Zhouqu Liangfen

Zhouqu Liangfen

　　Liangfen is a popular summer dish across China, available in numerous varieties with unique seasonings and flavors. Preparation methods vary greatly from region to region, as do the ways it's eaten. In the past, rural residents often made liangfen using buckwheat flour, resulting in a soft and smooth texture. The process involved soaking — grinding — filtering — and settling the milled buckwheat grains through multiple steps. But in today’s increasingly comfortable yet simple rural life, using ready-made bean powder to make liangfen is the quickest and easiest option. No matter what kind of starch is used, clever and skilled rural women can still make it delicious.

　　The essential seasonings for cold liangfen include aromatic vinegar, fine salt, garlic juice, and chili oil, resulting in a cool, smooth, and refreshing taste. Sometimes when we’re busy, simply chopping up a plate of liangfen, mixing it with a bit of Lao Gan Ma chili sauce, and drizzling on some vinegar makes it tasty too. No matter how it’s prepared, the dish offers a full range of flavors — salty, sour, fragrant, spicy, and savory. Especially during the peak of summer, eating a bowl of liangfen cools you down completely, relieving fatigue and eliminating the summer heat.

　　Source: Office of the People's Government of Zhouqu County