A popular street food in Sichuan, Tian Shui Mian features extra thick, chewy noodles seasoned with intense flavors: hot, tingly, sweet, and super aromatic.
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What is Tian Shui Mian
To fully appreciate Sichuan cuisine, you cannot overlook its signature dishes known as Xiǎo Chī/小吃 (meaning “small eats”), which are sold at street stands or small cafes. Today’s recipe, Tián Shuǐ Miàn/甜水面 (Sweet Water Noodles), may be less renowned outside China than Dan Dan Noodles or Hot & Sour Glass Noodles, but it’s indeed a delightful, mouthwatering snack not to be missed.
This dish features extra thick, chewy noodles served at room temperature and coated with an intensely flavorful sauce mixed with a variety of seasonings. It epitomizes the iconic flavor profile of Sichuan cuisine: spicy, mouth numbing, aromatic, with a distinct combination of savory and sweet.
Tian Shui Mian is not for those who prefer food with a soft texture and bland taste. But if you’re after a satisfying chew and multidimensional flavors, this is definitely the one to try!
Ingredients
The ingredients for Tian Shui Mian can be classified into three groups: for the dough, for the spiced sweet soy sauce, and other seasonings.
For the noodle dough
All-purpose flour, salt, and water are all you need for the dough. To achieve the most accurate results, it’s best to measure the flour and water by weight rather than by volume using cups.
For two servings, I use 200g of all-purpose flour and 90 g of water. This ratio results in a medium firmness. It’s not as soft as regular dumpling dough, yet it’s slightly less firm than my dough recipe for ramen noodles.
🌟 NOTE: You may need to adjust the flour-to-water ratio slightly, as flour from different brands varies in water absorption capacity.
For the spiced sweet soy sauce
Spiced sweet soy sauce, known as Fù Zhì Jiàng Yóu/复制酱油, is key to creating an authentic taste. It’s essentially concentrated, sweetened soy sauce infused with aromatics and spices.
To make it, you’ll need soy sauce (light or regular), brown sugar (or rock sugar), scallions, ginger, and various spices, such as star anise, Chinese cinnamon, bay leaves, Sichuan pepper, fennel seeds, and Tsao-ko (optional).
🌟 NOTE: It’s fine to skip 2-3 spices listed above if you find it hard to source them all.
Other seasonings
You’ll also need these ingredients to season the dish: Chinese chili oil, minced garlic, sesame paste, toasted peanuts, ground Sichuan pepper, and sugar.
🌟 NOTE: If you haven’t tried my Homemade Chili Oil recipe, I highly encourage you to do so — it’ll make a big difference. Also, you can skip sesame paste, or replace it with a dash of sesame oil.
Cooking workflow
Step 1: Make the dough
Put the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Pour in water little by little while stirring constantly with chopsticks or a fork to form small lumps of dough.
Use your hands to squeeze and press the dough lumps together so it transforms into a piece of cohesive dough. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look smooth at this stage. Let it rest, covered with cling film, for about 15 minutes.
When the first resting is done, knead the dough again to smoothen its texture and develop more gluten networks. This takes about 2-3 minutes. Then, rest the dough for a further 10 minutes so that it relaxes and becomes easier to roll.
Step 2: Cook the sauce
While the dough is resting, make the spiced sweet soy sauce. Put soy sauce, brown sugar, scallions, ginger, all the spices, and some water into a small saucepan.
First, bring it to a full boil. Then turn the heat down to the lowest. Leave to simmer until you see the surface is covered by intense bubbles and the sauce becomes thick enough to coat a spoon, stop cooking.
Pour the sauce, passing through a sieve, into a clean container. Discard the solid bits.
Step 3: Shape and cook the noodles
Dust the dough with a little flour then flatten it with a rolling pin to form a rectangle or oval sheet, about ⅓ inch (8mm) thick.
Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into uniform-sized noodles, with the width matching the thickness. Sprinkle some flour over and loosen the noodles to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Bring plenty of water to a full boil. Slightly stretch the noodle strands before adding them to the water. Cook over medium heat until they’re just cooked. The ideal texture is firm and slippery, similar to the “al dente” mouthfeel that Italian pasta is famous for.
If your tap water is safe to drink, rinse the noodles under it to cool them quickly. Otherwise, coat the cooked noodles with a little oil to prevent them from sticking, then let them cool naturally.
🌟 NOTE: These noodles dry out easily, particularly if your kitchen is warm, or has a draft. So I suggest you start boiling water for the next step before shaping the noodles. Or, cover the cut noodles with cling film if you plan to cook them a while later.
Step 4: Assemble the dish
The final step is simple. Put the noodles into bowls, then add all the seasonings: spiced sweet soy sauce, chili oil, sesame paste (if using), garlic, toasted peanuts, sugar, and ground Sichuan pepper. Give everything a thorough stir to coat each strand of the noodles. Then enjoy!
