Hunyuan Liangfen

Hunyuan county, an hour southeast of Datong on the road to the Hanging Temple, has a
dish the rest of Shanxi envies: liangfen — a chilled, wobbly jelly made from potato
starch, served in generous cubes under a sharp dressing of vinegar, garlic and chili oil.

The texture is the whole point: slippery and barely set, it slides down easily in hot weather,
which is exactly when locals eat it. The toppings make it a proper snack — crunchy fried broad beans
(lianhua dou), strips of dried tofu, crushed peanuts and a heap of coriander, so every
spoonful mixes soft, crunchy and fiery.

What to know

• It is served cold, straight from the counter — you will often eat it standing up at a street
  stall.
• The chili oil is assertive but the vinegar leads; if you want it mild, ask for bu la
  (not spicy) before the dressing goes on.
• A bowl costs a few yuan, making it the cheapest item on this site’s food list.
• It is naturally vegetarian.

Where

The classic place to eat it is Hunyuan itself, in the small snack shops around the Hanging
Temple — a bowl before or after the climb is a local ritual. In Datong city, look for it at
street-food stalls and cold-dish counters in the old city.