DAN DAN MIAN

This is a noodle dish typically served in small bowls as a snack or accompaniment. It is named after the bamboo shoulder pole ("Dan") on which street vendors used to carry their noodles and secret sauces. There are many ways to prepare the tangy sauce that tops the noodles, but a key ingredient is ya cai, a pickled vegetable that must be chopped and added to the sauce just before eating.