Gaotai’s specialty red peppers are thick-fleshed and rich in oil, featuring a bright, vibrant red color and uniformly slender, well-shaped pods. Their flavor is pure, rich, and spicy. These peppers aid digestion, strengthen the spleen, beautify the complexion, improve eyesight, support weight loss and fitness. They also help prevent illness, guard against the cold, enhance blood circulation, and promote metabolism. …
Zhangye Fried Glutinous Cake – Golden in color, soft and crispy, sweet and delicious. Made from premium refined oil, fine white flour, and refined sugar, the process begins by scalding the flour with boiling water until half-cooked, then repeatedly stirring it with cold water before kneading it into egg-sized dough balls. These are filled with a mixture of sugar, sesame, and osmanthus, then deep-fried to perfection. It is a beloved snack among farmers in Zhangye. …
Ash Bean Soup is a unique dish made from mottled peas. The method involves first washing the round beans, simmering them in an iron pot until semi-cooked, then transferring them to a clay pot with water and seasonings such as edible alkali and red dates. It is slowly cooked into a thin paste, and sugar is added before serving, giving it a distinctive flavor that is very popular among locals. Master Du Weicheng of Lanzhou inherited the ash bean soup-making technique pioneered by Ma You, a renowned expert in ash bean soup...
The white-flowered reed (with a small amount of purple-flowered reed) is a specialty of Zhangye. It grows rapidly, with thick stalks, tall plants, dense growth, strong fiber toughness, and high quality. A large quantity of its leaves are transported to other regions to be used as palm leaf-like wrapping material. Located in China’s northwestern frontier, Zhangye boasts abundant water sources everywhere — one might say streams murmur and rivers weave like a tapestry — which is why reeds grow in thick clusters along lakeshores and riverbanks...
The skin of the Zhangye Red Pear is a striking bright red, making it a visually stunning newcomer among pear varieties. Its alluring appearance greatly satisfies the aesthetic preferences of certain niche consumers, aligning with current global trends in pear cultivation. Due to Zhangye’s favorable climate and geographical conditions for growing red pears, not only can production be increased at relatively low cost...
Gaotai County, Heiquan Township: Local specialty fat choy, abundant in licorice, sugar beet, and flax...
Zhangye is located in the "waist" of the Hexi Corridor at 38 degrees north latitude, bordered by the Qilian Mountains to the south and the Badain Jaran Desert to the north. Established as a commandery during the Western Han Dynasty with the meaning of "extending the nation’s arm to connect with the Western Regions," it was an important town along the ancient Silk Road. Covering a total area of 42,000 square kilometers, it includes 3.8 million mu of arable land, 6.96 million mu of forest...
Qilian Wine is meticulously crafted by Qilian Winery from 11 premium grape varieties, including Cabernet Gernischt, Merlot, Semillon, Riesling, and Traminer, cultivated in Gaotai County. It features over 10 varieties across three major series: dry red, ice red, and ice white. The wine boasts a rich aroma, crystal-clear body, and a mellow, sweet, and refreshing taste...
Tomatoes are native to South America and are named for their fruit color. Their lycopene content is seven times that of regular tomatoes and they are rich in anthocyanins, vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid, niacin, as well as being high in calcium, low in sodium, and low in sugar—making them an exceptionally nutritious fruit. Three years ago, Greeks used black tomato extract to create "Greek God," which became a global sensation…
It—snowy plateau, pure and flawless; it—nourished by the meltwater of the Qilian Mountains; it—grown in greenhouse havens, absorbing the essence. It—vibrant and luscious, arriving late; it—nourishing to body and soul, cool and sweet. It is—the magical red globe grape from the Qilian Snow Mountains!! Glacier Snow Grapes 2188 “Red Globe,” also known as Late Red, Red Earth, or Red Globe Grape...
