My Chinese Recipe Menu
- How I Feel About This Dan Dan Noodles
- Story Behind Dan Dan Noodles
- Original Name
- Cooking Tips
- Cooking Time
- Ingredients to Make Dan Dan Noodles
- Food
- Seasonings
- How to Make Dan Dan Noodles
- Preparation
- Cooking
How I Feel About This Dan Dan Noodles
Dan Dan noodles are like Chinese pasta with spicy taste.
I’m a big fan of Sichuan cuisine, and I welcome all kinds of dishes from the province. I especially love their spicy food—every type of spicy noodle is packed with flavor and absolutely delicious. When I used to travel to Chengdu for business, I made sure my stomach was always full!
As a Shanghainese, we usually like sweet taste dishes, but people from other province may not know that spicy is our second best choice. Making Sichuan-style noodles at home not only satisfies my cravings but also saves me time searching for authentic Dan Dan Noodles.
Story Behind Dan Dan Noodles
Dan Dan Noodles is a famous snack from Sichuan with a history of over a hundred years. It is said to have been created in 1841 by a Zigong street vendor nicknamed “Chen Baobao.”
The dish got its name because, in the early days, it was carried on a bamboo pole （Bian Dan) over the vendor’s shoulder and sold along the streets. The saying “like a barber’s kit—hot on one end” also applies to Dan Dan Noodles: one end of the pole held a small coal stove with a pot of boiling water, while the other end carried bowls, chopsticks, seasonings, and a bucket for washing dishes.
The vendor would carry this pole on his shoulder, wobbling through the streets while calling out, “Dan Dan Noodles, Dan Dan Noodles.” The dish’s name comes from this unique selling method and the era in which it was popular.
Original Name
- Translated English Name: Dan Dan Noodles ( Spicy Sichuan Noodles)
- Original Chinese Pronunciation: Dan Dan Mian 担担面
Note: You may use the Chinese name to order in China because the translated English name of the dishes might be different in every restaurant.
Cooking Tips
- Pork collar butt would be the best part to cook this dish. Remember to remove the fat part and it should be lean meat.
- When make the topping of Dan Dan noodles, it's needed to be fried to dry . That's the authentic part of this Dan Dan noodles. The other part is chili oil
- You may cook many mince and keep in refrigerator
Cooking Time
Prep Time: 0 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Ingredients
Serving:
1 for noodles
6 for the topping
Food
Noodles — 150g/5.3oz
Ground Pork Collar Butt — 500g/17.6oz
Preserved Chinese Mustard (Ya Cai) — 100g/3.5oz
Hot Water — 3 tbsp
Choy Sum — 100g/3.5oz
Scallion — 3 stalks
Crushed Toast Peanuts — 10g/0.35oz
Seasonings
Oil — 2 tbsp
Star Anise — 1 piece
Dark Soy Sauce — 1 tbsp
Light Soy Sauce — 2 tbsp
Chinese Black Vinegar — 2 tbsp
Sesame Paste — 1 tsp
Ground Sichuan Pepper — 1 tsp
Pork Lard — 1 tsp
Chili Oil — 2 tbsp
How to Cook Dan Dan Noodles
Preparation
1. Preserved Chinese Mustard (Ya Cai) might be hard to get. Search "Yi Bin Sui Mi Ya Cai" and you would find the answer.
2. For pork lard, you may make it by this recipe.
3. Remove the fat of pork collar butt before grounding it
Cooking
1. Heat oil in a pan and add the star anise, frying until fragrant.
2. Add ground pork and continue frying until the minced pork is dry and add dark soy sauce. Then add chopped preserved mustard and stir-fry together.
3. Prepare the Dan Dan noodle sauce: In a bowl, add light soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, salt, ground Sichuan pepper, sesame paste, hot water, and chili oil.
4. Boil the water and add the noodles and vegetables
5. Drain the noodles and vegetables, then top with the stir-fried minced pork mixture, crushed peanuts, and chopped green onions. Serve and enjoy.
