For the most authentic result, choose plain, thin wheat noodles — similar in thickness to Japanese somen or Shanghai-style dried noodles. Their light chew and neutral flavor allow the bold Sichuan flavors to shine, exactly as intended in traditional Dan Dan Mian.
"Fiery flavors meet comfort—a bold Sichuan classic reborn as a heartwarming noodle soup."
Sichuan Dan Dan Noodle Soup
(cei cyun daam daam tong min)
Born on the lively streets of Chengdu, Dan Dan Noodles began as a street vendor’s specialty, carried in baskets suspended from a shoulder pole—dan dan—that gave the dish its name. It was an everyday meal for workers: quick, affordable, and bursting with Sichuan’s signature flavors of heat, fragrance, and spice. Over the years, this once-humble street food evolved into one of Sichuan cuisine’s most beloved classics, known for its rich layers of flavors. While the original version was dry and intensely flavored, modern adaptations, including the soupy style, offer the same unmistakable punch of Sichuan flavor in a comforting, bowlful form.
2 servings
easy
50 mins
Ingredients you'll need
Cooking Tools for the task
Recipe in a nutshell
Chop the pork shoulder until coarse but not pasty, then finely mince the garlic and ginger and set aside. If your ya cai comes as whole stems or rough pieces, rinse lightly, pat dry, and finely chop. Heat a wok over medium heat, add oil, and stir-fry the garlic and ginger for 10–15 seconds until fragrant. Add the pork and cook over medium-high heat, breaking it apart until lightly browned. Stir in ya cai, Tian Mian Jiang, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and sugar; cook for another 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the meat. Lower the heat, stir to release aroma, and set aside. In two serving bowls, combine chili oil, sesame paste, soy sauce, black rice vinegar, Sichuan peppercorn powder, honey, and MSG (optional); mix until smooth. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, cook the noodles for 2–3 minutes until al dente, and blanch the choy sum in the last 30 seconds until bright green. Drain well. Prepare the garnishes — finely chop scallions, crush roasted peanuts, and set aside with extra chili oil. Reheat the pork broth until steaming, pour into each bowl, and stir until the mixture becomes smooth, aromatic, and slightly creamy. Add the noodles, arrange the choy sum neatly on one side, top with 2–3 tablespoons of pork, and garnish with scallions, crushed peanuts, and a drizzle of chili oil. Serve hot — a flavorful bowl of Sichuan Dan Dan Noodle Soup.
Beyond the recipe
ON NOODLES
Only fresh or dried thin wheat noodles (xì miàn) capture the true texture of this dish — avoid thicker alkaline, egg, or rice noodles, which can upset the flavors and texture.
ON YA CAI
Don’t substitute it with other pickled mustard greens; Yibin Suimi Ya Cai has a rich, fermented aroma and deep umami that truly defines this Sichuan dish.
ON FLAVORS
The ratio of chili oil to sesame paste sets the tone of the dish. For a more traditional Sichuan flavor, keep it spicy and nutty — not sweet or overly creamy.
ON ALTERNATIVES
Replace pork with finely chopped shiitake mushrooms or firm tofu, and use a rich vegetable broth instead of pork broth for a vegetarian alternative.
Recipe walkthrough
Spicy Sesame Cold Noodles
Spicy Sesame Cold Noodles deliver a creamy bite of comfort—chewy noodles coated in rich sesame paste, chili oil, and aromatics that soothe and satisfy.