Dongwan Village in Xiangdao Township, Gaotai County, Gansu Province, is located in the northeastern part of Jingyuan County. It borders Baoji Township and Gonghe Township in Pingchuan District to the east, connects to Wulan Town to the south, faces the Yellow River to the west with Mile Tan and Santan across the river, and lies against Shuiquan Township in Pingchuan District to the north. In 2001, Xiangdao Township organized vegetable farmers to visit other areas to study vegetable cultivation and summarized high-ridge planting…
Wheat gluten is a delightful chilled dish made from wheat flour — fluffy, soft, and uniquely flavorful. The method of making it is as follows: Mix a small amount of salt into the flour, then stir in water to form dough. Knead the dough in clean water to separate the protein and starch. The protein portion is then kneaded into a flat cake and placed on a round, woven straw basket. Once the water in the pot comes to a boil, the cakes are placed inside one by one…
Lamb Tripe Noodles Lamb tripe noodles are a type of noodle soup that is especially popular among middle-aged and elderly people. It is particularly favored by those who enjoy drinking alcohol. This dish features both noodles and broth — the soup is slightly thick, made from barley lamb tripe, and has a smooth, refreshing taste with an excellent mouthfeel and a unique flavor. Its preparation method is very simple: make the dough a bit firmer, knead it well and let it rest for a while, then...
Blood clot buns, also known as pig blood buns, get their name from their main filling ingredient—pig blood clots. These buns use white flour dough and are filled with fresh pig blood mixed with other green vegetables such as chives. Pig blood buns are homemade treats often prepared in rural households, beloved for their delicious taste and simple preparation. The outer skin is typically made from white flour, while the filling...
Chili peppers are a beloved, delicious vegetable, and both dried chilies and chili powder are commonly used as cooking seasonings. There are many varieties of chili peppers grown in various regions, but those from Heli in Gaotai have a distinctive charm. Thanks to the area’s superior geographical conditions, the chilies produced in Heli Township are thick-fleshed, rich in oil, with a bright and vibrant red color, and a pure, intense spiciness. The unripe fruits are green…
Sticky rice dumplings with dates In the ancient lunar calendar, May is marked not only by fiery pomegranate blossoms but also by the eye-catching sticky rice dumplings around the Dragon Boat Festival. Eating these dumplings during the festival originally commemorated the poet Qu Yuan’s tragic leap into the river—an origin I learned only after starting school. Nowadays, the original intent of honoring the poet has largely faded; for most people, it’s simply about savoring a delicious treat. I love…
Chengguan Town: Known for its Shahe pears. Shahe Township: Renowned for Shahe pears and jujubes, often called the “Fruit Kingdom of the He River Area.”…
Legend has it that after the establishment of the Zhangye Commandery, Central Plains culture gradually spread to the Hexi Corridor, bringing with it winemaking techniques. The Ming Dynasty poet Liu Kuan praised Zhangye Southern Wine in his work “Ode to the Hexi Corridor,” writing: “Fine grains gush from the curving spring; the wine is rich as blended streams.” Zhangye Southern Wine is made using distilled spirits as the base, with a measured amount of glutinous rice added, and is brewed with medicinal...
Gansu has a long history of jujube cultivation. Located in the central part of the Hexi Corridor, Liangzhou Linze has jujube trees planted everywhere — in front of and behind houses, along roadsides, on field ridges, and across open fields and wastelands. Though not large in size, Linze jujubes are renowned for their color, tender flesh, high sugar content, and freedom from insect damage. Rich in nutrition, fresh Linze jujubes contain 24% sugar, 1...
Zhangye Yellow Wine is an essential item for rituals, weddings, and funerals in Zhangye. For instance, when local children get married, their parents brew a jar of the wine for them to serve guests on the occasion. Zhangye’s yellow wine has a long history, with the local ancestors starting to gather medicinal qu (a fermentation starter) very early on. Later, it began using sorghum, highland barley, and barley as the base, glutinous rice as an auxiliary ingredient, and selecting dozens of valuable Chinese herbs such as angelica, gardenia, dried tangerine peel, safflower, and more. These are combined with barley for making the qu, then meticulously brewed into a low-sugar, nutrient-rich beverage that contains an abundance of seventeen essential amino acids vital to the human body.