Tianshui Niangpi (Steamed Wheat Sheets)

Tianshui niangpi is made by kneading dough in water to separate the gluten from the starch; the starch is steamed into thin sheets and the gluten into spongy blocks, then cut and dressed with chilli oil, garlic, vinegar and mustard, pale gold in colour and springy-smooth in the mouth.

Niangpi is a cold dish common across the northwest, with each Tianshui county offering its own version; the local wheat is fine and the water clear, so the sheets here are especially springy, making it one of the most everyday street snacks of the city.

Cut and dressed to order with gluten, cucumber or bean sprouts and a chilli-vinegar sauce, it cools the summer heat and can be eaten warm in winter, often taken as a light lunch or a street-side bite.

The thin springy starch sheets, the spongy gluten and the sharp, hot-sour dressing are the clearest marks of Tianshui niangpi.