Compared with noodles made from wheat flour, we prefer those made from highland barley.

In China, many different grains can be used to make noodles. Highland barley noodles are made from a grain unique to the high plateaus — highland barley. In the past, you could only find them when traveling to the Tibetan Plateau region, but now they’re easily available in supermarkets around the country or online.

These noodles are slightly darker in color and have a firmer, chewier texture than wheat noodles, thanks to their higher protein content.

Today, since the weather is a bit chilly, we felt like having something warm and comforting.

We cut the beef into small pieces, simmered it with ginger, dried chilies, and cooking wine to make a rich broth. Then we added diced white radish and continued to cook until its aroma filled the pot. Finally, put chunks of tofu to soak up the flavorful soup as it thickened and concentrated — the perfect topping for our highland barley noodles.

According to Chinese healthy cuisine tradition, beef, radish plus tofu are among the best nourishing foods providing energy and nutrition in winter.