Ningqiang Hot Liangfen

Ningqiang Hot Liangfen

　　In Ningqiang, a small amount of edible alkali is added to sweet potato starch to make a paste. This is poured into boiling water while stirring, quickly thickening and darkening in color to become semi-transparent. The stirring continues until it forms chunks, at which point the hot liangfen is ready. Take a bowl, add soy sauce, vinegar, salt, MSG, pepper, garlic juice, and chili oil. When eating, scoop out a chunk of hot liangfen with chopsticks or dig the liangfen into small pieces with a spoon and eat it along with the broth, satisfying both hunger and cravings.

　　It is called “hot liangfen” probably because the main ingredient is served hot, the broth is cool, and the way it’s eaten is similar to traditional cold liangfen—hence the name.