Donkey-hide gelatin, originally known as yellow-brown gelatin, is a traditional tonic in China. The Yusu Donkey-Hide Gelatin Factory in Shanxi has been producing Zijinshan Spring Brand Donkey-Hide Gelatin since 1966. The main ingredients of the gelatin are donkey hide, rock sugar, yellow rice wine, and soybean oil, all boiled using water from the Zijinshan Spring.
In our Jicun Renyan area, people’s heads must not be touched or patted casually—even if unintentional—lest it provoke a warning from the person involved: “The head, the head, it gets angry at the slightest touch!” It is said that this has something to do with the famous late Ming and early Qing celebrity, Mr. Fu Shan. A man from Renyan, Cao Liangzhi, styled Guyi, became a Jinshi (imperial scholar) in the year Dingchou (1637),…
Main ingredients for braised noodles with green beans: 750g green beans in the pot, 700g red noodles (about 500g dried noodles). Side ingredients: 100g cooking oil, 40g soy sauce, 10g salt, a small amount of scallions, garlic, Chinese prickly ash, sesame oil, cilantro, and vinegar. Preparation: 1. Remove the tips and strings from the green beans, wash them, and break them by hand into 2-cm-long segments...
Fenyang Stone Bread Fenyang Stone Bread is one of China’s oldest types of grilled flatbread. Also known as Shiyumo, it was called Shi’ao Bread during the Tang Dynasty. Special features: long shelf life, easy to carry, and a crispy, savory flavor.
Sesame Paste Cold Noodles is a typical Halal dish. The preparation method is relatively simple: mix flour into a paste, pour it into a specially designed metal cold noodle sieve, shake the sieve to evenly spread the batter at the bottom, then steam it in boiling water until cooked. When serving, cut the noodles into strips about half a centimeter wide, typically add shredded cucumber as a side ingredient, and season with salt, vinegar...
Fenyang has a long history of sorghum cultivation, with records of sorghum appearing in local chronicles over 2,000 years ago. Thanks to its strong drought resistance, waterlogging tolerance, salt-alkali endurance, poor soil adaptability, resilience, high and stable yields, and wide adaptability, sorghum has been one of the staple foods supporting the people of Fenzhou for millennia, with its historical maximum planting area exceeding...
Fen Zhou Xiang Millet is produced in the Potou area of Fenyang City, Shanxi Province, known as the "hometown of millet" in China. The land here is fertile and the climate is mild, with year-round irrigation from the Peach Blossom Cave spring, making it highly suitable for millet growth. Furthermore, it uses the high-quality variety Jin Gu 21, cultivated by the Economic Crops Research Institute of the Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and is processed using advanced production techniques...
Xinghuacun Fenjiu, also known as Lao Bai Fenjiu, gets its name from being produced in Xinghuacun Village, Fenyang City, Shanxi Province. Xinghuacun is a renowned liquor capital of China, located 15 kilometers north of Fenyang City on the northern side of the Tai-Fen Highway, and 90 kilometers from downtown Taiyuan, the provincial capital. Shanxi’s Xinghuacun Liquor is famous for its clarity, pure aroma, smooth sweetness, and long-lasting aftertaste—renowned for its exceptional color, aroma, and taste...
Jizhen Town: Chinese Yam...
Fen Licorice: Renowned both at home and abroad. Jianxi Township: Fen Licorice.…
Zhuyeqing Liquor, produced alongside the millennia-renowned Fenjiu at the Fenjiu Distillery in Xinghua Village, Fenyang, was named one of China’s top national liquors during both the second and third National Wine Appraisal Conferences. The liquor boasts a golden, transparent hue tinged with greenish-blue, carrying a unique fragrance derived from Fenjiu and medicinal infusions—aromatic, mellow, sweet with a hint of bitterness, smooth, non-irritating…
Fenzhou walnuts from Shanxi have a long history. Their kernels are deliciously sweet, rich in fat and protein, and whether eaten raw or made into pastries and candies, they are fragrant and tasty. They are also a brain-boosting food that can invigorate qi and enrich blood, moisten dryness and resolve phlegm, benefit the lungs and lubricate the intestines. With their sweet and mild flavor, they offer certain therapeutic effects on "warming and nourishing kidney and lung functions, calming wheezing and resolving phlegm." In Shanxi...
