Also known as New Year cake or date cake, the oil cake is made from glutinous millet and Chinese dates, then deep-fried in plant oil. It has a delicate fragrance, sweet taste, and a soft texture. It tastes excellent when served with white sugar and flour soup. The oil cake is golden yellow, soft and tender, and retains its color and quality over time. It is a natural green food. …
Made by grinding yellow millet (or millet) into flour, fermenting it into a paste, and baking it in a specially designed small earthenware pot. The baked cake is then folded in half into a crescent shape. It is served with additional ingredients for a rich, oily, and delicious taste. …
The chest drum, also known as the "flower drum," originated in southern Shanxi and was introduced to Yichuan after the Song Dynasty. It has undergone continuous innovation and development during performances and is now widely practiced in the Yichuan area. Drummers are found all over the county, with very large performance troupes that have gained considerable national recognition. The chest drum can be performed both on stage and in streets or squares...
In his *Record of Luoyang Peonies* during the Song Dynasty, Ouyang Xiu wrote: “Peonies come from Danzhou and Yanzhou,” and in the *Flower Catalog*, he listed Yan’an Red and Danzhou Red, describing them as “truly outstanding varieties. They are especially abundant west of Dan and Yan, where locals even cut their stems for firewood.” At that time, peonies were so plentiful that villagers often chopped their stalks to use as firewood—a truly remarkable sight in the world. In Shaanxi...
Mix flour with oil until well combined, roll it out into a long sheet, roll it up, press it into a hollow shape, and fill it with seasoned filling. Then place it in the oven and bake it by flipping repeatedly until cooked. It is characterized by its crisp, fragrant, and sweet taste. Depending on the filling, it can be divided into date fruit-filled pastry, candy-filled pastry, and red bean paste fruit-filled pastry. (Yan’an)…
Made from finely processed buckwheat and shaped into noodle-like strips, these are served with mutton broth from northern Shaanxi, resulting in a delicious and savory taste. In northern Shaanxi, there’s a local saying: “Buckwheat noodles and mutton broth, inseparable in life and death.” Additionally, buckwheat has the benefits of reducing fat and lowering blood pressure. Wuqi County and Zhidan County in Yan’an are major producers of buckwheat, and the hele noodles from these two areas are the most flavorful, available all year round...
Made from high-quality eight-ridged pumpkins sourced from northern Shaanxi, the pumpkins are peeled and deseeded, cut in half horizontally, then sliced along their natural grooves into several small segments, which are reassembled into whole form before being steamed until tender. A sweet syrup is poured over the top. The texture is soft and smooth, with a delightful sweetness. Pumpkins are rich in nutrients such as vitamins A and C, cobalt, and zinc, and offer unique therapeutic benefits for diabetes and obesity. …
The pancakes are made from finely processed buckwheat groats and can be paired with dried tofu, hot tofu, and various stir-fried dishes. They offer a variety of ways to eat, are cool, flavorful, and have a pleasant texture. They also help reduce fat and have anti-cancer benefits, making them one of the best foods to eat all year round. For the best taste, Yan'an pancakes are ideally consumed fresh off the griddle. Zichang pancakes are well-known in the northern Shaanxi region…
Round and ring-shaped, these flatbreads turn golden like ancient coins when fried, symbolizing wealth and prosperity in Yan'an folk culture. They are made by grinding yellow millet into flour, sifting it finely, then scalding the dough with boiling rice soup made from glutinous rice. The dough is left to ferment on a heated kang (a traditional heated bed). Once risen, small round pieces with a hole in the center are formed and deep-fried until reddish-brown. Oil flatbreads are commonly seen during festivals, family gatherings, and especially at wedding banquets. They are typically served on a plate with ten pieces per serving, each costing 0.5 yuan. They pair wonderfully with powdered soup and have a delicious taste. The oil flatbreads are golden in color, delicate and soft, maintaining their color and texture over time. (Yan'an)
