The
streets of Chengdu – the storied capital of Sichuan province – are filled with great
snacks. In fact, they are so delicious that I can easily be tempted to eat nothing but
street food when I’m there.
Almost
all of these dishes are super simple and amazingly cheap, which is why, of
course, hawkers love them. But their customers return again and again for the
flavors and the textures.
One
of the brightest examples of these street foods is Tianshui noodles. Literally,
this means “sweetwater noodles,” and I’m always tempted to call them by that
name, as it has a sort of cowboy twang to it.
But
my guess is that these originated almost directly north of Chengdu in Gansu
province, since the second-largest city there is called Tianshui, and also
because so many Chinese noodle dishes tend to be Muslim in origin, and lots of Muslims have called Gansu home.
Whatever its origins, this is a deceptively
barebones dish that relies on amazing flavors to mask the fact that you are
being served something requiring little more than a few pennies’ worth of
ingredients to make.
 |
| Lovely mouthfuls |
Do
not let the simplicity of this dish fool you. This is perfection in a bowl. But,
as with so many things that are ostensibly simple, the achievement of a
memorable bowl of Tianshui noodles requires a couple of basic, stellar ingredients:
- fresh noodles, as thick and chewy as possible, made
with nothing but flour and water
- good chile oil with crunchy bits
- sweet soy sauce
- perfectly fresh toasted peanuts or sesame seeds
- flavorful toasted sesame paste or peanut butter
- fresh garlic, cilantro, and scallions.
So
you see, if you really want to hit all your pleasure buttons with Tianshui
noodles, you have to do a bit of prep work. I always have all of these
ingredients on hand, which makes me think this is a spectacularly easy dish to
whip up on a moment’s notice, but I realize that no everyone is as
single-minded as me.
If
you aren’t, you can certainly get away with buy all of the ingredients here,
and they will give you a fair approximation of what it is like to dine in
paradise. Then, for your next excursion, make your homemade chile oil, sweet
sesame sauce, noodles, and so forth, and then taste something that Chinese
angels probably ask for every week.
Tianshui noodles
Tiánshuĭ miàn 甜水麵
Sichuan cuisine
 |
| Simple-appearing sauce ingredients |
Makes 2 servings
4 cloves
minced garlic
2
tablespoons toasted sesame paste or peanut butter
¼
cup | 60 ml chile oil with toasty bits
¼
cup | 60 ml sweet soy sauce
Boiling
water, as needed
1
teaspoon sea salt
8
ounces | 250 g fresh plain noodles (see Notes)
Around
¼ cup | 60 ml hot pasta water
¼
cup | 30 g chopped toasted or fried peanuts, or toasted sesame seeds
2
tablespoons finely chopped scallions
2
tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1.
In a small work bowl, mix together the garlic, sesame paste or peanut butter,
chile oil, and sweet soy sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
2.
Bring the water to boil in a large saucepan and add the salt and noodles. Bring
the water to a full boil again and then immediately lower the heat to maintain
and gentle simmer. Cook the noodles only until they are al dente, which is
usually when they first start to float. Drain the noodles (reserve at least ¼ cup
| 60 ml) and divide them between two large noodle bowls.
3.
Divide the sauce between the bowls and toss the noodles gently so that each
strand is coated, adding as much of the pasta water as needed to keep things
silky smooth. Sprinkle on the nuts or sesame seeds, scallions, and cilantro. Serve
hot.
Note:
Make
your own noodles, if you wish, or buy them ready-made at a Chinese grocery
store. The only requirements are that they be fresh (definitely not dried pasta
of any kind), made with only flour and water, and are relatively
thick, as this gives the dish personality.
