In the grasslands of Lijiacha Township, Anding Town, Shijiawan Township, and other areas in Zichang County, a large amount of thyme (also known as "thymus serpyllum" or "Chinese wild thyme") grows. The sheep that graze on it for extended periods develop tender, fragrant meat without any gamy smell. The lamb can be stir-fried or steamed. For stewing, the meat is cut into chunks with the bones. It is then placed in cold water and simmered over low heat until tender, before adding salt, Sichuan peppercorns, chili…
Wayaobao Pancake, named for being cooked over a low flame, is a local delicacy of Zichang County and is quite famous in the Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, and Shanxi regions. Residents in the Wayaobao area have been eating pancakes since the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. During the Republican era, Wayaobao was an important commodity distribution hub in northern Shaanxi. The Wayaobao Pancake, known for its thinness, small size, and unique flavor, was highly favored by locals, to the extent that there was a saying: “You haven’t truly been to Wayaobao if you haven’t eaten its pancake.” After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, its preparation techniques were continuously refined, and seasonings were inspired by the strengths of Sichuan and Cantonese cuisines, making it a popular and widely enjoyed local specialty.
Huanglong raw honey is a specialty of Huanglong County in Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province. With over 300 varieties of nectar-producing plants and ideal conditions for raising Chinese honeybees, the resulting raw honey boasts a rich flavor and is green and pollution-free. Huanglong County is located in north-central Shaanxi Province, on the southeastern edge of Yan'an, at the junction of the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi and the Guanzhong Plain. It is one of China's eight...
Soak hulled hard broomcorn millet in water, drain, grind into flour, and sift. Steam one quarter of the flour mixed with boiling water to form a paste. Combine the steamed paste with the remaining flour, place in a basin to ferment. After fermentation, add an appropriate amount of alkaline water, mix with water to form a batter and set aside. Place the yellow pancake griddle (which is round, with the center of the bottom slightly raised upward...)
The bowl noodles are made by mixing buckwheat flour with water to form a dough, then adding a small amount of water and kneading. After it’s evenly mixed, continue adding water and kneading until it becomes a paste. Then dilute it with more water (you can also use peeled buckwheat kernels, soak them in an appropriate amount of water for about 10 minutes, place them on a cutting board and crush them with a rolling pin, put them in a basin, add water and mix into a dough, then add a small amount of...
"Yangyu," also known as potatoes, is what people in northern Shaanxi commonly call them. Tater Mash is a delicious local snack from Zichang County in northern Shaanxi — a must-try treat for sure. Eating Method 1: Dice and chop tomatoes, chives, celery, and green peppers. Pour some clear oil into a pan, add the chopped ingredients, stir-fry vigorously, then season to make a flavorful sauce. Scoop up a bowl of Tater Mash, sprinkle on the prepared sauce, mashed garlic, vinegar, and chili oil (to taste)—deliciously aromatic. Eating Method 2: Pour some clear oil into a pan, add tomatoes, chives, celery, and green peppers, all diced. Once cooked, pour in the steamed Tater Mash, stir well, and serve. The preparation for both methods is similar, but the taste differs. Actually, you can try the first method first, and then experiment with the second the next time you have it.
Zichang Crystal Pears are a specialty of Zichang County, Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province. The county has 135,000 mu of pear orchards, with a total pear production of 15,300 tons, including 30,000 mu dedicated to Crystal Pears—making it the largest Crystal Pear production base in northern Shaanxi. Crystal Pears are a rare variety in the province’s fruit industry, known for their high yield, delicate flesh, thin skin, moderate sugar content…
Zichang apples are a specialty of Zichang County in Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province. Zichang County has been recognized as a "High-Quality Apple Base County in Shaanxi Province." Mountain-grown apples have become an efficient and promising industry for increasing farmers' incomes in Zichang, with the development of the county's apple industry continuing to expand. In 2013, Zichang County seized the opportunity of the city-wide "Apple Expansion to the North" strategy…
The grasslands in Li Jiacha Township, Anding Town, Shijiawan Township, and other areas of Zichang County are abundant with thyme (also known as "thymus serpyllum" or "Chinese wild thyme"). Sheep that graze on this grass develop meat that is fragrant and free of any gamy taste. The lamb can be stir-fried or steamed. For stewing, the meat is chopped into chunks with the bone. It is then placed in cold water and simmered over low heat until tender. Salt, prickly ash (Sichuan pepper), chili...
