“Both sweet and bitter (or tartary) varieties of buckwheat are grown in Aba Prefecture and other dry, mountainous parts of Sichuan. Bitter buckwheat, which is thought to help regulate blood sugar and is therefore recommended for diabetics, has become fashionable in recent years in the form of a herbal tea that has a satisfying, roasty taste,” explains food writer Fuchsia Dunlop.
“Buckwheat is also used to make noodles, which are a particular speciality of Chongzhou, just west of Chengdu. Buckwheat flour made from the ground seeds is worked with water and a little lime solution into a soft dough, which is squeezed through holes in a wooden press so the noodles fall directly into a wokful of boiling water. The boiled noodles, quickly rinsed in cold water, can be eaten hot with a spoonful of red-braised beef stew, or cold with sour and spicy seasonings, as in the following recipe, which is inspired by the one served at a specialist buckwheat noodle restaurant in Chengdu, Granny Wang’s.
“Dried buckwheat noodles can be fragile and prone to disintegration, while those made from a mixture of buckwheat and wheat tend to hold their shape better – use whichever you prefer. Do regard this recipe as a template for experimentation: try adding crushed garlic, sesame oil, deep-fried soy beans, roasted or fried peanuts, or chopped coriander, for example.”
Cold buckwheat noodles
Equipment
- Saucepan
- 2 bowls
Ingredients
- 200 g dried buckwheat or buckwheat-and-wheat noodles
- 2 small handfuls of finely chopped celery (1–2 celery sticks)
- 4 tbsp thinly sliced spring onion greens
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
For the seasoning
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp chilli oil plus 1 tbsp sediment
- 1/2 tsp ground roasted Sichuan pepper (optional)
Method
- Boil the noodles to your liking.
- Divide all the seasonings between two bowls.
- When the noodles are ready, tip them into a colander and quickly rinse under the cold tap, then drain well.
- Divide the noodles between the bowls and mix well.
- Scatter over the remaining ingredients and serve.
Nutrition
The Food of Sichuan by Fuchsia Dunlop is published by Bloomsbury. Photography Yuki Sugiura.
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