Sichuan Recipe
Ants Climbing a Tree
Ants climbing a tree is a Sichuan glass noodle dish with minced pork or mushrooms, doubanjiang, garlic, ginger, and a savory sauce.
Why this dish works
The dish teaches Chinese menu metaphor. The “ants” are small bits of topping clinging to glass noodles, which become the “tree branches.”
Recipe at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Serves | 2–3 |
| Time | 30 minutes |
| Core technique | Glass noodle braise |
| Heat level | Medium |
| Best with | A vegetable and rice or as a noodle dish |
Ingredients
- 4 oz dried glass noodles
- 5 oz ground pork or chopped mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon doubanjiang
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 cup stock or water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Scallions
- Neutral oil
Method
- Soak glass noodles until pliable and cut if very long.
- Cook pork or mushrooms in oil until browned.
- Add doubanjiang, garlic, and ginger.
- Add soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and stock.
- Add noodles and simmer until they absorb the sauce.
- Toss until glossy and not watery.
- Finish with scallions.
Variations and substitutions
- Use mushrooms instead of pork.
- Use more doubanjiang for heat.
- Add greens for a fuller meal.
- Use vegetarian stock for a meatless version.