Liangfen were formerly also used. The starch is boiled with water and the resulting sheets are then cut into thick strips. "Liangfen" is generally served cold. The "liangfen" strips are tossed with seasonings including soy sauce, vinegar, sesame paste, crushed garlic, julienned carrot, and chili oil. In Lanzhou it is often served stir fried. In Sichuan, a spicy dish called Chuanbei Liangfen is particularly popular (see photo above). Similar foods include the Korean "muk" made with chestnut starch and Japanese konnyaku jelly . "Jidou liangfen", a similar dish from the Yunnan province of southwest China, is made from chick peas rather
Ginger is a key ingredient, especially in thicker gravies, as well as in many other dishes, both vegetarian and meat-based. Ginger also has a role in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. It is an ingredient in traditional Indian drinks, both cold and hot, including spiced "masala chai". Fresh ginger is one of the main spices used for making pulse and lentil curries and other vegetable preparations. Fresh ginger together with peeled garlic cloves is crushed or ground to form ginger garlic masala. Fresh, as well as dried, ginger is used to spice tea and coffee, especially in winter. In south India, "sambharam" is