Original: English

Sesame Cold Noodles

This is an exquisite sesame sauce cold noodle recipe that people swear by, saying they'll never go back to store-bought sauce. We reveal the secret to making ordinary cold noodles 10 times more delicious with just a little extra effort. Don't miss the secrets to a rich peanut butter-based sesame sauce and achieving perfectly slippery noodles. Elevate your summer staple with this recipe.

📖Cooking Basics

dry（tantanmen）

Steps

Rehydrate 2g of wakame seaweed in water.
🕒 00:26
Rub 1/3 of a cucumber with salt, then rinse with water to remove any bitterness. (Key Tip!) Thoroughly pat the cucumber dry to prevent the sauce from becoming diluted.
🕒 00:44
Thinly slice the cucumber, then stack the slices and cut them into thin julienne strips. (Key Tip!) Cutting the julienne as thinly as possible makes it easier to eat with the noodles.
🕒 01:13
Squeeze out excess water from the rehydrated wakame seaweed. If pieces are large, chop them into bite-sized pieces.
🕒 02:01
Lightly shred the crab sticks.
🕒 02:17
Boil water and have it ready.
🕒 02:33
In a heatproof container, add 1 tbsp of peanut butter and microwave for about 20 seconds at 600W until melted.
🕒 02:42
Mix the peanut butter with a whisk until smooth. If it's still firm, microwave in 10-second increments.
🕒 03:20
Add 1 tbsp of sesame oil and mix thoroughly until it's well incorporated with the peanut butter. (Key Tip!) Mixing well at this stage will help prevent separation when other seasonings are added.
🕒 03:33
Add 1.5 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sugar, 0.5 tsp chicken stock granules, 2-3g grated garlic, 1 tbsp water, and 1 tbsp ground sesame seeds. Mix thoroughly to complete the sauce. (Key Tip!) If you add the ground sesame seeds and let it sit, the water content will decrease. If you plan to eat it several hours later, add the sesame seeds just before serving.
🕒 03:49
Boil 1 bag of thin Chinese noodles for 1 minute longer than the package instructions. (Key Tip!) Since rinsing the noodles with water will make them slightly firmer, increasing the boiling time helps achieve the desired texture.
🕒 04:48
Quickly rinse the boiled Chinese noodles with cold water to firm them up. When rinsing hot water down the sink, also run cold water to lower the temperature.
🕒 05:32
Drain the Chinese noodles in a colander and rinse them with running water to cool them down quickly.
🕒 05:43
Gently but thoroughly wash the noodles. (Key Tip!) Thoroughly washing off the starch from the surface of the noodles is the biggest secret to enjoying smooth and delicious cold noodles.
🕒 06:01
Rinse the noodles briefly with clean water and drain thoroughly to prevent the sauce from becoming diluted.
🕒 06:37
Plate the noodles and mix them well with the prepared sauce.
🕒 06:52
Top the noodles with rehydrated wakame seaweed, julienned cucumber, shredded crab sticks, and other desired toppings.
🕒 07:06
Serve with pickled red ginger and mustard, if desired. Enjoy!
🕒 07:11