Soft Rice Oil Cake: Made by soaking soft millet or Job’s tears in cold water, grinding them into coarse powder, steaming the mixture in a steamer, then kneading it and adding mashed red dates to create a date cake. It has a golden color, a soft and palatable texture, a fragrant taste, an endless aftertaste, and is highly nutritious. …
Yan'an produces a wide variety of beans that are known for their vibrant colors, plump grains, excellent quality, and high nutritional value. These beans are a key local export product. The city has an annual planting area of 40,000 hectares, yielding hundreds of thousands of tons. Major varieties include red beans, double-green beans, mung beans, cowpeas, peas, kidney beans, and lentils. Take double-green beans as an example: they are emerald green in color, as lush as…
Ingredients: 4 jin of flour, 4 liang 1 qian of Sichuan salt, 2 liang of magnolia slices, 3 fen of pepper powder. 15 prickly ash berries, 5 qian of ginger, 3 scallion bulbs, 5 fen of monosodium glutamate, 5 qian of sesame oil. Method: 1. Wash the gluten out of the flour and mix it with Sichuan salt and pepper powder. Then, cut the hot-water-soaked magnolia slices into strips 1 to 4 inches long, wrap the magnolia strips with the gluten, tie them into the shape of a duck using gauze, and place in a bowl to steam. After steaming, further shape the duck and use soybeans for the eyes, and a comb to form the wings. 2. Boil a broth with the pepper powder, prickly ash berries, 1 liang of Sichuan salt, ginger, and scallions, then add monosodium glutamate and sesame oil. Pour the broth into the bowl with the steamed duck to finish. Features: The duck shape is exquisitely crafted, with bones and meat, and the gauze ties closely resemble duck skin, creating a realistic effect. The duck meat is tender and soft, the broth has a delicious fishy flavor, is fragrant and aromatic, making one's mouth water. (Yan'an)
Made from a flour blend of peas and wheat, mixed with a small amount of wormwood flour to form dough. After resting for half an hour, the dough is rolled into paper-thin sheets, cut into long shreds, and then cooked in a pan. It is served in a savory broth—chicken shred broth is ideal—or in egg soup or tomato soup. The dish is fragrant and highly nutritious. (Yan’an)…
Coarse grain–crafted Qianqian Rice. Black beans are soaked until plump and swollen, then flattened on a millstone into coin-like discs—hence the folk name “Qianqian Rice” (Coin Coin Rice). The recipe blends two parts bean coins with eight parts rice, layered and cooked together. When the bean coins are half-done, millet is added. It warms the body and lifts the spirits. Legend says that Diaochan owed her legendary beauty to this very dish…
Take several potatoes, grate them into inch-long thin slices using a grater, mix in Sichuan peppercorns, shredded green onions, ground ginger, salt, and other seasonings, stir together with flour, and steam until cooked. When serving, place in a large bowl and mix with mashed garlic, chili powder, sauce, vinegar, and scallion-infused clear oil. Crispy yet soft in texture, delicious and never tiring to eat. (Yan'an)…
Yan'an Oil Cake is a specialty of Baota District in Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province. Also known as New Year Cake or Date Cake, this local delicacy is one of the most representative snacks in Northern Shaanxi. Made from broomcorn millet and jujubes, it is deep-fried in plant oil, resulting in a fragrant, delicate, sweet, and delicious taste. When the Central Red Army successfully arrived in Northern Shaanxi, the people of Yan'an welcomed the Red Army soldiers with...
