Ants Climbing a Tree (Sichuan Glass Noodles with Minced Pork)
Ants climbing a tree - mayi shang shu - is a Sichuan home dish whose name comes from the way tiny bits of minced pork cling to translucent glass noodles, resembling ants on branches. The noodles are soaked just until pliable, never fully softened, because they finish cooking in the pan where they absorb the braising liquid entirely. Doubanjiang - Sichuan's fermented chili-bean paste - provides a funky, spicy backbone, while soy sauce deepens the color to amber. The final dish should be nearly dry, with every strand of noodle saturated in the sauce and studded with meat. It is an everyday dish in Sichuan households, often made when the kitchen has little more than pantry staples on hand.
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Instructions
- 1
Soak glass noodles in lukewarm water for 10 minutes.
- 2
Heat oil and stir-fry garlic with ground pork.
- 3
When pork is cooked, add doubanjiang and soy sauce.
- 4
Add water and noodles, then cook while reducing.
- 5
Finish with green onion and serve hot.
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