Xi'an chili peppers are slender and long, deep red and glossy in color, with a strong spicy flavor and rich aroma. They are easy to dry, store well, and are known as the "king of chilies." At the same time, they are rich in vitamin C, capsanthin, capsaicin, protein, fat, phosphorus, iron, and other nutrients. They can enhance flavor, stimulate appetite, and aid digestion. …
Ingredients for meatball spicy soup: vegetables, bean sprouts, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, tofu skin, gluten, dried tofu, shredded kelp, shredded tofu sheets, winter melon, sweet potato noodles, fresh meat. Seasonings: chili oil, pickled mustard tuber, ground pepper, spicy and savory powder, salt, chicken bouillon, broth, vinegar, flour paste. Method: 1. First, cut all the ingredients into strips.…
Folk paper-cutting in the Xi'an area boasts a long history, distinctive features, and international renown. Its themes often reflect the real-life experiences, customs, and productive activities of working people, expressing their aspirations for a better life. Popular works include "Abundance Year After Year," "Bumper Harvest," "The Yellow Emperor's Inspection Tour," and "The Heroines of the Yang Family."…
The lacquerware produced by Xi'an Special Arts and Crafts Factory features a rich variety of materials, including famous flowers and plants, auspicious birds and cranes, as well as characters from stories such as "The Heavenly Maid Scattering Flowers" and "Dream of the Red Chamber." The designs are bright and generous, with lifelike, vivid, and dynamic images that have a strong sense of three-dimensionality. The overall effect is elegant, classic, luxurious, and magnificent. Xi'an lacquerware products mainly include screens, …
Jiaotuan is a rustic dish from the West of Shaanxi region. It gets its name from the process of stirring flour into a cooked, solidified lump. Because it’s easy to digest but not very filling, it’s playfully called “foothill filler.” Originally made with buckwheat flour, the recipe changed over time due to the low yield and limited cultivation of buckwheat, as well as the shortage of refined grains during the three-year natural disaster period in the early 1960s...
A popular street snack in the Central Shaanxi region. At food stalls in towns across this area, there’s a dish resembling tadpoles made from pea starch noodles. When stir-fried with a special braised oil (see Lamb Blood Soup with Noodles), it becomes smooth, oily, and refreshing—this is called Stir-Fried Rice Noodles. Some also mix the noodles with rice before frying, creating a unique flavor. This dish is typically available in the evening…
Ingredients: 500g yam, 200g white sugar, 100g glutinous rice flour, 5g yellow osmanthus, and appropriate amounts of green plums, hawthorn cake, raisins, orange cakes, walnut kernels, and other fruits. Preparation method: 1. Wash the yam, steam until cooked, peel, and mash with a knife. For every 500g of yam, add 100g cooked glutinous rice flour, 100g white sugar...
The world-renowned "Xi'an Dumpling Banquet" is a fine example of Chinese cuisine, and the final dish, the "Empress Dowager Hot Pot," brings the banquet to its climax. Legend has it that during the time when Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu took refuge in Xi'an, one evening after watching a Qinqiang opera performance, the Empress Dowager felt hungry and ordered the imperial chefs to prepare a midnight snack she had never tried before. The chefs, well aware of the Empress Dowager’s preferences...
As far back as five or six thousand years ago, chestnut trees were cultivated and chestnuts were consumed in the area of Chang'an County. Chang'an chestnuts are rich in nutrients, sweet and delicious, with fine and tender flesh, and are easy to store—making them ideal for travelers to carry and give as gifts to family and friends. (Xi'an)…
Features: Acidic, spicy, refreshing, cool and fragrant; the skin is chewy and soft, making it perfect for summer. Preparation methods: rolled liangpi, steamed liangpi. Main ingredients: flour, seasonings, rapeseed oil, chili. Brief introduction: Liangpi, also known as "niangpizi," evolved from the cold noodles of the Tang Dynasty. The skin is made from carefully selected ingredients, with meticulous craftsmanship…
Spiced Brine Cold Noodles refer to a dish where cold noodles are served in a savory spiced broth. This unique snack from Shaanxi Province is said to have originated in Chang’an County. During the hot summer months, coinciding with the busy farming season, farmers had little time to cook. Hot meals took too long to eat, so they would make a pot of spiced broth, slice some cold noodles, add convenient seasonings, soak some flatbread in it, and quickly gulp it all down...