PREP TIME
30 mins
COOK TIME
20 mins
READY IN
50 mins
Custom time
None
Ingredients
For the base:
- 7 oz. Thin Wheat Noodles
(Dried + Sichuan-style) (approx. 200g)
- 4 Stems Choy Sum
(Blanched)
- 8 cups Water
For the topping:
- 3.5 oz. Pork Shoulder
(hand-chopped) (approx. 100g)
- 2 tbsp Ya Cai
(finely chopped)
- 2 clove Garlic
(minced)
- ½ inch Ginger
(minced)
- 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing Wine
- 1 tsp Tian Mian Jiang
- ½ tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
For the soup:
- 2 tbsp Chili Oil
(homemade) (1 tbsp. chili residue)
- 1 clove Garlic
(minced)
- 2 tsp Chinese Sesame Paste
- 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Black Rice Vinegar
- ¼ tsp Sichuan Peppercorns
(toasted) (powder)
- ¼ tsp Honey
- A pinch MSG
(optional)
- 4 cups Pork Broth
For the garnish:
- 1 stalk Scallions
(chopped)
- 2 tsp Peanuts
(roasted and crushed) (optional)
- A drizzle of Chili Oil
(homemade)
CUISNE
Chinese
COURSE
Noodle
SERVINGS
Two
- Choose a piece of pork shoulder with a balanced mix of lean meat and a little fat for flavor.
- If using pre-chopped Yibin Suimi Ya Cai, rinsing is optional — a little oil and saltiness are part of its flavor.
- If your kitchen is cool, warm the bowls slightly with hot water before assembling later — this helps keep the final soup hot.
Avoid rinsing under cold water; the noodles should stay hot to help blend the sauce later.
Instructions
- Chop the pork shoulder until the texture is coarse but not pasty. 1
- Finely mince the garlic and ginger. Set aside.
- If your ya cai comes as whole preserved stems or rough pieces, rinse lightly under water to remove excess salt, pat dry, and finely chop. 2
- Place a wok over medium heat. Add vegetable oil and swirl to coat.
- Add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry briefly for about 10–15 seconds, just until fragrant—don’t let them brown.
- Add the hand-chopped pork to the wok.
- Stir-fry over medium-high heat, pressing and separating the meat until it turns pale and starts to brown slightly at the edges (about 2–3 minutes).
- Stir in ya cai, Tian Mian Jiang, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and sugar.
- Mix well and continue cooking for another 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the pork evenly.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir a few more times to release the fragrance of the ya cai.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
- Divide the ingredients evenly between two serving bowls.
- In each bowl, add chili oil, Chinese sesame paste, light soy sauce, black rice vinegar, toasted Sichuan peppercorn powder, honey, and MSG (optional). Mix well until the sesame paste begins to blend.
- Set the bowls aside while you prepare the noodles and choy sum. 3
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Add the noodles and cook until just tender (al dente) — usually about 2–3 minutes for fresh thin wheat noodles.
- During the last 30 seconds, add the choy sum to blanch briefly until bright green and tender.
- Drain immediately and shake off excess water. 4
- Finely chop the scallions, crush the roasted peanuts, and set them aside along with a little extra chili oil for drizzling.
- Reheat the pork broth until hot and steaming.
- Pour in the pork broth, stirring until everything is well combined and the mixture becomes smooth, aromatic, and slightly creamy.
- Add the noodles to each bowl and arrange the blanched choy sum neatly on one side.
- Spoon over the pork topping (about 2–3 tablespoons per bowl).
- Garnish with scallions, roasted peanuts, and a drizzle of chili oil on top.
- Serve immediately while hot.
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Nutrition at a glance
873kcal
CALORIES
per serving
36.5g
FAT
46.7%
59mg
CHOLESTEROL
19.7%
2495.3mg
SODIUM
108.5%
87.8g
CARBOHYDRATE
31.9%
34.9g
protein
69.9%
The nutritional values on standard recommended daily intakes from the FDA for a 2000-calorie diet. Fat: 78g, Cholesterol: 300mg, Sodium: 2300mg, Carbohydrate: 275g, Protein: 50g
At The Chinese Table, we aim to provide nutritional information as a useful reference for our readers. Nevertheless, we do not claim to be professional nutritionists, and the values provided are rough approximations. The true nutritional content of a recipe can fluctuate depending on the specific brands, types of ingredients, and serving sizes utilized. Various online tools may also produce different outcomes. For more accurate nutritional details, we suggest consulting a reliable source such as the USDA FoodData Central Nutrition Calculator, which enables you to enter your precise ingredients and quantities for the most reliable information.
