Other toppings, like the local chao shou dumpling, were also brought into the mix. The minced meat added fragrance and umami, and the whole dish tasted rich and mildly spicy. They cooked with a pot divided into two segments, one for the broth of chicken or pork, the other for blanching the noodles. The hawkers there added minced meat to the plain noodles. The dan dan noodles soon won the hearts and palates of the whole town, which led to Chen opening his own shop.ĭan dan noodles were later introduced to the city of Chengdu. The handmade noodles, which were springy and smooth, were paired with bean sprouts from Sichuan and a rich, tasty soup. Looking at the many hawkers selling cooked food by the roadside, he decided to sell the noodles he was good at making, carrying everything he needed with a pole on his shoulder. In 1841, he walked from his native village to the town of Zigong. Legend has it that the creator of dan dan noodles was named Chen Baobao. Even celebrated writers from Sichuan like Ba Jin and Guo Moruo sought out dan dan noodles the moment they returned to their hometown. It is part of the collective memory of the people of Sichuan, a comfort food that eases their homesickness while being away. The pole was attached to two baskets, one holding the ingredients, the other holding the cookware. In its earliest form, it was carried by hawkers on a bamboo pole (dan), from which the name of the dish is derived.

Dan dan noodles started out as a street food in Sichuan.

Dan dan zoodles