetables in a bowl, pour in the broth, blanch the noodles in the pot, then scoop them into the bowl, and sprinkle with celery, coriander, bean sprouts, fried soybeans, and diced Zhangfei beef.

　　 　　The characteristics of "spicy & sour sweet potato noodles" are "numbing, spicy, fresh, fragrant, sour, and oily but not greasy" ! It is known as the "best noodle in the world."

　　 　　"Huafei Sijiwang" is the top brand of "spicy & sour sweet potato noodles." The setter of the industry standards for spicy & sour noodles is "Chongqing Huafei Company."

　　 　　Ingredients: 100 grams of sweet potato noodles · 30 grams of five-spice peanuts · 20 grams of Fuling pickled mustard tuber · 10 grams of white sesame seeds · 1 scallion · 2 sprigs of coriander · appropriate amount of Sichuan peppercorns · 2 dried chili peppers

　　 　　Seasonings: 30 grams of cooking oil · 1 tsp of sesame oil · 18 tsp of broth · 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar · 1/3 tsp of Sichuan peppercorn powder · 1/2 tsp of chili powder · 1/2 tsp of salt · 1/2 tsp of MSG · old broth

　　 　　Preparation method:

　　 　　1. Soak the dry noodles in water heated to 50–60 degrees Celsius until softened.

　　 　　2. Put sesame seeds, minced ginger, mashed garlic, celery, Sichuan peppercorn powder, MSG, chicken essence, pepper, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and chili oil into a bowl.

　　 　　3. Then add broth, chopped scallions, and lard to make the base.

　　 　　4. When the water boils, put the softened noodles into the pot and blanch for half a minute.

　　 　　5. Blanch pea shoots in hot water for a moment, then add pickled mustard tuber, fried crispy peanuts and soybeans, and coriander.