Qinggua Fenpi

Although we rely on dried bean starch noodles in the West, in food markets around Beijing, fresh bean starch noodles can be bought to assemble a quick dish at home. My friends, the Qu family, made this refreshing vegetarian dish on one of my visits. So delicious and quickly made, the bean starch noodles provide a firm texture that contrasts beautifully with the thin, crisp slivers of cucumbers. The seasoning is inspired: soy sauce and vinegar with just a touch of sugar and sesame oil.