Noodle · Tossed

Dan Dan Mian (Carrying-Pole Noodles)

📷 Closely related photo — Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use

The name has nothing to do with the flavor — 'dan dan' refers to the bamboo carrying pole 19th-century street vendors balanced on their shoulders.

Thin wheat noodles are topped with a little preserved vegetable, minced pork fried until crisp, and a spicy, numbing sauce of chili oil and Sichuan peppercorn.

Why it's made this way: Vendors carried both ingredients and cooking equipment on a shoulder pole, letting them cook and serve fresh on the street.