Which Chinese dish consists of cellophane noodles with minced pork and vegetables?

The Chinese dish of cellophane noodles with minced pork and vegetables is called ants climbing a tree. It is a classic Sichuan dish whose Chinese name, mayishangshu, literally evokes ants moving along branches.

The “ants” are small pieces of ground meat that cling to slippery bean-thread noodles, which represent the tree branches. The noodles are made from starch, commonly mung bean starch, and are also known as cellophane, glass, or bean-thread noodles. They become translucent when softened or cooked.

A typical preparation combines the noodles and minced pork with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, scallions, chili, sesame oil, or rice vinegar. Despite its vivid name, the dish contains no insects. The imagery comes entirely from the appearance of the meat scattered across the noodles. It is sometimes confused with dan dan noodles, another Sichuan specialty, but dan dan noodles are usually wheat noodles served with a spicy, sesame- or chili-based sauce rather than bean-thread noodles.