The First American Cold Sesame Noodles

The New York Times said legend has it, the recipe came from a chef called Shorty Tang. In today’s episode, we will try this cold sesame noodle dish at the revived original restaurant Shorty first opened in 1968 in New York Chinatown and learn a little about this dish.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:42 Cold sesame noodles in China
1:23 New York in the 1960s
1:56 Dan dan noodles
3:30 Shorty Tang
4:51 The recipe
6:32 Trying the noodles at the new Hwa Yuan
Video credits:
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- • Skippy Creamy Peanut B...
- • Taiwan - 1960 - Charli...
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References:
- Interview with Shorty's son and grandsons:ny.eater.com/2011/11/2/663985...
- Shorty's grandson's blog Rice Wine Vinegar: ricewinevinegar.wordpress.com...
- Shorty Tang & Sons: / photos
- NYT recipe: www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/ma...
- NBC interview with Jerry Tang: www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-am...

[@anna10013]

Really enjoying these dives into the origins of Chinese American dishes! I didn't know Sichuanese food could be found in the US as early as the 60s. When I talk to older Americans (even New Yorkers) their view of Chinese food is still mostly Cantonese cuisine. I wonder if Sichuanese couldn't really take off until the huajiao ban lifted 😂

[@AmericanChineseFoodShow]

Thanks! These are fun to make for me too. 😍 I think a big part of it is a small group of "food bohemians" in New York City (namely that food critic Craig Claiborne and folks over at the New York Magazine) made Sichuanese sound bigger than it really was. It's like cronut for them for a few good years. 🤣 But the 1960s and 70s definitely were a turning point for American Chinese food because of the 1965 Immigration Act and the 1972 Nixon China visit (which I will do an episode on for sure).

[@kennylee1732]

It’s delicious. I make it a lot for parties.

[@AmericanChineseFoodShow]

I usually make the Taiwanese style one, but I was pleasantly surprised by this American-Taiwanese sesame noodles!

[@AmericanChineseFoodShow]

Whoa, I somehow ran into more information about Shorty Tang. Apparently he might be the first person who started making Taiwanese beef noodle soup!! 😲😲😲 According to a column in the World Journal in 2020, Shorty Tang started selling flatbreads and fried donuts in his late twenties in a bamboo built store. In the early 1950s, he went over to an alley across the street from the Donmen Market in Taipei and started selling Sichuanese style Taiwanese beef noodle soup. It became so popular there's always a line outside. By the 60s, he had his own restaurant called Shorty Tang Sichuanese Restaurant next to the Pow Kung Theater. ("Remembering Shorty Tang." World Journal, 14 Jun 2020, C5. www.pressreader.com/usa/world-journal-washington-dc/20200614/282565905384013)

[@AmericanChineseFoodShow]

How do you make dandan noodles at home? I always mix peanut butter and sesame paste, I don’t remember how it came about at all. 🤔 I also add some miso paste so it’s almost like tan tan ramen, but I am definitely going to try Lucas Sin’s fermented tofu and kewpie hack next time: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXPIpnutbtCEo9E

[@mutestingray]

I never had cold sesame noodles, but I can give you my first impression, which is “cold?” I live in the Deep South, so you’d think cold noodles would be a hit in hotter weather, but my American palette does not put “noodles” and “cold” together! I will definitely have to find a dish around me and give it a try. Very interesting history.

[@AmericanChineseFoodShow]

It's super easy to make! I make this all the time. Blanch thick egg noodles, rinse with cold running water to get the starch out, season with salt, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, then add half sesame sauce (tahini will do too if it's hard to find sesame sauce) and half peanut butter sauce, mix and you're done!

[@ramencurry6672]

Americans do eat cold noodles as in macaroni salad. Probably more popular in the northern states like a New York deli

[@adamwielowski3910]

*Promo sm*