Liang pi
Encyclopedia
Liang pi or Liangpi is a noodle-like Chinese dish made from wheat or rice flour. It is a specialty dish originating from the Chinese province of Shaanxi
, but has now spread to many other places in China, in particular the northern and central regions.
New York Times' Julia Moskin describes Liangpi as served at Xi'an Famous Foods
as "a dish of cold noodles in a sauce that hits every possible flavor category (sweet, tangy, savory, herbal, nutty and dozens of others)."
First, wheat or rice flour is turned into a soft dough by adding water and a little bit of salt. Then, the dough is put in a bowl, water is added and the dough has to be 'rinsed' until the water is saturated with starch from the dough, turning into a muddy white color. The remainder of the dough is now removed, and the bowl is left to rest overnight at a cool place to allow the dissolved starch to precipitate.
The following day, there will be a kind of starch-paste on the bottom of the bowl, with a more or less clear liquid on top, which has to be discarded. Once the liquid has been removed, a small amount of the paste can then be poured into a flat plate or tray, and spread evenly in a thin layer. The whole plate is placed into a large pot full of boiling water, where it is steamed for a couple of minutes, and the resulting 'pancake' cut into long pieces vaguely resembling noodles.
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
, but has now spread to many other places in China, in particular the northern and central regions.
New York Times' Julia Moskin describes Liangpi as served at Xi'an Famous Foods
Xi'an Famous Foods
Xi'an Famous Foods is a Northern Chinese food chain located in New York City. It has been featured on many television shows and the press.-Background:...
as "a dish of cold noodles in a sauce that hits every possible flavor category (sweet, tangy, savory, herbal, nutty and dozens of others)."
Preparation
Liangpi literally means cold skin, although it has no animal products in it at all. There are several ways of making Liang Pi, some of them quite interesting:First, wheat or rice flour is turned into a soft dough by adding water and a little bit of salt. Then, the dough is put in a bowl, water is added and the dough has to be 'rinsed' until the water is saturated with starch from the dough, turning into a muddy white color. The remainder of the dough is now removed, and the bowl is left to rest overnight at a cool place to allow the dissolved starch to precipitate.
The following day, there will be a kind of starch-paste on the bottom of the bowl, with a more or less clear liquid on top, which has to be discarded. Once the liquid has been removed, a small amount of the paste can then be poured into a flat plate or tray, and spread evenly in a thin layer. The whole plate is placed into a large pot full of boiling water, where it is steamed for a couple of minutes, and the resulting 'pancake' cut into long pieces vaguely resembling noodles.
Hanzhong Liang pi (汉中凉皮)
Hanzhong Liang pi (汉中凉皮) or Hanzhong Mian pi (汉中面皮), named for the city of Hanzhong in southwestern Shaanxi, are steamed Liang pi with garlic and hot chili oil.Majiang Liang pi (麻酱凉皮)
Majiang Liang pi (麻酱凉皮) are Liang pi garnished with julienned cucumber and a sauce made of salt, vinegar, hot chili oil and especially black sesame paste, for which it is named (Majiang (麻酱) is the Chinese name for black sesame paste).Shan Xin Gan Mian Pi
Shan Xin Gan Mian Pi is another type of LiangPi, compare other Liangpis it tasted a bit firmer and seemed dark in colour, always served with Mianjin, vinegar, chilli oil, salt, mashed garlic in water and bean sprout.External links
- Xi'an Famous Foods in NYC (this shop serves Liang Pi and other Xi'an dishes)
- Home-made Liang Pi recipe (in Chinese)