Dan Dan Mian

After making a cooked Dan Dan Mian for my fella, I really wanted to try making a raw (or at least, mostly raw) version. This is what I came up with, & it was pretty tasty, if I do say so myself.

Traditionally this is a spicy sauce containing preserved vegetables, chili oil, Sichuan peppers, pork, and scallions served over noodles. Apparently, there are as many versions of this as there are Chinese cooks! This one is based on one in 'Authentic Chinese cuisine for the contemporary kitchen' by Bryanna Clark Grogan. The addition of sesame or peanut butter is a modern one.