Tianshui Noodles

Tianshui noodles, also called bangbang noodles, are a distinctive thick-noodle snack of Chengdu: rolled and cut as thick as chopsticks, boiled, then dressed with sweetened compounded soy, chili oil, ground Sichuan pepper, mashed garlic, and sesame paste, savory-sweet with a numbing heat and a hearty chew.

Named for the sweet aftertaste of its compounded soy sauce, it is one of the more individual of Chengdu's street noodles and has been named a Chengdu famous snack by the city, showcasing the layered seasoning of Sichuan cuisine.

It is tossed and eaten fresh; because the noodles are thick they are mixed well so the sauce clings, first sweet on the tongue and then building heat, served in modest portions as a snack.

A genuine bowl turns on thick, springy noodles, a heavy savory-sweet sauce, and a numbing finish that circles back to sweetness, a standard-bearer of Chengdu's layered-flavor snacks.