Xi’an preserved lamb is long famed for its tender and flaky texture, bright red color, deliciously salty and tender taste, and rich, fragrant aroma. In the late Qing Dynasty, when Empress Dowager Cixi fled to Xi’an due to the invasion of the Eight-Nation Alliance into Beijing, she once caught a whiff of a strong, enticing aroma while passing through Beiguangji Street. She immediately stopped the imperial carriage and sent an eunuch to investigate. It turned out that the fragrance was wafting from the preserved lamb being cooked at Lao Tong’s family shop. After tasting it…
Donkey meat is known for its benefits in enriching blood and qi, as well as nourishing internal organs. There’s a popular saying: “Dragon meat in heaven, donkey meat on earth.” The Guanzhong region of Shaanxi is famous for breeding the nationally renowned “Guanzhong Donkey.” Since the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty, Fengxiang cured donkey meat has been a local specialty. In ancient times, donkey meat was eaten either raw or cooked, but now there are also donkey meat hotpots and stir-fried donkey meat dishes, incorporating Sichuan cuisine and medicinal dietary techniques…
The pottery whistle is a traditional folk toy in China with a long history and is produced in many regions. The folk pottery whistles in our province have a unique style, especially those from Yuhuazhai in Xi’an City, which are widely renowned. Made from clay and producing sound when blown into, they are also known as "mud squeakers." They are characterized by their simple yet refined shapes, rustic and bold tones, and vibrant colors...
Willow weaving is one of China's traditional folk handicrafts and also a specialty of Xi'an, Shaanxi. In ancient times, it was used mainly as an ordinary everyday utility item. It wasn't until the latter decades of the 20th century that it gradually gained popularity and slowly became an export-earning project for some regions in China. Willow-woven products are widely spread folk handicrafts in China. As the saying goes, “Every household has a wicker basket or crate.” This is because the raw materials for this craft are extremely diverse. In northern China, the main materials used for weaving baskets and crates include willow branches, tamarisk branches, mulberry twigs, brambles, and black locust twigs, many of which grow in saline-alkali soil and marshland.
Zhonglou Little Milk Popsicle is a classic local ice cream in Xi'an. It was first introduced many years ago by Zhonglou Food Store and sold in the Zhonglou area, hence its nickname "Zhonglou Little Milk Popsicle." Affordable and delicious, it has stood the test of time and remains one of the most popular cold treats in the area. It comes in a variety of flavors such as cocoa, red bean, peanut, kiwi, and strawberry, but…
Xifu rice noodles — a nearly-meter-long iron-bladed cleaver, a glistening sheet of delicate rice noodle skin. With a single firm push from the vendor, the blade darts down like a chicken pecking at grain, swiftly slicing the skin into strips half a centimeter wide. A handful is scooped into a bowl, dipped in a chopstick-full of spicy chili oil, then mixed with salt, vinegar, garlic juice, and topped with shredded cucumber and bean sprouts. After a few quick tosses, take another look…
Hulatang is a unique traditional delicacy of Xi'an, renowned both domestically and internationally for its rich flavor, thick broth, chewy bread, tender meat, and the perfect balance of fat without being greasy. Hulatang Paomo The exact origins of Hulatang Paomo remain unverified. However, as early as the mid-Tang Dynasty, there was a food item in the capital Chang’an called "Jian Baichang"…
Cured beef and mutton have a history of nearly a century in Xi’an and are one of the city’s famous snacks. Made with carefully selected ingredients, refined techniques, complete seasonings, and proper cooking methods, the cured meat has a tender, crumbly texture, a rich red color, and a deliciously aromatic flavor. Legend has it that when Empress Dowager Cixi took refuge in Xi’an, she was full of praise after tasting the local cured beef and mutton. Today, cured beef and mutton…
Kiwi fruit is rich in 17 kinds of amino acids needed by the human body, and contains a variety of trace elements and vitamins. Known as the "king of fruits" for its highest vitamin C content and rich nutrition, kiwi fruit is scientifically processed into preserves. These preserves are sweet and tangy, retaining all the nutrients, color, aroma, and flavor of fresh kiwi fruit, along with a crispy texture. Kiwi fruit preserves have…
Northern Shaanxi red adzuki beans, also known as red beans or simply adzuki beans, are one of the traditional export commodities, shipped to markets in Europe, Southeast Asia, and beyond. These beans are known for their bright red color, thin skins, and uniformly sized grains, making them an ideal ingredient for various sweets and pastries. Additionally, they offer medicinal benefits, such as detoxifying and draining pus, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling, clearing heat and dampness, and strengthening the spleen to relieve diarrhea…
The crystal cake gets its name from its translucent, crystal-like filling. Among all such cakes, Demugong Crystal Cake is the most famous and is a renowned specialty food of the ancient city of Xi'an. For 130 years, the people at Demugong have lived and conducted business according to the meanings of the three characters “德 (virtue), 懋 (diligence), and 恭 (respect),” which has helped grow the brand’s reputation and enhance the trustworthiness of its crystal cakes…
Yellow Bean Cake is made from peas and fresh dried persimmons, and is famous across the Shaanxi region for its cool, sweet, and refreshing taste. The preparation involves removing the stems from the dried persimmons, slicing them into strips about 5 mm wide and 3 mm thick, and laying them out in a single layer in a large bowl. Three layers of pea paste, each about 3 cm thick, are then poured over the persimmon slices. Once cooled completely, the mixture is cut into small pieces...
