Dan Dan Noodles

Dan Dan Noodles

　　 Dan Dan Noodles is a famous Chengdu snack. The noodles are made from wheat flour, rolled out, boiled, and then topped with stir-fried minced pork. The finished dish features thin, delicate noodles in a rich, savory sauce that is salty, slightly spicy, and bursting with aroma, making it deeply flavorful. This dish is widely popular across Sichuan and is often served as a dim sum course during banquets. Among all variations, Chen Baobao’s Dan Dan Noodles are the most renowned, created in 1841 by a street vendor named Chen Baobao from Zigong City. It earned its name because it was originally sold from a shoulder pole along the streets. In the past, street vendors in Chengdu used a single copper pot divided into two compartments—one for boiling the noodles and the other for stewing chicken or pork trotters. Nowadays, Dan Dan Noodles in Chongqing, Chengdu, Zigong, and other areas are mostly sold in shops, but they still retain their traditional characteristics, especially those in Chengdu, which remain the most distinctive.

　　 Among all variations, Chen Baobao’s Dan Dan Noodles are the most renowned, created in 1841 by a street vendor named Chen Baobao from Zigong City. It earned its name because it was originally sold from a shoulder pole along the streets. In the past, street vendors in Chengdu used a single copper pot divided into two compartments—one for boiling the noodles and the other for stewing chicken or pork trotters. Nowadays, Dan Dan Noodles in Chongqing, Chengdu, Zigong, and other areas are mostly sold in shops, but they still retain their traditional characteristics, especially those in Chengdu, which remain the most distinctive.

　　Dan Dan Noodles

　　 Ingredients: 500g round thin wheat noodles, 50g chili oil, 50g soy sauce, 50g scallions, 35g sesame paste, 2.5g MSG, 100g preserved mustard greens, 20g lard, 20g sesame oil.

　　 Cooking method: Rinse the preserved mustard greens briefly, then finely chop them and the scallions separately. Divide them into five bowls. Separately portion the other seasonings into each bowl. Boil water in a pot, cook the noodles until done, then divide and ladle them into the bowls to serve.