At the table
Use a spoon and take small mouthfuls. Stir in chili oil to taste.
Check the jiangshui ingredients, cooking fat and accompaniments. Other versions may contain wheat.
Wheat-flour and mung-bean versions also exist. Cooking fat, accompaniments and chili vary.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Wheat-flour and mung-bean versions also exist. Cooking fat, accompaniments and chili vary.
Typical ingredients
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Sour jiangshui and aromatic Sichuan pepper; chili oil adds heat.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Slippery, tender and slightly springy.
- How it’s made
- Cooked starch paste is passed through a perforated utensil into cold water to set, then served with seasoned jiangshui.
Wheat-flour and mung-bean versions also exist. Cooking fat, accompaniments and chili vary.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
The connection with Gansu is uncertain.
About this regional connection
Gansu: A Lanzhou summer list uses the name and does not describe the bowl. Jinchang, Yongchang, and Ordos use the same words for other snacks.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有兰州漏鱼子吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
Lanzhou louyuzi in sour jiangshui
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
Lanzhou jiangshui louyu is a home-style summer food. The name refers to the rounded head and thin tail formed as the paste drops through holes.