Starches

“Our wheat was ground nearby right after harvesting; the flour was wonderfully fresh and fragrant, and my mother made noodles and pastries so sweet I can still taste them. Some of the most famous Szechwanese recipes are for noodles, bread, and pastries. We ate them for snacks; the streets of Chengtu were full of noodle stalls and street vendors selling all kinds of sweet and savory pastries. I especially loved the little balls of glutinous rice that came in a sweet soup. When we were very small we were taken into town in a wheelbarrow to visit relatives; it was a long, bone-crunching ride, an hour and a half each way, and only the promise of some sweet pastries made it bearable.