Liangfen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Liangfen |
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Sichuan-style liangfen
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| Traditional Chinese | 涼粉 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 凉粉 | ||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | liángfěn | ||||||
| Literal meaning | cold noodle | ||||||
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Liangfen (simplified Chinese: 凉粉; traditional Chinese: 涼粉; pinyin: Liángfěn; literally "cold powder"), sometimes spelled liang fen, is a popular Chinese dish. It's a type of jelly made from starch that is usually served cold. People often enjoy it with a savory sauce, especially during warm summer months.
This dish is very popular in northern China. You can find it in cities like Beijing and provinces such as Gansu and Shaanxi. It's also eaten in Sichuan and Qinghai. In places like Tibet and Nepal, a similar dish called laping is a common street food. In Kyrgyzstan, it's even used in a noodle dish called ashlan fu.
Contents
What is Liangfen Made From?
Liangfen usually looks white or slightly off-white. It's also a bit see-through and thick, like a firm jelly. Most of the time, it's made from mung bean starch. But sometimes, it can also be made from pea or potato starch. Long ago, in western China, people even used the jelly-like seeds from a plant called Plantago major to make it.
How Liangfen is Prepared
To make liangfen, the starch is mixed with water and boiled. This creates a thick, jelly-like mixture. Once it cools, it forms into sheets. These sheets are then cut into thick strips, ready to be served.
How to Eat Liangfen
Liangfen is almost always served cold. The jelly strips are mixed with different seasonings to give them flavor. Common ingredients include soy sauce, vinegar, sesame paste, and crushed garlic. People also add julienned carrot and chili oil for a bit of spice.
In the city of Lanzhou, liangfen is often stir-fried instead of served cold. In Sichuan, there's a very popular and spicy version called Chuanbei Liangfen. You can see a picture of it above!
Similar Dishes Around the World
There are other dishes around the world that are similar to liangfen.
- In Korea, they have muk. This jelly is made from buckwheat, mung bean, or chestnut starch.
- In Japan, there's a dish called tokoroten.
- A similar dish from the Yunnan province in southwest China is called Jidou liangfen. The main difference is that it's made from chickpeas instead of mung beans. It's also quite similar to a dish called Burmese tofu salad.
- In Northeast China, liangfen is known as lapi (拉皮). It's usually served mixed with thin strips of vegetables.
See also
In Spanish: Liangfen para niños