If you're wondering
What does “Dan Dan” mean?
The name Dan Dan Mian literally translates to “carrying-pole noodles.” The word “dan” refers to a shoulder pole that street vendors traditionally used to balance two baskets — one hanging from each end. In Sichuan during the late Qing Dynasty, noodle peddlers would carry this bamboo pole across their shoulders as they walked through the streets and alleys of Chengdu. One basket held freshly cooked noodles and a small stove for heating water, while the other carried flavorful condiments — chili oil, sesame paste, soy sauce, pickled vegetables (ya cai), and minced pork.
When customers called out, the vendor would quickly assemble a bowl of noodles right on the spot, mixing the toppings and sauce from one side and the noodles from the other. Because everything was portable, it became known as Dan Dan Mian — noodles sold from a dan dan pole. Originally, this was a dry noodle dish, spicy, numbing, and oily — a true reflection of Sichuan street flavor meant to be eaten quickly and cheaply. Over time, as the dish spread beyond Sichuan, chefs began serving it with a bit of broth, giving rise to the more soupy restaurant-style Dan Dan noodles known today.
So, Dan Dan isn’t just a name — it’s a nod to Sichuan’s humble street food origins and the resourceful vendors who carried an entire noodle kitchen on their shoulders.
Is Dan Dan Noodle supposed to be soupy or dry?
Traditionally, authentic Sichuan Dan Dan Mian is a dry noodle dish, not a soup. The noodles are tossed in a bold, spicy sauce made from chili oil, sesame paste, soy sauce, vinegar, and the iconic ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens), then topped with savory minced pork. The sauce lightly coats the noodles rather than submerging them, giving each strand an intense, concentrated burst of mala (spicy-numbing) flavor — the hallmark of Sichuan cuisine. In Sichuan itself, Dan Dan noodles are still most commonly served this dry-style way. You’ll find street vendors and noodle shops across Chengdu serving small bowls meant to be eaten quickly — a cheap, satisfying snack rather than a full meal.
However, as the dish spread beyond China, chefs began adapting it to local preferences. Outside Sichuan — particularly in other parts of China, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese restaurants — soupy versions of Dan Dan noodles became more popular. These versions typically add a light broth (often chicken or pork) to create a warmer, heartier meal while keeping the same sauce and toppings.
The recipe here follows that soupy style, where a flavorful broth enriches the original sauce without overwhelming it. It’s not the form you usually find on Chengdu’s streets, but it keeps every authentic Sichuan element — from the chili oil to the ya cai — while offering a more comforting, noodle-soup experience.
What can I use instead of ya cai if I can’t find it?
Ya cai is an essential ingredient in authentic Sichuan Dan Dan Noodle Soup and one of the defining flavors of the dish. It’s made from mustard stems that are salted, fermented, and aged — most famously in Yibin, a city in southern Sichuan. The variety used for Dan Dan noodles is known as Yibin Suimi Ya Cai, literally “finely chopped Yibin preserved vegetable.” It has a dark color, a rich, earthy aroma, and a slightly sweet, savory umami taste that deepens the pork topping’s flavor.
Because ya cai is uniquely fermented, no substitute can perfectly replicate its depth. However, if you can’t find it, you can use other types of preserved mustard greens such as zha cai or mei cai. Zha cai comes from Sichuan as well but is crunchier and saltier, while mei cai is Hakka-style, softer and sweeter. To get closer to ya cai’s balance, rinse briefly to reduce salt, then finely chop and season with a small dash of light soy sauce and a pinch of sugar before using.
Still, whenever possible, seek out authentic Yibin Suimi Ya Cai, usually sold in small vacuum-sealed pouches at Chinese supermarkets or online. It often comes pre-chopped and ready to use — no rinsing required. That unmistakable fermented aroma is what gives Dan Dan noodles their true Sichuan identity.
