{"id":33285,"title":"Authentic Xiaomian – Chongqing Noodles","modified":"2025-06-15T20:29:15+02:00","plain":"Spicy, flavorful, and ready in no time\n\n\n\nIt's been a while since I shared an obscure Chinese recipe for spicy noodles, hasn't it?  Don't worry, though; this one is still very easy to make (I will spare you the chore of making the noodles from scratch). \n\n\n\nIf you've already tried my dan dan noodle recipe or my biang biang noodles, you will feel right at home! I can't wait to hear what you think. \n\n\n\nDan dan noodles in all their glory\n\n\n\nXiaomian, what are they?\n\n\n\nChongqing noodles, or Xi\u01ceo Mi\u00e0n (\u5c0f\u9762) in Chinese, are a family of dishes from the city of Chongqing in southwest China. The name literally means \"little noodles\", underscoring the dish's humble roots. Locals often enjoy it for breakfast.\n\n\n\nThe hallmark of Chongqing noodles is their fiery heat and gentle, numbing kick from Sichuan pepper. The seasoning usually combines soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, freshly made chili oil, and sometimes animal fat such as lard.\n\n\n\nThere are many variations: braised beef (\u725b\u8089\u5c0f\u9762), braised beans, pork intestines, or noodles topped with a minced pork sauce (\u70b8\u9171\u9762).\n\n\n\nThe main ingredients of xiaomian\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlkaline noodles : These Chinese noodles, commonly used in ramen, are springy and very pale. Udon noodles also fall into this category, though in my view they are a little too thick for this recipe.\n\n\n\nLight soy sauce : We do not have many choices here, yet the people of Chongqing have strong opinions about the soy sauce that goes into xiaomian. Light (sh\u0113ngch\u014du) or dark (l\u01ceoch\u014du) soy sauces from other regions are seen as less than ideal. Instead, locals favor hu\u00e1ngd\u00f2u ji\u00e0ngy\u00f3u (yellow bean soy sauce), prized for its deeper fermented aroma and lighter color, which seasons the broth without turning it too dark. As a popular saying goes: \"Light soy sauce is too bland, dark soy sauce too dark; only yellow bean soy sauce has the perfect color and aroma.\"\n\n\n\nFor a super quick recipe, try my Sichuan noodles with MSG\n\n\n\nYoulazi chili oil : This local chili oil, known as \"\u6cb9\u6d77\u6912\" (y\u00f3u-h\u01ceiji\u0101o), is essential to xiaomian and gives the noodles their signature red hue. Often called \"the soul of the dish\", it is made fresh from chilies and oil, sometimes with sesame or roasted peanuts, and is very different from commercial chili sauces or crispy toppings. That said, if you are feeling lazy, a store-bought version will still taste good.\n\n\n\nYacai or zh\u00e0c\u00e0i: Classic xiaomian usually includes a small spoonful of diced zhacai (pickled mustard stems) for crunch and a salty bite. Zhacai from Fuling, a celebrated Chongqing specialty, is especially recommended. You can also add Yibin yacai (fermented mustard greens from Sichuan) or other pickled vegetables, though some vendors stick to only one pickled topping to keep the flavors distinct. Both are easy to find in Asian supermarkets.\n\n\n\nSesame seeds : Provide extra crunch and a gentle toasted note.\n\n\n\nSesame paste : Adds a creamy texture and a nutty depth to the sauce. Chinese roasted sesame paste is best, but tahini works in a pinch.\n\n\n\nSesame oil : Lends rich, toasted aromas to the dish.\n\n\n\nBlack rice vinegar : Brings a touch of acidity and complexity to the sauce.\n\n\n\nMSG : Boosts the umami of all the other ingredients.\n\n\n\nSichuan pepper : Adds a unique aroma and a pleasant numbing sensation.