Willow catkins are an edible fungus that grows on the branches of old willow trees in the Liancheng forest area. They are grayish-white with a slight green tint. Local farmers gather them and dry them for storage. When eaten, they are washed, briefly blanched in boiling water, then drained and seasoned with salt, vinegar, and stir-fried scallions and garlic. They make a delicious, crispy side dish or drinking snack. Local farmers often give willow catkins as gifts to family and friends. Nowadays, farmers with a stronger commercial mindset have also introduced this mountain vegetable into the specialty food market.
Product Features: Yongdeng January Red Globe grapes are the only fresh red globe grapes harvested in winter across China, making them a precious fresh fruit delicacy during the Spring Festival. The product is highly favored in the market due to its rich nutrition, long growth period, high sugar content, ideal market season, and long shelf life.
Melon Stuffed with Sweet Fillings is a renowned summer delicacy that stands out among Lanzhou’s famous dishes. It evolved from the "Watermelon Lantern" and "Watermelon Cup" of the 1950s. This dish is celebrated for enclosing a treasure of eight ingredients inside the melon, boasting sweet and flavorful juice, as well as a vibrant, jade-like beauty. The preparation method involves: first steaming two taels of glutinous rice over low heat; blanching two taels of pork fat cubes in boiling water; in a basin, mixing two taels of candied fruits...
Lily Peach is a specialty snack from Lanzhou. The lily bulbs are trimmed at the tip and root, the yellow and black outer petals are removed, and the bulbs are sliced. They are then rinsed clean with water, steamed in a basket for fifteen minutes, taken out to cool slightly, and any excess moisture is wiped off with a clean cloth. Green plums are sliced, and on a clean work surface, hawthorn cake is mashed into a paste while the red bean paste filling is divided into twenty portions. Following the natural shape of the lily petals...
---- Pig Intestine Noodles are a flavorful noodle dish made with pig large intestines, created by people in Lanzhou during the Qing Dynasty. They were most renowned in Xuanjia Lane during the Republican era. These noodles are beloved for their exquisite preparation, tender texture, rich aroma, and unique flavor. To make them, fresh fatty pig intestines are repeatedly washed with salt, alkali, and vinegar water, then rinsed thoroughly with clean water until...
Among the many varieties of melons in Lanzhou, the White Melon stands out as the most renowned. The White Melon thrives in a climate characterized by high temperatures, dryness, significant day-night temperature variations, and long hours of sunlight. The soil in the Lanzhou area is mostly loose, deep, slightly alkaline loess, with abundant and intense sunshine — conditions that are highly conducive to the growth of the White Melon and the accumulation of its sugars. On the north bank of the Yellow River in Lanzhou, in the Qing...
The so-called scalded dough refers to dough that is mixed and used immediately, as opposed to fermented dough, which requires a fermentation process. When making flatbread with fermented dough, you typically mix the dough one day and bake the flatbread the next; whereas with scalded dough, the process is much quicker—you can mix the dough with boiling water and bake the flatbread right away. Flatbread made with fermented dough is usually made at home for family meals, and...
The people of Kushui are known for their hospitality, and making a plate of hand-pulled noodles for family and friends is traditionally considered the highest form of polite hospitality. This is one of the nostalgic "Kushui impressions." There are three key points to making great hand-pulled noodles: First, you must knead the dough—add the right amount of water to the appropriate quantity of flour, then knead it thoroughly, cover it well, and let the dough “rest” properly…
Millet Dumplings Whenever the wild geese fly south and farmers swing their sickles to harvest millet and grain in the golden autumn season, the children of Yongdeng always clap their hands and sing this ancient nursery rhyme: “Geese, geese, turn into plows, the millet is yellow—time to eat ‘dumplings’.” The Yongdeng region is rich in millet and grain, which are oily, sticky, and have a long-lasting sweet flavor. “Dumplings” are a type of coarse grain food made from millet flour by the local people…
Clay Pot Bread is one of the staple dry foods commonly eaten by rural households in the Yongdeng area. Due to its unique flavor, it is highly popular among locals. Clay Pot Bread is typically made from premium wheat flour. The process begins with proofing the dough. Once the dough has risen, a small amount of dry flour is added, along with an appropriate amount of bog ash (or alkaline) water, which is then kneaded evenly to neutralize the acidity. …
Lamb Cloaked in Felt Robe — A Tribute Delicacy from the Sheep Village The “felt robe” is a specially made felt cape used by herders in Yongdeng and other areas to shield against wind and rain. The “Lamb Cloaked in Felt Robe,” on the other hand, is a vividly named signature dish of Yongdeng. Historical records indicate that lamb from Jingyuan, Yongdeng, and the Hexi Corridor had already become a tribute to the imperial court as early as the Tang Dynasty. As…
Dark Water Tobacco Shreds Dark Water boasts a long history, rich cultural heritage, and abundant local produce. Thanks to its favorable climate and unique soil composition, it is not only renowned for its world-famous roses and delicious fruits, but also produces distinctive tobacco shreds. During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, large areas in Dark Water were already planted with tobacco leaves. In the mid-to-late 1930s, the tobacco shreds produced here...
