Jiang Mian Tiao (Fermented Sour Noodles)

Jiang mian tiao is a Henan home-style noodle dish cooked in a base of fermented, lightly sour mung-bean liquid (jiang), giving a pale, refreshingly tart broth, often with vegetables and beans added.

It comes from the Central Plains habit of making good use of mung-bean liquid: the byproduct left from making starch is fermented into a sour jiang and then used to cook noodles — thrifty, appetizing folk wisdom.

Usually a home-style main meal eaten hot, it is commonly served with celery, soybeans and peanuts and dressed with chili or chive flower — sour and appetizing, and especially welcome in summer.

Its character is that gentle fermented tang — light, cutting through richness and lingering on the palate — the plainest yet most memorable sour note from a Henan family's kitchen.