Liangpi is a noodle-like Chinese dish made from wheat or rice flour. It is a specialty dish originating from the cuisine of Shaanxi Province, but has now spread to many other places in China, in particular the northern and central regions. In northwestern areas of China, it is often called liangpi zi. Although liangpi is served cold, they are served in every season, including winter. 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."
Preparation
Liangpi literally means cold skin, although it contains no animal products. There are several ways of making liangpi: 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.
Types
Hanzhong Liangpi
Hanzhong Liangpi or Hanzhong Mianpi, named for the city of Hanzhong in southwestern Shaanxi, are steamed liangpi with garlic and hot chili oil. Unlike other places, it is often served hot rather than cold.
Majiang Liangpi
Majiang Liangpi are liangpi garnished with julienned cucumber and a sauce made of salt, vinegar, hot chili oil and especially Chinese sesame paste, for which it is named.
Shaanxi Gan Mianpi
Shaanxi Gan Mianpi. The starch water is thickened by boiling as well, and then spread on a pan and further cooked as a pancake. It is always served with Mianjin, cooked vinegar, hot chili oil, salt, mashed garlic in water and bean sprout.