There is a local saying in Chakouyi: “The horses from Zhenwu, Sancha, and other areas are naturally born to gallop.” This refers to the region encompassing Zhenqiang Post (now known as Jinqiang Post, now part of Tianzhu County), Wusheng Post, Chakouyi (now part of Tianzhu County), Sancha Village in Pingcheng Township, and Machangcha — where the horses bred here can canter swiftly once they reach maturity. According to the Records of the Grand Historian (Han Shu), during the Han Dynasty…
Niangpi is one of the most beloved snack foods among people in Northwest China. Although it is commonly referred to as a "Shaanxi snack," the Niangpi from Lanzhou, Gansu, stands out in the region for its unique preparation technique and flavor. Niangpi is a distinctive type of noodle-like dish...
Lanzhou Clear Beef Noodle Soup. Lanzhou beef noodles are the most famous local delicacy in Lanzhou. The dish originated during the Guangxu period and was first created by an elderly Hui man named Ma Baozi. Over the course of nearly a century, this single bowl of noodles has gained fame across the city of Lanzhou and beyond, renowned for its tender meat, rich broth, and finely crafted noodles. It has become popular all over China...
Gray beans are a porridge-like dish made from mottled peas. The preparation involves first washing the mottled peas, adding water to boil them, then mixing in edible alkali, and simmering over low heat. At the right time, red dates are added. When the dates burst open, their sweet juices flow into the soup, creating a rich aroma. When served, white sugar is added, giving it a distinctive flavor that is very popular with the public...
Back when I was studying at Gansu University of Technology, there was a middle-aged woman who set up a small stall selling malatang downhill from the school gate.
Lamb pita soaked in soup from Lanzhou is quite different from that in Xi'an. In Lanzhou, the dish features large slices of boiled lamb served over vermicelli, garlic sprouts, and cilantro, topped with lamb broth—simple and full of authentic flavor. As for the pita, while Xi'an uses an unleavened (non-fermented) flatbread, Lanzhou serves a local leavened bread that retains the original fragrance of the wheat flour...
Lanzhou pebble carving is a type of craft artwork meticulously crafted using river stones polished and shaped over millennia by the Yellow River. These naturally formed stones are carved according to their unique shapes and patterns, employing jade-carving techniques. It was first created in 1974 by jade carver Qin Xinwei from Gansu Arts and Crafts Factory and has since become highly popular among the public. Lanzhou pebble carving is a type of craft artwork meticulously crafted using river stones polished...
Legend has it that Lanzhou beef noodles originated in the Tang Dynasty, but this cannot be verified. Historical records indicate that Lanzhou beef noodles evolved from the old soup noodles made with cart-beef. The so-called old soup refers to the gelatinous substance formed when beef broth cools down, which solidifies like aspic—extremely flavorful and considered premium for making beef noodles. During the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty (1799), Ma Liqi, a member of the Dongxiang ethnic group, learned the recipe for cart-beef old soup noodles from Chen Weijing in Qinghua, Huaiqing Prefecture, Henan (now Qinghua Town, Bo'ai County, Jiaozuo, Henan), and brought it to Lanzhou. Later, individuals such as Chen Hesheng and Ma Baozi standardized the Lanzhou beef noodle recipe with the principles of “one clear (broth), two white (radish), three red (chili oil), four green (cilantro and garlic sprouts), and five yellow (bright yellow noodles).” Another account suggests that in the early Qing Dynasty, Ma Zilu from Lanzhou learned how to make beef noodles from his relative Ma Chengde in Huating County, Qinghai Province, and brought the dish back to Lanzhou. After hundreds of years of innovation and development, Lanzhou beef noodles have won acclaim from diners across China and around the world for their tender meat, rich broth, and finely crafted noodles, becoming a culinary emblem of Lanzhou. In 1999, Lanzhou beef noodles were designated by the national government as one of the three major Chinese fast food items for trial promotion, earning the title “China’s No. 1 Noodle.”