Summer is the season to enjoy cold dishes, and cold noodles are among the easiest dishes to prepare in the hot weather.

夏天是人们享受各种冷餐凉菜的好时候。其中，过程简单、易于制作的凉面便是炎炎夏季中的最佳选择。

Cold noodle dishes in China are served as mains rather than as starter salads like the pasta salad in the Western cuisine¹. Making cold noodles takes only five to 10 minutes if the sauce is already made.

和西餐烹饪的讲究不同，凉面在中国通常是作为餐桌上的主菜，并不似诸如意粉沙拉类菜系作为开饭的第一道菜。制作凉面的过程也十分简单，在调味汁已经备好的前提下只需要五到十分钟即可完成。

There are several classic variations of cold noodle dishes across China that use different kinds of noodles, sauces and toppings. The trick to a successful bowl of cold noodles of any kind is to keep the noodles crisp and avoid starchiness and stickiness.

在中国，凉面在不同的地域有不同的做法，所使用的面类、调味品和配料也有所差别。但归结起来，制作凉面成功的秘诀在于保持面条的韧性与爽脆，避免让面条粘连到一起。

For those who love hot chilies³ and Sichuan peppercorns, the Sichuan style cold noodle is the go-to summer dish. Traditional Sichuan cold noodles calls for noodles made with baking soda, which helps to prevent the noodles from breaking apart and makes them chewier as well.

对于喜欢辣椒和四川胡椒的人们来说，四川式凉面可谓是夏季的必备美食。传统意义上的四川凉面制作过程中需要使用苏打粉，防止面条断裂，保持入口的嚼劲儿和韧劲儿。

The noodles are boiled in hot water until they are roughly 80 percent done. Then they are spread out so they can cool down.

面条通常要在沸水中翻滚一段时间，待八成熟之后将其捞出，以便更好地冷却。

Minced⁴ garlic paste is the must-have ingredient for the sauce, which consists of minced ginger⁵ paste, chopped green onions, peppercorn powder, vinegar and soy sauce mixed together in the homemade hot chili² oil, which is cooked with small red chili peppers called chao tian jiao in rapeseed oil and sesame oil seasoned by peppercorns, star anise, green onion, garlic and ginger.

蒜蓉一般由姜蓉、切碎的蒜末、胡椒粉、醋和酱油等调料再加上家制的辣椒油混合调制而成，是吃凉面不可或缺的一味调味品。这里的辣椒油由小型红辣椒（俗称朝天椒）在由干胡椒、八角茴香、嫩青葱、姜和蒜等调制好的菜籽油和芝麻油中烹制而成。

The correct layering of Sichuan cold noodles is to place the chilled noodles at the bottom of the bowl, add the mung bean sprouts⁶ in the middle and chicken on top, and pour in the hot sauce when serving the dish. One can also add shredded⁷ cucumber and radish.

四川凉面正确吃法如下：首先将捞出来的冷面放入碗底，中间撒上绿豆芽，最上面铺上几块鸡胸肉，最后将热乎乎的调料汁浇在面上。如果有需要还可以撒上些黄瓜丝和萝卜丝。

Be generous with the vinegar and sugar, the sweet and sour taste is the highlight of Sichuan cold noodles. Local people use traditional Baoning vinegar, which is flavored black vinegar brewed⁸ with rice and a number of different herbs and spices.

醋和糖这两味调味品是关键。四川凉面最大的特点就是口感酸甜。当地人一般都使用传统的保宁醋。这种醋由大米和一些不同的药草香料制成，是一种口感极佳的黑醋。

Sesame paste cold noodles is the traditional Beijing style dish that uses a much simpler combination of ingredients.

芝麻酱凉面是老北京的地道小吃，只需要一些佐料的简单混合即可制成。

The most important part is the sesame paste, which must be freshly grounded using pure sesame seeds. Good quality sesame paste often has a layer of sesame oil floating on top.

制作芝麻酱凉面，芝麻酱自然是必不可少。这种酱料由一些干净的芝麻籽新鲜磨碎制成。那些质量上乘的芝麻酱通常会在表面浮有一层轻微的芝麻油。

Garlic is an indispensable part of the dish. The sesame paste cold noodles uses both minced garlic paste and thinly chopped garlics.

大蒜也是这道菜不可或缺的调料之一。芝麻酱凉面需要蒜蓉和切得碎碎的蒜末这两味做最后调味。