August POM: Super sale on alkaline wheat noodles + 3 new recipes featuring them

August 07, 2024

August POM: Super sale on alkaline wheat noodles + 3 new recipes featuring them

Noodles! Noodles! Noodles!

Greetings, Friends of The Mala Market!
 

The product of the month for August is alkaline wheat noodles, which come in a set of two and are 33% off this month and this month only. This is THE MOST VERSATILE noodle in our pantry. The preferred noodle for dandan mian and most other Sichuan dry noodles, soup noodles and cold noodles, it has enough body and bite to be a worthy, toothsome partner for Sichuan's punchy sauces.

We're also bringing you THREE NEW noodle recipes that feature alkaline noodles—and are decidedly less interesting with any other noodle. 

I cannot believe we didn't realize and celebrate this at the time—mainly because we were traveling in China for the entire month—but May marked the 10 YEAR anniversary of our recipe blog! Who would have ever thought we'd keep it going for a decade, much less start an online Sichuan specialty food shop to go with it? It's really kind of unbelievable, but as Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles would say: Why not us? 
 

Thank you for sticking around, 
🌶 Taylor & Fongchong 🌶


P.S.  We read every single product and service suggestion you leave us at checkout, and this month we are happy to finally be able to provide two services you've long requested: 1) The site now includes a function to create a wishlist, so you can shop now and come back at a later date to find your items awaiting you. 2) There is now a box at checkout that allows you to leave a gift message to be included in your orders for others. 
 
fresh chili beef noodles

Fresh Chili Beef Noodles


Our new contributor Xueci Cheng was recently back home in Sichuan and made a trip to Yibin, in the southern part of the province, solely to get herself a range of that city's famous noodles. Yibin ranmian may be its most well-known noodle, but the deliciousness does not stop there. Xueci has a real soft spot for these beef noodles with fresh chilies:

"One of my favorites types of noodles is shēngjiāo niúròumiàn (生椒牛肉面), or fresh-chili beef noodles. These fiery, dry-tossed alkaline noodles with crispy ground beef, fresh chili and plenty of cilantro on top and bright chili oil at the bottom of the bowl will leave you sweating."

This is calling the names of those of us who like it hot, but it can also be made with less-spicy chili options. 
 
Alkaline Wheat Noodles (Jianshui Mian for Dan Dan Mian), Set of 2
Alkaline Wheat Noodles (Jianshui Mian for Dan Dan Mian), Set of 2
$8.00

Normally $12 for two bundles, alkaline wheat noodles are only $8 for two in August. Each bundle weighs a pound, so that is approximately eight large servings of noodles or even more small ones. 

These dried noodles are called jianshui because like many fresh Sichuan noodles—and unlike most Chinese dried wheat noodles—they include jianshui/kansui, an alkaline lye water, which lends them that body and bounce, as well as a yellow color.

Their best by date is late March 2025, so just think how many noodles you can eat! 

View
Sichuan cold noodles with chicken

Sichuan Cold Noodles With Chicken


I took this opportunity to significantly update my own recipe for Sichuan cold noodles with shredded chicken and cucumber, jisi liangmian (鸡丝凉面). I've eaten a whole lot more liangmian since I first adapted the recipe in the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine's cookbook in 2015, so I've added what I've learned from that noodle quest. 

I generally laze out on poaching a chicken breast and opt for a Costco rotisserie chicken, but even if you make the chicken from scratch, this is an easy bowl of noodles perfect for a hot summer night. All you need is a well-stocked Sichuan pantry
 

Sichuan chao mian

Dad's Sichuan Chao Mian
 

We all know and love Cantonese chow mein. But in Kathy's Sichuanese household, what's for dinner was never Cantonese chow mein but Sichuan chao mian. Yes, they both mean stir-fried wheat noodles, but the similarities pretty much end there, because Kathy's dad's version started with alkaline noodles and pork mince and always included dried chilies, Sichuan pepper and Sichuan pickles. 
 
Yibin ran mian

Blog Spotlight: How to Cook With Chinese Noodles


While dandan mian was the first recipe I ever published on our blog, back in May 2014, I have kept up my pursuit of noodles for a decade, both writing and commissioning other writers to contribute a wide range of noodle recipes.

So our revamped recipe site has a whole section devoted to Chinese dried noodles and how to cook with them. Scroll down from that information and you'll find a couple dozen Southwest China (Sichuan, Yunnan) and Northwest China (Xinjiang, Gansu) noodle recipes to get you started.