At the table
Mix the dressing through gently. Lift a small portion with chopsticks or use a spoon; the pieces are slippery.
Contains sesame and soy sauce, which may contain wheat. Confirm the oils and compound seasonings for dietary restrictions; the seed base alone does not guarantee a vegan dish.
Thickness and chili quantity vary. Sand rice is a desert plant seed, not ordinary rice; ask whether other starches are blended in.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Thickness and chili quantity vary. Sand rice is a desert plant seed, not ordinary rice; ask whether other starches are blended in.
Typical ingredients
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Tangy, garlicky and chili-hot, with aromatic scallion oil.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Smooth, tender jelly with a little spring and crisp cucumber.
- How it’s made
- Soak sand-rice seeds, rub or grind with water and filter out husks. Cook the starch-rich liquid and cool until set. Cut and dress with scallion oil, garlic, salt, soy sauce, chili oil, sesame, aged vinegar, coriander and cucumber.
Thickness and chili quantity vary. Sand rice is a desert plant seed, not ordinary rice; ask whether other starches are blended in.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Inner Mongolia.
About this regional connection
Inner Mongolia: Alxa sand-rice liangfen; also prepared in nearby desert regions.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有阿拉善沙米凉粉吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
A desert seed made into jelly
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
Alxa cooks turn sand-rice seeds into a cool snack by extracting their starch, cooking it and letting it set. The mild jelly carries a sharp, aromatic dressing.