Dandan noodles or ''dandanmian'' (), literally "carrying-pole noodles", is a

noodle Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures (for example, Chinese noodles, Filipino noodles, In ...

dish originating from

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

Sichuan cuisine. It consists of a spicy sauce usually containing preserved vegetables (often including ''

zha cai ''Zha cai'' (; ), also romanized as ''Cha tsai'', is a type of pickled mustard plant stem originating from Chongqing, China. The name may also be written in English as ''cha tsai'', ''tsa tsai'', ''jar choy'', ''jar choi'', ''ja choi'', ''ja ch ...

'' (榨菜), lower enlarged

mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, seeds of the mustard p ...

stems, or ''

ya cai Ya cai () is a pickled vegetable originating from the Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant m ...

'' (芽菜), upper mustard stems),

chili oil Chili oil is a condiment made from vegetable oil that has been infused with chili peppers. Different types of oil and hot peppers are used, and other components may also be included. It is commonly used in Chinese cuisine, Southeast Asian cuisi ...

, Sichuan pepper, minced pork, and

scallion Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus '' Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, c ...

s served over noodles. The dish can either be served dry or as a

noodle soup Noodle soup refers to a variety of soups with noodles and other ingredients served in a light broth. Noodle soup is a common dish across East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Himalayan states of South Asia. Various types of noodles are used, such a ...

. The ''dandanmian'' originated in

Chengdu Chengdu (, ; simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), alternatively romanized as Chengtu, is a sub-provincial city which serves as the capital of the Chinese pro ...

, the capital of

Sichuan province Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

. The original dish is served with no soup in a small bowl covered in a ''mala'' meat sauce and pickled vegetables, with peanuts and spring onions served on top. The soup variant is from

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

and is more widespread across the rest of China but it is uncommon in Sichuan itself where the authentic style dominates.

Sesame paste Tahini () or tahina (, ) is a Middle Eastern condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It is served by itself (as a dip) or as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. Tahini is used in the cuisines of the Levant and Eas ...

or peanut butter is sometimes added, and occasionally replaces the spicy sauce, usually in the American Chinese style of the dish. In this case, ''dandanmian'' is considered as a variation of ''ma jiang mian'' (麻醬麵), sesame sauce noodles, although ''ma jiang mian'' usually refers to a specific Shanghainese dish.

Origin and name

The name refers to a type of carrying pole (''dan dan'') that was used by walking

street vendors A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with costermonger or peddler. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells inexpensive goods, handicrafts, or food items. Whether statio ...

who sold the dish to passers-by. The pole was carried over the shoulder, with two baskets containing noodles and sauce attached at either end. As the noodles were affordable due to their low cost, the local people gradually came to call them ''dandan'' noodles, referencing the street vendors. The name translates directly as "noodles carried on a pole", but may be better translated as "peddler's noodles". A variety of English spellings are used. The first word may be either ''dandan'', ''dundun'' or ''tantan'', and the last word may also be spelled ''mein'' (

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding ar ...

pronunciation).

Related dishes

The same sauce is frequently served over poached chicken (called ''bonbon'' or ''bangbang'' chicken (棒棒鸡)), and on steamed, meat-filled dumplings in another Sichuan dish called ''

suanla chaoshou ''Suanla chaoshou'' is a dish of Sichuan cuisine that consists of a spicy sauce over boiled, meat-filled dumplings. ''Suanla'' means "hot and sour," and ''chaoshou'' is what these particular large wontons are called in the Chinese province of Si ...

''. The corresponding Japanese dish is ''tantan-men,'' a form of

ramen is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese noodle di ...

(formally 担担麺, as in Chinese, but often written with 々, or with 坦 instead of 担).

References

External links

Authentic Dan Dan Mian recipe
at KitchenChick.com * Americanize

at FoodNetwork.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Dandan Noodles Chinese noodle dishes Sichuan cuisine Hong Kong noodle dishes Spicy foods

Origin and name

Related dishes

See also

References

External links