Yan'an is rich in purple clay deposits, which feature thick strata, easy mining, and high grade, with proven reserves exceeding 50 million tons. Yan'an's purple clay boasts stable chemical composition, fine granularity, high plasticity, low sintering temperature, and a wide sintering range. Testing has revealed that it contains 16 types of trace elements beneficial to the human body, such as potassium, sodium, iron, calcium, selenium, and maifanite, and is completely free of harmful substances. The processing of purple clay ceramics in Yan'an began in 1942, later incorporating techniques from Yixing and other regions, making it the largest production base for purple clay ceramic crafts in northwestern China. Its main products include high-end tea sets, coffee sets, smoking sets, liquor sets, stationery, electric hot pots, vases, flowerpots, wall plaques, tableware, and various craft souvenirs, with an annual output of over 20 million pieces. The purple clay tea sets produced by Yan'an Xinhua Ceramics Factory are long renowned for their elegant design, high heat resistance, excellent water absorption, and leak-proof quality. Tea brewed in them does not turn sour overnight and can be directly boiled on a stove without losing fragrance or acquiring the taste of over-boiled water, thereby enhancing the tea’s aroma. Long-term use allows the body to absorb more health-promoting trace elements. It can help prevent facial aging, pigmentation, myocardial infarction, gallstones, and even has anti-cancer properties, making it an ideal premium health product. The tea sets come in diverse shapes, with exquisitely crafted designs featuring poems, calligraphy, and paintings that are delicate and refined, making them irresistible as both travel souvenirs and gifts for loved ones. These products have won multiple awards, including the Gold Award at the National Spark Program Achievements Expo during the Seventh Five-Year Plan period, the Shaanxi Provincial Quality Product Award, and the "Houji Golden Statue Award" at the first China Yangling Agricultural Fair. When traveling in Yan'an, taking some time to purchase a set of purple clay tea sets makes for a delightful experience — they make great gifts or cherished personal items.
Also known as sweet herb. Licorice is the root and rhizome of the leguminous plant Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., and is one of the most commonly used medicinal substances in clinical practice. Raw licorice can clear heat, detoxify, moisten the lungs, relieve coughs, and harmonize the properties of other herbs; processed licorice can tonify the spleen and boost qi, and is used in particularly large clinical doses…
Yan'an is rich in traditional Chinese medicinal herb resources, boasting a wide variety of species. It has long been known as "no idle grass in Yan'an, a treasure trove of Chinese medicine." According to herbal resource surveys, there are as many as 494 recorded species, of which 191 are listed as commonly purchased bulk medicinal materials. Yan'an’s herbs not only have medicinal value but also serve a variety of other purposes, and have enjoyed a longstanding reputation throughout history. Licorice powder root is considered one of the “Three Treasures of Northern Shaanxi,” renowned across the nation and Southeast Asia for its firm texture and high starch content. Almonds have historically been one of the country's major production areas and suppliers—not only serving as an effective remedy for eye conditions but also as an essential fruit for grand banquets in Guangdong, Guangxi, and Southeast Asian regions. Mountain peach kernels, sour jujube seeds, and dragon bones hold significant positions in the national Chinese medicinal herb market. Over twenty types—including raw rehmannia, three-needle pine, earthworm vine, acanthopanax bark, bupleurum, and forsythia—have become Yan'an’s flagship products. Sea buckthorn grows abundantly throughout the mountainous regions of the city, with vast reserves. According to scientific evaluations, its vitamin content is three times that of kiwifruit and 50 to 400 times that of pears. It also contains a variety of amino acids and trace elements. Sea buckthorn can be processed into high-quality, nutrient-rich beverages with excellent flavor. The sea buckthorn oil extracted from its seeds can block the synthesis of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the human body, offering significant anti-cancer effects and earning it the title of “miracle oil.” The Yan'an Pharmaceutical Factory produces a traditional Chinese patent medicine called “Xinshenning” (Heart and Spirit Calming), primarily made from sour jujube seeds and other herbs. It is highly effective in regulating endocrine function, calming convulsions, and treating neurasthenia, and has become a popular purchase among visitors from other regions.
Yan'an is a suitable growing region for jujubes. Yan'an jujubes are rich in vitamins, citric acid, as well as trace elements such as calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, and various bioactive substances. They are often referred to as the "natural vitamin pill." Consuming more jujube-based foods also has nourishing, health-promoting, and brain-enhancing benefits. The seeds contain jujubosides A and B. The fruit is neutral in nature, with a sweet and sour taste...