What kind of noodles work best for this dish?
The best noodles for Dan Dan Mian are fresh or dried thin wheat noodles, known in Chinese as xì miàn. These noodles have a clean wheat flavor and a springy, slightly chewy texture that perfectly soaks up the spicy, nutty, and aromatic sauce without falling apart. When cooked just right — tender but still elastic — they carry the rich flavors of chili oil, sesame paste, and ya cai evenly through every bite, creating the ideal mala (spicy-numbing) balance that defines Sichuan Dan Dan noodles.
Other types of noodles alter both the flavor and texture of the dish. Egg noodles, for example, have a yellow hue and a richer, eggy flavor that clashes with the earthy sesame and chili base. Their slightly slippery texture also prevents the sauce from clinging properly. Thicker alkaline noodles, like those used in ramen or lo mein, are too firm and bouncy, overwhelming the delicate coating of sauce and changing the intended mouthfeel. Meanwhile, rice noodles lack the gluten strength of wheat noodles, turning soft and overly absorbent when mixed with oil-based sauces, which makes the dish feel heavy and unbalanced.
Can I make Dan Dan Noodles vegetarian?
Yes, Dan Dan noodles can absolutely be made vegetarian — and still taste richly authentic when done right. Traditionally, the dish relies on ground pork and pork broth to build depth and umami, but both can be replaced with plant-based ingredients that deliver similar complexity.
For the topping, finely chopped mushrooms (such as shiitake, king oyster, or cremini) are the best substitute for ground pork. When sautéed with ya cai, soy sauce, and chili oil, they release a deep, savory flavor that mimics the meaty aroma and texture beautifully. Alternatively, crumbled firm tofu or tempeh can be used for a lighter version — just cook them until lightly browned so they absorb the sauce well.
For the broth, switch to a rich vegetable stock, ideally made with dried shiitake mushrooms, ginger, garlic, and scallions. This base adds natural umami without the heaviness of meat broth. You can even stir in a small amount of mushroom powder or a dash of light soy sauce to boost depth.
Keep the ya cai (Sichuan preserved mustard greens) — it’s plant-based and absolutely essential. Its fermented, salty-sweet flavor is what gives even a vegetarian version that unmistakable Sichuan character.
With these thoughtful substitutions, your vegetarian Dan Dan noodles will still capture the authentic mala balance — spicy, nutty, and deeply aromatic — that makes the dish iconic.
How spicy is this dish?
Authentic Sichuan Dan Dan noodles are moderately to highly spicy, with a distinct mala profile — the signature combination of má (numbing heat from Sichuan peppercorns) and là (spicy heat from chili oil). In Sichuan, where the dish originates, locals enjoy it with a bold kick that might feel fiery to those unaccustomed to regional Chinese spice levels. The traditional street-style versions in Chengdu are intensely flavored: small bowls packed with chili oil, roasted peppercorns, and a strong, lingering tingle on the tongue.
Outside China, restaurant versions are often toned down to suit broader palates, offering a milder heat that enhances flavor without overwhelming it. The recipe here falls in the medium-spicy range, but you can easily adjust it to your preference.
To control the spice level, reduce the amount of homemade chili oil or, if you have a store-bought one. You can also reduce the Sichuan pepper powder for less numbing sensation.
Remember, though — Dan Dan noodles are meant to have that unmistakable balance of heat, aroma, and numbing complexity. The spice shouldn’t burn but rather awaken the palate, which is the true essence of Sichuan flavor.
Hey, I'm Celeste
In my Cantonese upbringing, the aroma of delicious food was ever-present. My childhood was shaped by the heart of Cantonese home cooking. This collection of recipes expands upon those cherished memories. Within these pages, I want to share the dishes that have shaped my passion for cooking, the timeless classics that still evoke warm feelings, and the innovative twists that keep Chinese cuisine vibrant and exciting.