sesame oil

A small bowl of zhi ma jiang made following my Chinese sesame paste recipe with sesame seeds scattered in the background

Easy Chinese Sesame Paste Recipe (Zhi Ma Jiang, 芝麻酱)

Chinese sesame paste, or zhi ma jiang (芝麻酱) is a rich, nutty and aromatic paste made from heavily roasted and ground white sesame seeds.  It is used as an ingredient predominantly in Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine, including in iconic dishes such as Taiwanese cold noodles (liang mian, 涼麵) and Sichuan dan dan noodles (dan dan …

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Close up of Taiwanese sesame noodles (ma jiang mian) with Taiwanese cucumber salad in the background

10-minute authentic Taiwanese cold noodles recipe

Taiwanese cold noodles, or liang mian (涼麵) is a simple but delicious meal that is served all across Taiwan. Don’t confuse simple for unsatisfying however; this hearty bowl of noodles comes smothered with an incredibly thick, glossy and aromatic sauce made from Chinese sesame paste (think peanut butter, but with deep toasted notes of roasted …

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Taiwanese cucumber salad on table with chopsticks

Taiwanese Cucumber Salad Recipe – a step-by-step recreation from Fuhong Beef Noodles, Taipei

You know a side-dish is impressive when it is more memorable than the dish it was supposed to support.  This was the case with an incredible Taiwanese cucumber salad I ate at Fuhong Beef Noodles in Ximending District, Taipei. This cucumber salad is unlike any you have eaten before. An unusual cross between pickled and …

Taiwanese Cucumber Salad Recipe – a step-by-step recreation from Fuhong Beef Noodles, Taipei Read More »