Buckwheat Domo Noodles

Buckwheat Domo Noodles

　　Buckwheat Domo Noodles

　　Buckwheat domo noodles are delicious, but they’re a bit tricky to make. First, prepare the dough to the right softness and firmness, then roll it by hand into finger-thick cylinders. Hold them in your left hand while pinching off small, thumb-sized pieces with your right hand. Roll each piece between your thumb and fingers to form tiny, delicate coils—neat little rolls that are thin yet not sticky. Making domo noodles takes skill; skilled homemakers can pinch out hollow coils, each shaped like a date pit.

　　Once the domo noodles are ready, dice the mutton into small cubes and cut the potatoes into similarly sized pieces. Simmer them together to make a rich mutton broth, seasoned with Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili peppers, daylily buds, scallions, cilantro, and MSG. When serving, boil the domo noodles, drain them, and add them to the pot with the broth. Stir with chopsticks so the meat cubes nestle into the noodles. They’re chewy, flavorful, and uniquely delicious. There’s even a local folk song from Dingbian that goes, “Buckwheat domo noodles with mutton broth, inseparable in life and death,” showing just how well these two pair together.