🌟 NOTE: The spiced sweet soy sauce is quite salty. I suggest you add it gradually. Stir, taste, then adjust.
Make ahead tips
Tian Shui Mian is usually served as a cold snack. So it’s perfectly fine to make and cook the noodles in advance. Coat the drained and cooled noodles with a little sesame oil to prevent sticking. Store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. For the best texture, I suggest you allow some time for the noodles to come back to room temperature before seasoning.
Additionally, my recipe for the spicy sweet soy sauce produces more than you need for two servings of noodles. The leftover sauce can be kept for a long time in the fridge and contributes to many classic Sichuan dishes, such as Chili Oil Wonton and Sichuan Zhong Dumplings. You can also use it to enhance the flavor of any dishes that require a salty and sweet taste.
Other noodle recipes
Looking for more authentic Chinese noodle dishes? Check out these classic recipes:
📋 Recipe card
Love this recipe? Please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating and a comment. Thank you!
Tian Shui Mian (Sweet Water Noodles, 甜水面)
Ingredients
For noodles
- 1⅔ cup all-purpose flour, see note 1
- 6 tablespoon water, see note 2
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For spiced sweet soy sauce
- 1 cup soy sauce, light or regular
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, or rock sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 stalk scallions
- 5 slice ginger
- 1 star-anise
- 1 small piece Chinese cinnamon, aka cassia cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan pepper
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 Tsao-ko, aka Chinese black cardamom (optional)
To season (for 2 bowls)
- 2 tablespoon spiced sweet soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon Chinese chili oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame paste, thinned with a little water (optional, see note 2)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoon toasted peanuts, crushed
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
Instructions
Make the dough
- Put flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Pour in water gradually while swirling with a pair of chopsticks. Small lumps of dough form during this process.
- Use your hand to combine and knead until a rough-looking, firm dough forms.
- Cover the dough with cling film. Leave to rest for 15 minutes. Once the resting is done, knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes until it becomes smooth. Let it rest for another 10 minutes.
Cook the spiced sweet soy sauce
- While waiting for the dough to rest, prepare the spiced sweet soy sauce. Put all the ingredients for the sauce into a saucepan.
- Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer uncovered. Once lots of bubbles appear and the sauce becomes thick enough to coat a spoon, remove from the heat.
- Pass the sauce through a sieve to remove all the solid bits. Let the sauce cool and move on to the next step (Note that the sauce will be more than you need for this recipe. Learn other usage and storage tips in note 3).
Shape the noodles
- Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a rectangle of about ⅓ inch (8mm) thick. Dust with flour when necessary to prevent sticking.
- Cut the dough into strips of noodles with a width of around ⅓ inch (8mm). Dust the noodles with flour and loosen them up to avoid sticking (see note 4).
Cook the noodles
- Bring a pot of water to a full boil. Slightly stretch the noodles before putting them into the water.
- Leave to boil until they’re just cooked, achieving a firm, chewy texture. Drain then rinse under running water to cool them quickly (see note 5).
Assemble the dish
- Divide the noodles into two serving bowls. Add the spiced sweet soy sauce, chili oil, sesame paste, minced garlic, toasted peanuts, sugar, and ground Sichuan pepper. Stir well to coat each noodle with the seasonings.
Notes
- Please be aware that measuring flour by cups is less accurate than by weight. If you’re unfamiliar with dough making, it’s best to follow the quantity given in grams (it’s shown when clicking the conversion button “Metric” on the top of the ingredient list).
- The flour-to-water ratio may vary slightly depending on the brand of your flour. Adjust their quantity to achieve a medium-firm dough.
- Store the leftover spiced sweet soy sauce in the fridge for up to 3 months. It can be used in other classic Sichuan dishes, such as Chili Oil Wonton and Sichuan Zhong Dumplings.
- These fresh noodles dry out easily, so it’s best to have the boiling water ready as soon as you finish cutting them. If you plan to cook them a bit later, cover them with cling film to prevent drying.
- Do not rinse if your tap water isn’t safe to drink. Instead, coat the drained noodles with some sesame oil and let them cool naturally.
Your Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I adapted this recipe for the small, firm German spaetzle. Different experience, but the sauce is more than enough to tie them together.
Once again, thanks for your care and expertise.
What a creative way to serve this dish! I want to try it myself.
You say that this makes more sauce than needed but then say the ingredients are enough for 2 bowls. How much of the sauce and other ingredients should I put in with the noodles?
Sorry for the confusion! I’ve edited the wording for clarity. The spiced sweet soy sauce made in the recipe yields more than you need for two bowls of noodles. To season each bowl, use 1 tablespoon of the spiced sweet soy sauce along with the other condiments.