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tAuthentic Xiaomian - Chongqing Noodles\n\t\t\n\t\tDelicious Chinese noodles that are as spicy as they are tasty and quick to prepare\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t200 g noodles (alkaline)Sauce100 g chicken stock (neutral, unsalted)20 g light soy sauce40 g Youlazi chili oilYoulazi Chili Oil60 g peanut oil2 pieces of leek (about 5 cm long)1 2.5 cm piece of ginger (crushed (\u59dc))30 g chili flakes1.5 teaspoons sesame seedsSeasoning for the sauce:10 g sesame paste10 g sesame oil (untoasted)1 teaspoon sugar0.25 teaspoon salt0.25 teaspoon MSG (optional)0.5 teaspoon black rice vinegarOther ingredients4 g Sichuan peppercorn (toasted then ground)10 g peanuts (roasted then coarsely crushed)10 g scallions (thinly sliced)Yacai (toasted over very low heat)2 cloves garlic (crushed then made into a paste)spinach\t\n\t\n\t\tToast the peanuts over medium heat for about 3 minutes until they start to darken slightly, then set asideToast the Sichuan peppercorn over medium-low heat for about 90 seconds until it begins to blister and leaves small oil spots on the pan, then set asideUsing the residual heat, toast the yacai for about 1 minute until fragrant\u2014some will stick to the pan, that's normal.Thinly slice the scallions.Crush the garlic.Using a mortar, grind the Sichuan pepper into a powder.Mash the garlic into a paste.Crush the peanuts and then peel off their skins.After crushing the peanuts, place them in a small bowl and gently blow to remove any remaining skins if neededYoulazi Chili OilSizzle the leek and ginger in the oil (about 120 \u00b0C) for roughly 5 minutes, then remove them.Heat the oil to about 220 \u00b0C, then turn off the heat and let it cool down to around 170 \u00b0C.Add the chili flakes and sesame seeds\u2014the oil should still sizzle.Let it fry for about 1 minute with the heat off, then transfer everything to a bowl.AssemblyAt the bottom of each serving bowl, add 50 g stock, 10 g light soy sauce, 20 g Youlazi chili oil, 5 g sesame paste, 5 g sesame oil, 0.5 teaspoon sugar, a pinch of salt, a pinch of MSG, and 0.25 teaspoon black rice vinegar.Blanch the spinach for about 20 seconds, then place it in the bowl with the sauce.Boil the noodles according to the package instructions until just past al dente.Remove the noodles, toss them in the bowl, and top with the remaining ingredients.Add 5 g peanuts, 5 g scallions, some yacai, the garlic paste, and about 0.5 tablespoon Sichuan pepper.\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tMain course, Side dishChinese\t\n\n\n\n\n\nCulinary sources\n\n\n\n\nwww.cnpp.cn : History of Chongqing Xiao Mian: origin, differences with Dandan Mian, preparation, ingredients and calorie information : https:\/\/www.cnpp.cn\/focus\/24975.html\n\n\n\nwww.wenxuecity.com : Chongqing Xiao Mian: high-end, in-depth breakdown of the recipe (zt) (2015-12-31) : https:\/\/www.wenxuecity.com\/blog\/201512\/17910\/436466.html\n\n\n\nm.xiachufang.com : Chongqing Xiao Mian \u2013 recipe with chili oil and Sichuan pepper powder (2014-11-14) : https:\/\/m.xiachufang.com\/recipe\/100407336\/\n\n\n\nzh.wikipedia.org : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia : https:\/\/zh.wikipedia.org\/zh-hans\/\n\n\n\nwww.youtube.com : Chongqing Xiao Mian : https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=r4VFzxH8-9Y\n\n\n\nk.sina.cn : The real Chongqing Xiao Mian: is sesame paste indispensable? (2019-08-12) : https:\/\/k.sina.cn\/article_6823516933_196b69b0500100itvz.html?from=food&subch=insurance\n\n\n\nroadsandkingdoms.com : The obsession with Chongqing's number one noodles (Nov 21 2016) : https:\/\/roadsandkingdoms.com\/2016\/chongqings-number-one-noodle-obsessive\n\n\n\nwww.youtube.com : Chongqing Xiao Mian: mala noodles : https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=oHRxxef4_kI&t=14s\n\n\n\nChinese cooking demystified","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33285"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33285\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}