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Among the greatest pleasures of summer is eating fresh food, whether that means sinking your teeth into tomatoes straight from the vine or sucking the nectar from honeysuckle blossoms while out on a walk. When I was a kid in Hubei, we went for a slightly earthier snack during the warmer months: yuxingcao (鱼腥草), which literally translates as “fish-smelling herb.”

There are almost as many different ways of preparing this Szechuan recipe as there are Chinese chefs! Classic Dan Dan Noodles is made with fresh noodles and has a meat topping made with ground pork or beef and (usually) Szechuan preserved vegetable. But there are many variations.

Dofa fa is a popular northern Chinese treat. Edible Terra alba is also called food-grade gypsum or food-grade calcium sulfate.

In summer, Chinese likes to eat cold noodles. On June 21st, people across the Northern hemisphere celebrate the longest day and shortest night of the year, but residents of China also observe an ancient tradition—eating noodles!?The old saying really sums it up: “the days start to get shorter after eating noodles” (吃过夏至面，一天短一线。Chīguò xiàzhìmiàn ， yì tiān duǎn yí xiàn). ?Sales of nutritious cold noodles will hit the roof as people take steps to improve their eating habits during the summer solstice, known here as “Xiazhi.” Another saying, “eat dumplings for the winter solstice and eat noodles for the summer solstice” (冬至馄饨夏至面。Dōnɡzhì húntun Xiàzhìmiàn.) should be a reminder. Like many Chinese holidays, this festival has ancient, agricultural roots. Long ago, fresh harvests would be ceremoniously offered to the gods at this time of year. And though we may not be farmers, we can still recognize this annual cycle, this changing of seasons, in our own way—by reverentially eating a bowl of noodles.

Feel free to substitute Italian fettucine or linguini if Chinese egg noodles aren't available.

Symbolizing a long life, this is a popular dish on birthdays and other celebratory occasions. This simple version is basically an egg drop soup served over noodles – it's a nice way to use up leftover cooked ham.

Brown bean sauce (sold in cans in Asian markets) adds its own distinct flavor to this warming dish from northern China. If unavailable, you can use brown miso as a substitute. If you don’t want to make the garnishes, another option is to serve the noodles and meat sauce with stir-fried spinach.

This recipe goes by several different names, including "both sides browned" and "twice browned" noodles. In all cases the boiled noodles are browned on one side, then turned over and cooked on the other side. If desired, the noodles can be placed in a cake pan before frying so that it forms a more attractive shape, but this isn't necessary. After frying, the noodles should be browned on the outside, and tender inside.