142 CultureShock! China
peanuts served in a bed of red peppers and garnished
with coriander.
Dry-fried green beans (gan bian dao dou)—Hot fried green
beans seasoned with pickled black beans and pork mince.
Sichuan pepper bean curd (ma po dou fu)—Soft bean curd
chunks cooked slowly in a spicy brown sauce, seasoned
with pork mince and spring onions.
Spicy noodles (dan dan mian)—The most addictive Sichuan
food: thin flour noodles boiled and then served with a
spicy broth. Depending on the base of the sauce, it can
taste nutty if the recipe uses more sesame or spicy if it
uses more chili. Usually served with pickled vegetables
and crushed nuts on top.
Hot and sour soup (suan la tang)—Chunks of tofu, shreds
of bamboo, pieces of mince pork, mushroom chunks and
spring onion served in a vinegar-based broth and seasoned
liberally with fine black pepper.Eastern Seaboard: Shrimp, Crabs and Fish
Lotus roots stuffed with glutinous rice (gui hua tang
ou)—Lotus root stuffed with glutinous rice infused with
osmanthus flowers and covered in a sugary syrup.Spicy noodles (dan dan mian) is one of the most delicious and addictive
Sichuan food.