Qinghai locals excel at cooking large chunks of boiled lamb. The meat is tender, easy to chew, rich but not greasy, with minimal seasoning yet full of aroma. On festive occasions or when honored guests arrive, hosts will serve large chunks of lamb as a gesture of respect. Preparation of large chunks of boiled lamb: First, cut the lamb (with bone) into fist-sized pieces, then place them in a pot of cold water. Add coal…
Milk skin, also known as dried cheese, is similar to what is called "cheese" in Western cuisine. It is one of the famous local specialties made from milk by farmers in Qinghai's farming-pastoral interlaced areas and is among the most delicious and nutritious dairy products. Its production history spans nearly a hundred years. The method of making milk skin involves boiling fresh milk in a pot, then controlling the heat and simmering it gently...
Glass Salt, a specialty of Qinghai. It is produced in the salt lakes around Dafeng Mountain in the Qaidam Basin. Its crystals are crystal-clear and transparent, uniformly square-shaped regardless of size, resembling crystals, hence also called Crystal Salt. Glass Salt is an invaluable material for manufacturing optical testing lenses, widely used in the optical industry such as infrared spectrum instruments, and is also…
Fabrics made from Xining wool are not only stiff, wear-resistant, and glossy, but also have excellent tightness in weaving. The wool of Qinghai Tibetan sheep is white in color, thick in fiber, and possesses strong resilience and sheen. Textiles woven from this Xining wool are soft, warm, and significantly superior to woolen products from other regions. As a result, they have been highly favored by people of all ethnic groups and foreign merchants since ancient times…
A distinctive noodle dish from Qinghai. After the hand-pulled noodles are boiled, they are drained of broth, cut into short strips with a knife, and then stir-fried with a mixture of cellophane noodles, minced meat, chili, and a small amount of vegetables. The preparation before draining resembles that of hand-pulled noodles, and the stir-frying method afterward is similar to that of stir-fried noodle slices, but the taste is unique and different from both. Starting long and ending short, first...
Potentilla anserina, also known as ginseng fruit, is often associated with the story in the novel *Journey to the West* where Sun Wukong steals and eats the ginseng fruit. In reality, there is indeed such a fruit on Earth, but it’s not the magical kind that grants immortality. It is a plant belonging to the genus *Potentilla* in the Rosaceae family. A perennial herb, the entire plant forms a coarse, net-like...
Zhaxi Jia sheep meat products are produced in six townships under the jurisdiction of Qumarleb County, Qinghai Province: Yuexia Town, Bagang Township, Qiuzhi Township, Maduo Township, Yige Township, and Qumah River Township. The geographical coordinates are between 92°56′ to 97°35′ east longitude and 33°36′ to 35°40′ north latitude…
Tanggute Horse Urine Puff, known in Tibetan as "Tangchuangaba." It is a plant of the Solanaceae family, a perennial herb covered all over with glandular hairs. The root is thick, fleshy, and stout. The stem is extremely short. The leaves are clustered in a rosette pattern, oblong to oblong-ovate in shape. Several yellow or light yellow flowers bloom in the leaf axils; the calyx is tubular-bell-shaped, and the corolla is tubular-funnel-shaped, covered with glandular hairs on the outside, the filaments are very short, and the anthers are oblong. The ovary has two chambers. The seeds are kidney-shaped, dark brown, slightly flattened. Tanggute Horse Urine Puff is a unique Tibetan medicinal herb from Qinghai. The entire plant is used in medicine and has analgesic and anti-swelling effects. It is used to treat boils, tumors, abscesses, diphtheria, abdominal pain, body aches, and skin diseases. However, it is toxic and should be used internally with caution.