1. Crack 4 eggs into a large bowl and whisk them clockwise; 2. Add a cup of warm water and stir well, then add an appropriate amount of flour (just enough to make a thin, sticky batter) and mix thoroughly; 3. Add a suitable amount of vegetable oil (to prevent the pancake from sticking while cooking); 4. Add pre-chopped spinach puree, chopped green onions…
Ingredients for making Bōyú: Main ingredient: Flour Secondary ingredients: Spinach, soybean tofu, carrot, garlic sprouts, tomato Seasonings: Scallion, ginger, chicken bouillon, cooking wine, salt, pepper, sesame oil, soy sauce How to make Bōyú
Main ingredients: an appropriate amount of cornmeal, a small amount of fine wheat flour (i.e., high-quality wheat flour, you can also use only cornmeal; adding wheat flour will make it relatively chewier, the ideal ratio of the two flours is about 4:1, but you can also use only wheat flour), a small amount of millet (optional)
Dried tofu is a processed product made from tofu. It has a savory and refreshing taste, firm yet slightly chewy, and can be stored for a long time without spoiling. Benefits: Dried tofu is highly nutritious, containing large amounts of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, as well as various minerals needed by the human body such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. During the production process, salt, fennel, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and...
Xuan paper features “toughness with smoothness, brightness without slipperiness, whiteness and density, pure texture, resistance to creasing, and strong ink absorption.” It also has unique permeability and lubricating properties. When used for calligraphy, it captures both bone structure and spirit; for painting, it brings out vivid brilliance. As the paper that best embodies the artistic style of Chinese brushwork, it is said that “ink can be divided into five tones”—a single stroke can produce varying shades, textures, and gradations, with clear ink charm and distinct layers. This artistic effect is achieved as calligraphers and painters utilize the ink-absorbing quality of Xuan paper, controlling the ratio of ink to water and modulating their brushstrokes with precision. Additionally, Xuan paper is resistant to aging, does not discolor easily, is rarely damaged by insects, and has a long lifespan, earning it the reputation of “king of papers” and “paper that lasts a thousand years.” In the 19th century, it won a gold medal at the Panama International Paper Competition. Beyond being used for poetry and painting, Xuan paper is also the best choice for writing diplomatic correspondence, preserving high-level archives, and safeguarding historical documents. Many of China’s ancient books and precious artworks, passed down to this day, have been preserved on Xuan paper and remain in their original condition.
Water chestnuts contain the highest amount of phosphorus among root vegetables, which can promote human growth and development and maintain physiological functions. They are highly beneficial for the development of teeth and bones, while also aiding in the metabolism of the body’s three major substances—sugar, fat, and protein—and helping to regulate acid-base balance. Therefore, water chestnuts are suitable for children. British research on water chestnuts has found…
Fish hotpot is a traditional famous dish from Xi'an, developed more than 1,000 years ago from the Tang Dynasty imperial court dish "Milk-Brewed Fish." It is served in a purple copper hotpot. Originally used in imperial banquets, it gradually appeared at official receptions before spreading to the public, where it has remained popular through the ages. After Wei Juyuan was appointed as Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and Left Vice Director of the Chancellery, he presented a dish called "Milk-Brewed Fish" — one of the courses in the "Promotion Banquet" — to Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian of the Tang Dynasty...
Though called "fish," it doesn't resemble one at all, looking more like tadpoles. Many outsiders are unaware of how it's made, and some locals jokingly claim it's hand-shaped one by one, leaving visitors amazed. People of all ages in Qin can make it—by mixing bean flour with cold water and alum to form a firm dough, then adding more cold water to create a pliable batter. When the pot of water boils, the batter is slowly poured in,...
Ingredients: 500g flour, 7.5g dry yeast (1.5 tsp), 1/4 tsp five-spice powder, slightly more than 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, 300ml warm water. Directions: 1. Mix the dry yeast with warm water (about 40°C) until well combined, then let it sit for ten minutes; 2. Use the yeast mixture to…