Dan Dan Noodles – A Sichaun Speciality - Chili House: San Francisco's Best Peking Duck & Chinese Food (2024)

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Dan Dan Noodles – A Sichaun Speciality - Chili House: San Francisco's Best Peking Duck & Chinese Food? ›

“Dan Dan” refers to the type of carrying pole that street vendors would use to sell the dishes to pedestrians. The pole was carried on the shoulders of the vendor with two baskets on either side, one carrying the noodles and the other with the sauce. The name translates to “noodles carried on a pole.”

“Dan Dan” refers to the type of carrying pole that street vendors would use to sell the dishes to pedestrians. The pole was carried on the shoulders of the vendor with two baskets on either side, one carrying the noodles and the other with the sauce. The name translates to “noodles carried on a pole.”

Wherever in the world Chinese noodles are found, you will likely see dan dan noodles on the menu. In Hong Kong, you can find the original Sichuan version, as well as the modified recipe. Both of them are popular among diners near and far. Dan dan noodles started out as a street food in Sichuan.

The level of spiciness depends on the chef and also on personal preferences of the person eating the food. Because Sichuan cuisine is known for its spicy food, people tend to think of only spicy food when thinking of this cuisine, even though this is not the case.

Szechuan cuisine, Szechwan cuisine, or Sichuan cuisine is a style of Chinese cuisine originating in Sichuan Province of southwestern China famed for bold flavors, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of chili peppers, as well as the unique flavor of the Sichuan peppercorn (花椒).

These spicy, smoky, numbing, mega flavorful noodles are a popular Szechuan street food made from fresh thin wheat noodles, chili oil, Szechuan pepper, sesame paste, savory ground pork and fermented vegetables (don't worry, so good!). In China, Dan Dan Noodles can be more saucy or soupy, but always numbingly spicy.

But the classic recipe is a dry noodle, three-layer combination of taste, including the deep flavor of sesame paste, the mala sensation of spicy chilis and numbing Sichuan peppercorns, and the umami satisfaction of ground pork fried with Shaoxing wine, ginger, soy and more chili oil.

66. Dandan. If you want to pay homage to ancient Chinese history, this might be a great name choice! Dandan in Chinese means “cinnabar,” which is a brick-red form of mercury sulfide.

Dan Jacobs - Chef/Owner - Dandan and EsterEv Restaurants | LinkedIn.

The most unique and important spice in Sichuan cuisine is the Sichuan pepper (花椒; huājiāo; 'flower pepper'). Sichuan peppercorn has an intense, fragrant citrus-like flavour and produces a "tingly-numbing" (麻; má) sensation in the mouth.

What is the difference between Szechuan and Sichuan? ›

Szechuan is the phonetic spelling which was used in the West before the romanization of Chinese (called pinyin) was adopted in the 1980s. In pinyin, it is spelt Sichuan. In Chinese, 四川 四 (si - meaning four) and 川 (chuan - meaning river). Sichuan is a province in South West (south central actually) China.

If you prefer a more intense and straightforward spiciness, the chili-driven Hunan dishes are for you. Szechuan peppercorn does have some spice, but it's milder and has the unique component of its numbing and tingling effects. Another distinguishing factor is the complimentary flavors.

Unlike most peppers, Sichuan peppercorn's characteristics aren't hot or pungent, rather they illicit a spice sensation that's akin to the carbonation in soda yet with a tingly, numbing sensation, like touching your tongue to a nine-volt battery.

Sichuan is the second largest of the Chinese provinces. It is bordered by the provinces of Gansu and Shaanxi to the north, the territory of Chongqing municipality to the east, the provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan to the south, the Tibet Autonomous Region to the west, and the province of Qinghai to the northwest.

“It's definitely got mystical qualities.” The piquant, numbing quality of Sichuan peppercorns comes from a chemical compound called hydroxy-alpha sanshool, which causes micro-vibrations across the tongue and lips that clock in at the same frequency of some power grids.

ivory, tusks of an elephant.

After gobbling up half the dish, your tongue will go slightly numb and start to tingle a little, thanks to the hydroxy-alpha-sanshool molecule present in the Szechuan peppercorn.

Drunken Noodles is the literal translation of Pad Kee Mao because the theory is that these spicy Thai noodles should be eaten with an ice cold beer and that they are a great cure for hangover.