Dandan Noodles

Dandan noodles are a famous traditional Sichuan noodle dish: thin noodles are boiled and tossed with crisp fried minced pork, finely chopped Yibin preserved mustard greens, and a dressing of chili oil, soy, ground Sichuan pepper, and sesame paste, served dry or with a little broth, numbing, spicy, savory, and springy.

The dish is said to date to the Qing and takes its name from the shoulder poles vendors once carried, a stove on one end and bowls on the other, hawked through the streets; it spread in Chengdu and beyond as the model of Sichuan's spicy dry-tossed noodles, falling within the national craft of Sichuan cuisine.

It is usually served dry, tossed thoroughly before eating so every strand is coated in chili oil and minced pork; portions are small, often eaten as a snack or late-night bite, best taken hot for its appetizing heat.

A genuine bowl turns on crisp savory pork, mellow chili oil, and slick noodles, the heat carrying a layered fragrance of sesame and preserved greens.