This is a soup dish made from camel hooves. It was once a delicacy enjoyed by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and his beloved Yang Guifei at the Huaqing Palace on Mount Li. The modern recreation, known as Tuoji Soup, uses air-dried camel hooves that are soaked to soften, deboned, seasoned to eliminate any gamey taste, diced and blanched. Shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots are also diced. Chicken stock is prepared separately, then all ingredients are stir-fried in a wok with oil infused with ginger and scallions. Once fully flavored and tender, the soup is plated, drizzled with sesame oil, and sprinkled with chopped coriander.
Buckwheat Hele Noodles are one of the three great northern Chinese noodle dishes, alongside Lanzhou beef noodles and Shanxi knife-cut noodles. "Hele" noodles are so called because they are mostly made from buckwheat flour, and their most commonly accepted name is "buckwheat hele noodles." Historically, hele was referred to as "hé lòu" (河漏). In addition to buckwheat flour, the main ingredients of hele noodles also include edible alkali and salt. Hele noodles were anciently known as hé lòu. The Yuan Dynasty agronomist Wang...
In the Guanzhong region of Shaanxi, there is an ancient food with a unique production method and distinctive flavor called stone flatbread, also known as dry flatbread. Due to its long history and primitive processing technique, it is referred to as a living "fossil" among Chinese foods. Stone flatbread is made by baking dough on heated stones. It is flaky, savory, and has a long shelf life…
A renowned Shaanxi delicacy, especially famous in Xi'an for its beef and lamb pita bread soup. It is exquisitely prepared, rich in flavor and ingredients, with tender meat and thick broth. The dish is succulent yet not greasy, highly nutritious, fragrant, and appetizing, leaving a lasting aftertaste. Because it warms the stomach and satisfies hunger, it has long been loved by people of all ethnicities in Xi'an and the northwest region. Foreign visitors to Shaanxi also rush to taste it to indulge...
In the mid-1980s, the Xi’an Culinary Research Institute and Xi’an Qujiangchun Restaurant, based on excavating, organizing, and promoting traditional Chinese culinary arts and techniques, recreated over 70 dishes primarily in the flavors and styles of the Tang Dynasty, along with some from the Sui and Five Dynasties periods. Tang-style Cuisine draws from historical records of food from the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties…
The crispy pastry evolved from the layered baked cakes of the Tang Dynasty, refined over generations by chefs. It is hailed as the “Number One Pastry of Western Qin” and is also known as Layered Crispy Pastry. The pastry is made with refined white flour, vegetable oil, along with appropriate amounts of alkaline and spiced salt. The preparation involves making the dough layers, mixing the dough, forming the pastry, and then pan-frying or baking it. When making the dough layers, the ratio of oil to flour is one to three. The...
“Lamb noodles” are nothing unusual in Shaanxi, especially those from northern Shaanxi, which are the most famous. Traditionally, lamb noodles are made from buckwheat or sorghum flour, pressed through a noodle press. However, with the passage of time, most lamb noodles sold in supermarkets today are made from mixed flours, and some are even made purely from refined wheat flour. That faint, slightly bitter fragrance unique to pure buckwheat flour is rarely encountered anymore.
“Jujube paste pudding~~~~” As soon as the vendor’s call rang out, many elderly people and children would immediately rush to his stall. This was a scene I often witnessed in the ancient city of Xi'an in the mid-1950s. This jujube paste pudding is a well-known, affordable, and delicious local snack in Xi'an, primarily made from red dates...