Zhiduo White-lipped Deer is a specialty of Zhiduo County in Yushu Prefecture, Qinghai Province. Zhiduo County is known as the "Hometown of the White-lipped Deer." Located in the drainage area of the Nieqiaqu River, a tributary of the Tongtian River, the county is honored as the "Hometown of the White-lipped Deer." The White-lipped Deer is a rare and unique animal native to China and one of the world's most extraordinary creatures. Its medicinal value is widely renowned—not only is its meat edible and its hide usable…
Method: First, cut the potatoes into thick strips, blanch them in hot oil, then remove. Heat some oil in the pan, add Sichuan peppercorns, a generous mix of chopped green onions, ginger, garlic, and shredded red chili peppers. Those who enjoy spicy food can also add some chili oil. Then add the potato sticks and stir-fry. Add dark soy sauce, salt, and a little sugar. Sprinkle in MSG just before removing from heat. …
Origin: Produced in Yushu (Qinghai), Garzê and Dege (Sichuan), and Nagqu (Tibet). Properties: Bitter, sweet, slightly cold; Function: Moistens lungs, resolves phlegm, clears heat, and dissipates nodules. Indications: Chronic cough due to lung deficiency with little phlegm and dry throat, wheezing cough with excessive phlegm, swelling, boils, and scrofula. Common dosage: 3–10g, ground into powder and taken as a decoction...
Tibetan Artemisia is a herbaceous plant of the Gentianaceae family, primarily derived from Swertia mussotii and Swertia franchetiana. After scientific extraction, it is processed into injections and sugar-coated tablets, which are sold nationwide. It has shown excellent clinical efficacy in the prevention and treatment of hepatitis, making it highly popular among medical institutions and patients. Tibetan Artemisia possesses heat-clearing and bile-promoting properties that help reduce jaundice. It is particularly effective for both acute...
Tanggute Dragonhead, also known as "Gansu-Qinghai Dragonhead," is called "Zhiyangge" in Tibetan. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Lamiaceae family, with an erect, square-shaped stem. The upper part is covered with retrorse and minute hairs, while the lower middle part is almost hairless. Short branches grow in the leaf axils. The leaves are opposite, with ovate or ovate-elliptic outlines that are slightly revolute. The upper surface is hairless, while the lower surface is densely covered with gray...
Yushu Black Highland Barley. Highland barley is a type of barley, mainly produced in Tibetan areas such as Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan, and Shangri-La in Yunnan. It is a staple food for the Tibetan people. It is currently the grain crop with the highest β-glucan content in the world, which means high-quality highland barley is expected to become the most "valuable" grain crop. Black highland barley is…
Yushu boasts a wide range of specialties, the most distinctive of which are precious Tibetan medicinal herbs and health products. According to statistics, there are thousands of varieties of Tibetan medicinal plants, hundreds of animal-based, and natural mineral medicinal resources growing in Yushu. Many of these are rare species, forming a significant resource advantage. Tibetan medicine in Yushu has a long history, with famous doctors emerging in every generation and unique empirical prescriptions...
The yak penis, known as the "boat of the plateau," is an ideal tonic for warming the waist and kidneys, nourishing essence and marrow, strengthening the body, boosting virility, and preventing or treating male impotence and premature ejaculation. The yak is a rare livestock species on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, renowned as the "boat of the plateau," and lives on the pure, natural, and unpolluted snowy highlands at altitudes above 3,500 meters. The yak penis is an ideal tonic for...
Li Shizhen said: "Sal ammoniac is toxic and can cause mental confusion, hence its name 'brain sand'." Sal ammoniac is a mineral of the halide class, either purple rock salt or a type of ammonium chloride ore. It comes in two varieties, purple and white. The purple one is called purple sal ammoniac, known in Tibetan as "karuca."
Featuring cordyceps as the main ingredient, along with eight highland-grown, natural precious herbs including fritillaria, pilose antler, Tibetan gentian, bergamot, and saffron. The “Cordyceps Eight Treasures” can enhance the body’s immunity, making it an ideal health supplement for anti-cancer, antibacterial, nourishing, strengthening, boosting vitality, enhancing yang and yin, and promoting longevity. …
Many travelers are deeply impressed by a unique type of grilled meat called "rib skewers" (肋巴). These are flavorful skewers made by first parboiling lamb ribs, then brushing them with sauce and grilling them over charcoal. This cooking method is actually similar to Turkish kebabs, and the word "kebab" itself originates from the Turkish language. …
Zhaduo Cordyceps is a specialty of Zhaduo County in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. The Cordyceps produced in Zhaduo County are large in size and well-known both domestically and internationally, earning the county the reputation as the “No. 1 Cordyceps County in China.” Zhaduo County is located in the southwest of Qinghai Province and the southeast of Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, bordering the Tibet Autonomous Region to the south. It lies at the northern foot of the Tanggula Mountains, an…