liangfen

{{Short description|Chinese jelly made of mung bean starch}}

{{for|the southern Chinese dessert|grass jelly}}

{{Infobox Chinese

|pic=MungBeanJelly.jpg

|picsize=

|piccap=Sichuan-style liangfen

|t={{linktext|涼粉}}

|s=凉粉

|p=liángfěn

|l=cool flour [i. e. noodle]

|j=loeng4 fen2

|poj=

|showflag=p}}

Liangfen ({{lang-zh|s=凉粉|t=涼粉|hp=liángfěn|l=cool rice noodles}}), also spelled liang fen, is a Chinese legume dish consisting of starch jelly that is usually served cold, with a savory sauce, often in the summer.Wilson, Ernest Henry; Sargent, Charles Sprague. (1914) [https://books.google.com/books?id=-R0PAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA63&dq=%22liang+fen%22+jelly&lr= A naturalist in western China, with vasculum, camera, and gun] Methuen & co., ltd. p. 63 It is most popular in northern China, including Beijing,(2007-12-05) {{in lang|zh}} [http://www.bjjt.cn/page/20104538/119683862385699.html 凉粉（漏鱼、刮条）] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707013228/http://www.bjjt.cn/page/20104538/119683862385699.html |date=2011-07-07 }} 老北京网 / 北京公众出行网 Gansu,[http://www.china-tour.cn/Lanzhou/Lanzhou-Restaurants.htm Lanzhou Restaurants] China Connection Tours and Shaanxi,[http://www.beijingfeeling.com/newEbiz1/EbizPortalFG/portal/html/InfoContent.html?InfoContent150_action=show&InfoPublish_InfoID=c373e9182af307b78f7b2fc9d514e67a Xian Dining] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20101026225604/http://www.beijingfeeling.com/newEbiz1/EbizPortalFG/portal/html/InfoContent.html?InfoContent150_action=show&InfoPublish_InfoID=c373e9182af307b78f7b2fc9d514e67a |date=2010-10-26 }} Beijing feeling but may also be found in SichuanJack Quian, 2006 [https://books.google.com/books?id=lwH5KfCe7RYC&pg=RA1-PA49&dq=%22liangfen%22+jelly Chengdu: A City of Paradise] AuthorHouse, p. 49

{{ISBN|1-4259-7590-9}} and Qinghai.(2008-03-07) [https://archive.today/20120630064457/http://english.cri.cn/4406/2008/03/07/1701@331062.htm Xining] CRIENGLISH.com In Tibet and Nepal it is called laping and is a common street vendor food.{{cite web|url=http://www.yowangdu.com/tibetan-food/laping.html|title=Tibetan Street Food — Laping Recipe and Video|date=23 March 2024 }} In Kyrgyzstan it is an ingredient in a noodle dish called ashlan fu.{{cite web|author=brollytea |url=http://everything2.com/user/brollytea/writeups/ashlan+fu |title=ashlan fu (recipe) by brollytea |publisher=Everything2.com |date=2016-02-19 |accessdate=2022-09-02}}

Liangfen is generally white or off-white in color, translucent, and thick. It is usually made from mung bean starch, but may also be made from pea or potato starch.Law, Eugene (2004) [https://books.google.com/books?id=hUb_BQNkXdQC&pg=PA197&dq=%22liangfen%22&lr= Intercontinental's best of China] [http://www.ecppc.com/members/detail1.aspx?id=36 China Intercontinental Press] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327161159/http://www.ecppc.com/members/detail1.aspx?id=36 |date=2009-03-27 }} (五洲传播出版社), p. 197 {{ISBN|7-5085-0429-1}}Mooney, Eileen Wen. 2008 [https://books.google.com/books?id=-J6vq1mRnXUC&pg=PA124&dq= Beijing] Marshall Cavendish, p. 124 {{ISBN|981-232-997-8}} In western China, the jelly-like seeds of Plantago major were formerly also used. The starch is boiled with water and the resulting sheets are then cut into thick strips.宋秉武 (Song Bingwu) {{in lang|en}}, 2004 [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZLu6PgGl6q8C&pg=PA30&dq=%22liangfen%22+jelly 大禹治水的源头—临夏] China Intercontinental Press (五洲传播出版社), p. 30 {{ISBN|7-5085-0661-8}}

Liangfen is generally served cold. The liangfen strips are tossed with seasonings including soy sauce, vinegar, sesame paste, crushed garlic, julienned carrot, and chili oil.(2008-08-06) [http://www1.chinaculture.org/08olympics/2008-08/06/content_140254.htm Have a Taste of Beijing’s Summer Food] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716101454/http://www1.chinaculture.org/08olympics/2008-08/06/content_140254.htm |date=2011-07-16 }} Chinaculture.org In Lanzhou it is often served stir-fried. In Sichuan, a spicy dish called chuanbei liangfen is particularly popular (see photo above).Gan Tian, (2008-03-17) [http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/citylife/2008-03/17/content_6541871_2.htm Official word on local cuisine] Chinadaily.com.cn

Similar foods include the Korean muk made with buckwheat, mung bean, or water chestnut starch and Japanese tokoroten.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

Jidou liangfen, a similar dish from the Yunnan province of southwest China, is made from chickpeas rather than mung beans. It is similar to Burmese tofu salad.

In Northeast China, it is called lapi (拉皮) and is served mixed with julienned vegetables.