食Chinese Snack Lab

Cold Noodle (Liang Pi) Sauce

Sesame paste, vinegar, chili oil - in grams. The sauce is the dish; the noodles are just a vehicle.

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How to use

Pick servings, region, noodle type. The card shows sauce ingredients per serving plus total sauce volume.

Why this exists

Liang pi sauce is the entire dish. Recipes give vague 1 spoon each amounts, but Shaanxi vs Sichuan versions are completely different sauces on the same noodles. Shaanxi emphasizes sesame paste; Sichuan emphasizes chili oil.

Who this is for

Anyone trying to recreate the cold noodle they had at a Shaanxi restaurant. Cooks confused why their version tastes too sour or too bland. New Yorkers trying to replicate Xi'an Famous Foods.

How to read the result

The trick is loosening sesame paste with water first. Add water gradually until pourable. Then add vinegar, soy, sugar. Chili oil and garlic come last - they float on top. The total sauce volume gives you a sense of how wet/dry the noodle will end up. Shaanxi version is thicker (less liquid); Sichuan is thinner.

Honest limitations

Vinegar matters. Black Chinese vinegar (Chinkiang) is different from Japanese rice vinegar. Use Chinkiang for the authentic flavor. Western rice vinegar is too sweet.

Common questions

Why is my sauce clumpy? Added sesame paste to oil first. Always loosen with water.

Why too sour? Too much vinegar. Reduce 30%, add more sesame paste.

Where to buy liang pi? Asian grocer, refrigerated section. Or use thin rice noodles as a substitute.

More tools

Dumpling Wrapper Rice Noodle Soak Chili Oil Mala Spice