I love the noodles known in Cantonese as fen si, or in English as mung bean vermicelli, bean thread noodles, glass noodles and cellophane noodles. They have different textures, depending on how they're prepared. In soups, they absorb the broth and become slippery and difficult to pick up with chopsticks, but in “dry” dishes, such as this one, they have an interesting springy texture. They can also be mixed with vegetables and meat or seafood to add bulk to spring-roll fillings.
The noodles should be soaked in hot (but not boiling) water to hydrate them so they are pliable.
The name of this dish visualises the bits of meat clinging to mung bean noodles as ants climbing a tree. It’s a fast meal to cook – not including the time needed to soak the noodles, the ingredients take less than 15 minutes to prepare.
If you don’t eat pork, use minced chicken instead, or, for a vegetarian version, use a minced meat substitute.
