Walk up almost any food street in China and you will find vendors selling this famous Hot and Sour Noodles (酸辣粉) dish. It is as common as a hotdog stand at an American baseball game and there are often long lines at the best shops.
Originally made in a Dynasty long ago in Sichuan province, this lip-smacking delight is known for its slippery noodles. The sour and spicy taste intentionally delivers an incredible “numbing” feeling with every mouthful.
Noodles
The traditional noodles for this dish are Sweet Potato Glass Noodles. They come in two shapes: round and flat. Both are equally good. I am using the round ones in the photos and the flat ones in the video. If you find them too slippery, you can substitute any kind of Glass or Sweet Potato Noodles made in Asia, or even Rice Noodles. Check out my Chinese Spicy Cold Rice Noodles recipe to find clear instructions about how to cook the rice noodles. But for the traditional experience, you can accept the adventure, fun, and challenge of eating super-slippery Sweet Potato Glass Noodles!
Sour and Spicy Taste
The key tastes are sour and spicy. The sour taste comes mainly from Rice Vinegar. Alternatively, you can use Chinese Black Vinegar or White Vinegar. For the spicy taste, LAOGANMA is my main sauce, which is easy to find in Asian grocery stores worldwide.
For a special experience, you can also try my another version of Hot and Sour Noodles with homemade Chinese Tea Egg .
The sour and spicy tastes are so vibrant (some might say “strong”), that I could eat twice as much if given the chance. The noodles are long, chewy, and a wonderfully slippery—a quality Chinese enjoy because it is fun to eat and takes a skillful fork or chopsticks.
When eating Hot and Sour Noodles, I always feel transported into Chinese street food culture.
Here are the Ingredients:
Here is the Recipe:
Chinese Hot and Sour Noodles
Ingredients
- 100 g Sweet Potato Noodles / Glass Noodles
- 1 Garlic Clove, minced
- 2 tbsp Rice Vinegar (or Chinese Black Vinegar)
- 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 3 tbsp LAOGANMA (Chinese Spicy Sauce)
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Chili Oil
- 300 ml Chicken Stock (or 1 tsp of Chicken Bouillon with 300 ml Water)
- 1 Whole Bok Choy (or Green Onion), cut in small pieces
- 1 Boiled Egg (or Tea Egg), cut in half lengthwise
- 20 g Roasted Peanuts (optional)
Instructions
- Soak the Sweet Potato Noodles in warm water for 30 minutes.
- Roast the peanuts and set aside.
- Boil one egg to your own preference. I like mine medium-well! Peel and set aside.
- In a pot, bring the water to a high simmer. Add the Bok Choy and simmer for about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a serving bowl, add the Garlic, Rice Vinegar, Light Soy Sauce, LAOGANMA, Sugar, Salt, and Chili Oil.
- Cook the Sweet Potato Noodles in boiling water for about 5-7 minutes until softened and transparent. Then Drain.
- Add the Sweet Potato Noodles in the serving bowl.
- Bring the Chicken Stock to a boil. Then pour it over the noodles in the serving bowl.
- Cut the Egg in half lengthwise. Add the Egg, Bok Choy, and Roasted Peanuts (optional, but highly recommended) to the serving bowl. Ready to enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I like my boiled Egg medium-well done. You might prefer a hard-boiled or even a fried Egg!
- As mentioned earlier, you can opt for Rice Noodles in this recipe if Sweet Potato Noodles / Glass Noodles are not available for you.
I love all your noodle recipes! I just came and found this Sour and Spicy Noodles. It looks so good! I will give this one a try too! Thank you.
Thanks so much Noodle Girl. I am very happy to hear that. I hope you also enjoy making this Sour and Spicy Noodles.