Zichang Sweet Potato Vermicelli (strands, sheets) is a specialty of Zichang County, Yan'an, Shaanxi Province. It is made primarily from potatoes through a process of mashing, filtering, precipitating to produce starch, and then further cooking and processing. The product features a bright white color, even and smooth texture, and is tender yet chewy, making it suitable for stir-frying, cold mixing, or soup preparation. From the late Qing Dynasty to the Republican era, locals used stone mills to mash potatoes and extract...
The cultivation of potatoes in Zichang began in the late Qing Dynasty. Locally, they were used not only as a side dish but mostly as livestock feed. During the Republican era, people started making potato starch noodles (commonly known as potato noodles), but due to limited production, the practice did not develop significantly. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, under strong promotion by the county Party committee and the county government, potatoes were widely planted in Zichang and listed as a key industry for boosting the county’s prosperity and strengthening its economy...
Purple clay ore is a naturally unique mineral material, specifically an iron-rich clayey siltstone. In addition to purple clay, there are also green clay and red clay—these three types of clay are collectively known as purple clay. Besides being crafted from the three base clays individually, they can also be blended in varying ratios and fired under different temperatures and atmospheres, resulting in hues that are purple without garishness, red without gaudiness, black without dullness—resembling iron or stone…
Hard millet is dehulled, soaked in water, drained, ground into flour, and sifted. One quarter of the flour is scalded with boiling water to make a paste, which is then steamed in a pot. The steamed paste is combined with the remaining flour to form a dough, which is placed in a basin to ferment. Once fermented, an appropriate amount of alkaline water is added. A small piece of dough (about the size of a steamed bun) is pressed into a flat, round shape with both palms and stuffed...
Fried oil cake, also known as New Year cake or date cake, is one of the most representative local snacks in northern Shaanxi. It is made by hulling soft millet and hard millet, adding a small amount of hard millet, soaking the grains in water, draining them, grinding them into flour, and sifting. The flour is then steamed layer by layer in a bamboo steamer, removed from the pot, and placed on a flat surface. The baker dips their hands in cold water and kneads the cake until it becomes a soft and even dough. Then…
The “Wuqi” brand pure wool carpets are made from high-quality wool sourced from the northwest region of China. The wool features natural color, fine fibers, strong toughness, and excellent elasticity. These carpets are entirely handcrafted through processes including spinning, dyeing, weaving, leveling, washing, pattern shearing, and polishing. The finished products boast clear patterns, vibrant colors, soft texture, good elasticity, and an aesthetically pleasing appearance…
Oil momo are round and ring-shaped. Once deep-fried, they turn a golden color resembling ancient copper coins, symbolizing wealth and good fortune in Yan'an folk culture. The recipe involves grinding yellow millet into flour and sifting it finely, then scalding the dough with boiling broth made from glutinous rice. The dough is left to ferment on a heated kang (a traditional heated bed). After fermentation, small round flatbreads with a hole in the center are formed and deep-fried until they reach a reddish-brown hue. …
Soften and shell both soft and hard millet, soak them in a certain ratio, drain, grind into flour, and sift. One-quarter of the flour is scalded with boiling water to form a paste, which is then steamed in a pot. The steamed batter is mixed with the remaining flour, placed in a basin to ferment. Once fermented, an appropriate amount of alkaline water is added. The dough is divided into small pieces, spread on cloth-lined trays to form small, round flatbreads with holes in the middle...
Wuqi Sea Buckthorn is a specialty of Wuqi County in Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province. The county boasts abundant sea buckthorn resources, with a planting area of 1.8 million mu, making it a national demonstration county for sea buckthorn development. Known as the "golden treasure of the desert" and the "green bank of the high mountains," sea buckthorn thrives with remarkable resilience in arid deserts and high-altitude regions. Its unique...
Wuqi Lamb is a specialty of Wuqi County in Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province. The sheep in Wuqi feed on the area's unique thyme grass (scientific name: Thymus serpyllum), which gives the lamb its tender, non-greasy texture, rich flavor without the usual "sheepy" smell, low fat and high protein content, distinctive taste, and lingering aftertaste. As a regional specialty of Northern Shaanxi, it enjoys widespread fame. Sheep belong to the order Mammalia, family Bovidae, and are found all over...
Wuqi Aroma Vinegar has a history of two thousand years. It is made using the traditional brewing techniques of Wuqi County, Shaanxi Province, combined with modern microbial fermentation technology. The vinegar is crafted primarily from high-quality buckwheat and tartary buckwheat, along with carefully selected auxiliary ingredients. It features a bright brownish-brown color, a moderately sweet and rich vinegar flavor, a strong aromatic profile, and a unique taste. Wuqi Aroma Vinegar—individual production has…