{"id":2012,"date":"2017-06-13T21:13:11","date_gmt":"2017-06-13T21:13:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redhousespice.com\/?p=2012"},"modified":"2022-06-09T13:49:52","modified_gmt":"2022-06-09T13:49:52","slug":"ants-climbing-a-tree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redhousespice.com\/ants-climbing-a-tree\/","title":{"rendered":"Spicy vermicelli stir-fry (Ants climbing a tree, \u8682\u8681\u4e0a\u6811)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Don’t be put off by its weird name! “Ants climbing a tree” is a super tasty Sichuan dish containing vermicelli noodles, minced meat and various pungent seasonings.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sometimes it’s not easy to understand the menu of a foreign cuisine when the name of a dish says something extremely strange. Take “Ants climbing a tree (蚂蚁上树)” for example. If you’ve never heard of this classic Chinese dish, I guess you are put off by its confusing, uninviting name. Hold on a minute! Let me introduce this super tasty dish and show you how to make it in your own kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A delicious dish with a strange name <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whoever came up with the name “Ants climbing a tree” has a pretty unusual imagination. In fact, what you get on the plate is mung bean vermicelli noodles (tree branches) stir fried with minced meat (ants) and sprinkled with scallions (tree leaves). Salty, spicy and aromatic, it’s one of the signature dishes of the famous Sichuan cuisine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are vermicelli noodles<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mung bean vermicelli noodles, known as Fen Si\/粉丝 in Chinese, are round, very thin noodles made of the starch of mung beans. They are widely used in Chinese cuisine. You can find them in stir-fried dishes like today’s recipe, in steamed dishes like Garlic Shrimp with Vermicelli<\/a>, in soups, in salads like Glass Noodle Salad<\/a> or in dumpling<\/a> fillings (e.g. Chive chive pockets<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The most popular brand of mung bean vermicelli noodles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They come in dried form and are commonly available in Chinese stores. Before using, you need to soak them in water. 10 mins would be enough for them to become soft and pliable. They taste quite plain on their own but are brilliant at soaking up flavours from the seasonings and sauces. Also, I love their semi-transparent look and springy, slippery texture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What make this dish delicious <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over the years I’ve tasted “Ants climbing a tree” many times in restaurants. I enjoyed some of them but not others. To me, a great plate of “Ants climbing a tree” should have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n