"Ants climbing a tree" [bean thread noodles with ground pork] (Mayi shangshu) from The Food of Sichuan: A New and Updated Edition of the Classic Land of Plenty (page 292) by Fuchsia Dunlop

  • scallions
  • bean thread noodles
  • Show all ingredients...

  • EYB Comments

    Can substitute ground beef for ground pork, and celery for scallions.

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • Eat Your Books

    Can substitute ground beef for ground pork, and celery for scallions.

  • metacritic on March 08, 2022

    Absolutely, overwhelmingly delicious. The noodles, in absorbing the broth, are deeply savory. The chili bean paste creates loads of umami. I've never quite had a dish like this and can't imagine going without it in the future. I used very thin rice noodles, not the noodles called for, and it was delicious. I'd be curious to try these with sweet potato noodles next time.

  • Running_with_Wools on December 05, 2020

    I made this for my family last week and it was gobbled up by all. Truly delicious and super fast and easy. A weeknight meal the kids will run down to enjoy. I used vermicelli rice noodles because I didn't have enough cellophane noodles in my pantry. Still yummy :).

  • kitchen_chick on May 03, 2016

    Great dish. We always have these ingredients on hand, which makes it one of our go-to's for an easy dinner.

  • minerva on June 03, 2013

    This is also good with TVP, moistened with broth and shaoxing wine, instead of the meat.

  • mcvl on May 22, 2011

    Thursday, 12 May 2011 Ants climbing trees, as we call it, is one of our favorite Szechuan dishes, bean thread noodles (the trees) with a savory ground pork dressing (the ants). This time we used cellophane noodles made from sweet potatoes instead of beans; the texture was exactly the same, and the color was an alluring pale violet. A dead easy dish that might find a place in any cook's repertoire, Fuchsia's version is absolutely true and correct.

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