Niangpi (Steamed Wheat-Sheet Noodles)

Niangpi is a beloved northwest Chinese snack made by repeatedly kneading and washing fine flour to separate the gluten from the starch; the starch is steamed into golden pliable sheets, cut into strips and tossed with gluten, chilli oil, mustard, garlic and vinegar for a chewy, sour-spicy mouthful that serves as both meal and snack.

Niangpi is a folk snack shared across Qinghai, Gansu and Ningxia, and in Xining the Mazhong version is the most famous. In the 1970s the forebears of the Mazhong family carried it to market on shoulder poles; its sour-spicy taste and modest price won it the hearts of ordinary people, and it became a household name and the signature taste of Xining.

The cut sheets and gluten are heaped in a bowl, splashed with bright chilli oil, mustard, garlic and vinegar and tossed together with a few shreds of cucumber or bean sprouts, eaten cool so the sour-spicy savoury and chewy texture mingle—the commonest sight on Xining streets and markets.

The pairing of golden chewy sheets with spongy gluten, and the bold sour-spicy-mustard dressing, are what set Xining niangpi apart from versions elsewhere.