Fenjiu is produced at the Xinghuacun Distillery in Fenyang County, Shanxi Province. Legend has it that brewing began in Xinghuacun during the fifth century AD, making it over 1,400 years old. Fenjiu had already gained fame by the Tang Dynasty. In the poem "Qingming" by the Tang poet Du Mu, it is written: “A drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day; The mourner’s heart is breaking on his way. Where can a wineshop be found to drown his sadness? A cowherd points to Xinghuacun far away…”
Howard Pears and Dates have long been hailed as “red as agate, sweet as honey, large as eggs, and crisp as pears.” They are also praised as “the king of jujubes—sweet, crisp, richly flavored, large, juicy, and high-yielding.” Their introduction filled the gap in China’s market for fresh eating jujubes. Howard Pears and Dates average 30–60 grams per fruit, with the largest reaching up to 102 grams. They feature thin skins, thick flesh, and a crisp...
Yuci vinegar possesses the typical characteristics of vinegar—acidic richness, strong flavor, and lingering aftertaste—while also featuring a fragrant aroma, smooth texture, and no sedimentation. Moreover, the longer aged traditional vinegar is stored, the more aromatic, tangy, and delicious it becomes, offering a refined taste to savor. It also resists molding in summer and freezing in winter, maintaining a deep orange hue. It stands out as a uniquely high-quality product among Shanxi vinegars. (…
Oatmeal Basket Noodles are a traditional home-cooked dish from the cold highland regions of central and northern Shanxi. Nowadays, they have gained widespread popularity as a nutritious grain-based snack in restaurants and eateries. The making method and the origin of the name date back to the late Sui and early Tang dynasties, around 1,400 years ago. Legend has it that Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang, was demoted to serve as the governor of Taiyuan. While traveling through the ancient temple of Pangu Temple at Lingkong Mountain with his family, an old...
Changning Town is located in the eastern part of Yuci City. Changning purple-skin garlic features a purplish-red skin, large and plump cloves, a strong spicy flavor, a loose skin but tight cloves, high moisture content, and a tender and delicious taste. Each head has either four or six cloves, and when mashed into garlic paste, it does not discolor overnight. The cultivation of Changning garlic has a long history and has been an imperial tribute since the Ming and Qing dynasties, enjoying a high reputation in central Shanxi and beyond. …
Sandy cake, also known as scarred cake. This type of scarred cake usually has a diameter of 26 to 33 centimeters. The cake is both thin and crispy, with an uneven surface created by baking on river pebbles—hence the name “scarred cake.” To make scarred cake, ingredients such as flour, cooking oil, eggs, salt, and five-spice powder are first mixed together, then rolled out into round, thin dough using a rolling pin…
"Yuci’s Three Treasures: Sweet Rice Balls, Starch Jelly, and Tofu Pudding" — this is a local folk rhyme praising the traditional delicacies of Yuci. Starch jelly is made from buckwheat flour. The production of Yuci starch jelly is meticulous: the dough is first mixed stiff, then softened, and finally thinned out with more liquid. For cold dishes, the batter should be thinner, while for hot dishes, it should be thicker, and it's best to mix in some pig’s blood. This results in a jelly that is...
Shouyang in Shanxi Province is surrounded by mountains, situated at a relatively high altitude, and experiences significant seasonal climate variations. Winters are long and cold, summers are short and cool, while spring and autumn are brief and not distinctly marked. Since ancient times, Shouyang has been renowned for producing high-quality coarse grains. The president of the World Buckwheat Association once praised Shouyang buckwheat, saying: “Shouyang’s buckwheat is the best buckwheat, and Shouyang’s buckwheat is the cleanest buckwheat.” …