Hunyuan Cold Jelly Noodles

Hunyuan cold jelly is a traditional specialty of Hunyuan county near Datong, made by simmering potato starch into a clear, glassy jelly that is cut into strips or cubes and dressed cold. The texture is smooth, tender and bouncy, and it is eaten through the summer and year-round.

The dish is said to go back several centuries, rooted in the water, soil and starch-making traditions of the Hunyuan area at the foot of Mount Heng. The 'craft of making Hunyuan cold jelly' is inscribed on Shanxi's provincial-level intangible cultural heritage list and is a point of local pride.

A proper bowl carries 'three treasures' — fried broad beans (lotus beans), dried tofu and chili oil — finished with garlic water and aged vinegar and tossed together. In one bowl you get slippery jelly, crisp beans, chewy tofu and fragrant chili, each layer distinct.

Clear, tender jelly topped with crunchy fried broad beans and bright-red chili oil is the classic look of Hunyuan cold jelly; sampling a bowl after touring Mount Heng or the Hanging Temple is a common local experience.