Liangpi

Liangpi is cold, wide wheat-starch noodles tossed with chilli oil, vinegar and shredded vegetables. It's Shaanxi's cold noodle dish, and it's genuinely served chilled year-round, including in the depths of winter — unlike most noodle dishes built around being served hot, liangpi's identity is specifically tied to eating it cold.

What it actually is

A wheat-starch batter steams into thin, wide, springy sheets, which slice into broad noodles once cooled completely — the cooling and slicing only happens after steaming, and the noodles are never reheated afterward. Those noodles toss with a dressing built on chilli oil and vinegar, sharp and numbing at once, along with shredded cucumber, bean sprouts and sometimes gluten strips for extra chew, everything served at room temperature or chilled.

It's eaten cold specifically, never warmed through. A version served hot has missed the entire point of the dish — liangpi's texture and the way the chilli-vinegar dressing coats the noodles both depend on the noodles staying at room temperature or below.

How it's served

• Cold or at room temperature, tossed through with the dressing just before eating.
• As a light main or side, often eaten as a refreshing dish even in cold weather.
• With extra chilli oil on the side for guests who want more heat.

Writing it on a menu

• Flag gluten from the wheat-starch noodles.
• Say that it's served cold, since some guests may expect a hot noodle dish by default.
• Note that it's naturally vegetarian in the classic version.
• Mention the spice level, since chilli oil intensity varies noticeably by kitchen.