Ashlyan-fu (Ашлянфу (ashlyan-fu))
Overview
Ashlyan-fu is a cold, spicy noodle soup from the city of Karakol in eastern Kyrgyzstan. It combines two kinds of noodles, thick wheat noodles and slippery strips of starch jelly, in a cold broth made sour with vinegar and spicy with chilli and garlic fried in oil. Fried egg strips, peppers and tomato are often added, and it is served with fried bread. It is tangy, refreshing and fiery, and it is especially loved in summer. It is especially refreshing in hot weather.
History
The dish was brought to Kyrgyzstan by the Dungan people, Chinese-speaking Muslims who settled in the region in the late nineteenth century. Karakol is famous for its ashlyan-fu bazaar, where many stalls serve nothing else. It is now one of the most recognisable dishes of Kyrgyzstan. It became famous across Kyrgyzstan, and the city of Karakol is especially known for it.
Main ingredients
Starch jelly noodles, wheat noodles, vinegar broth, chilli, egg, garlic. The soup is built on cold vinegar broth and is usually served cold. Diet: vegetarian; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Noodle soups · Egg soups
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~50 min
Ingredients
- 300 g wheat noodles
- 200 g mung bean or potato starch, cooked into jelly and cut in strips
- 100 ml vinegar, 1 l cold water or stock
- 2 tbsp chilli flakes, 4 garlic cloves
- 2 eggs, fried as thin sheets
- 2 peppers, 2 tomatoes
Allergens: Contains: Gluten, Eggs. Based on the typical recipe. Recipes and products vary; always check labels if you have an allergy.
Method
- Cook the wheat noodles and chill them in cold water.
- Fry the peppers, tomatoes, garlic and chilli to make a sauce.
- Mix the cold broth with vinegar and salt.
- Combine noodles, starch strips and sauce in bowls, pour over the broth and add egg strips.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
