"Fried Pastry," or deep-fried dough flowers, has an associated legend. Historically, Dali County was a place where multiple ethnic groups lived together. In addition to the ancient Dali Rong people, the Qiang, Hui, and Mongolian ethnicities have all resided here, which is why the folk art of Dali also reflects a fusion of different cultures. An old folk rhyme goes: "The men pretend to be clueless outside, while the women mess around sculpting at home!" The term "mess around" carries both admiration and playful connotation for the women shaping these dough flowers. Year after year of such creative "messing around" has helped sustain the life of this tea-time folk art—“Fried Pastry.”
In Dali, eastern Shaanxi, there is a unique cultural gem known as Dali "Cake." Molding the "cake" serves as a platform to showcase the dexterity and skill of young brides and maidens, highlights the superior artistry of elderly women, and stands as a testament to family prosperity and flourishing. The Dali "Cake" boasts a long history, dating back to the...
Bobo Mo is a popular regional snack in the Guanzhong area of Shaanxi Province. It gets its name from being baked on heated stones—also known as Stone Mo, Bobo, or Dry Mo. Owing to its long history and primitive processing method, it is hailed as a "living fossil" of Chinese food culture. With an extensive history, stone bread showcases...
The main ingredients for making flower steamed buns are wheat flour, along with supplementary materials such as beans, dates, and pepper. The tools required are very common ones like scissors, combs, and kitchen knives. The techniques used include cutting, kneading, pinching, twisting, picking, pressing, rubbing, plucking, and pressing. In addition to being edible, southern Shanxi flower steamed buns also have strong ornamental value. They are a way for people to express their heartfelt wishes...
In the rural areas of Dali County in the Guanzhong region of Shaanxi, during the scorching heat of summer, almost every household makes and eats sour water noodles. But the best among them is this sour water noodle dish from Qiangbai Town in Dali County — the sour water here is made using a century-old sour water starter (also called the “root” or “ferment”) that the female shop owner brought from her family home...
Water basin lamb originated during the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty and is also known as "June Fresh" because it is available around the sixth lunar month. Dali’s water basin lamb is long renowned. Made with boneless fresh lamb, bones, cinnamon, fennel, cumin, cardamom, salt, and monosodium glutamate, the dish involves three main processes: preparing the ingredients, boiling the lamb, and seasoning the cooked lamb. It is typically eaten with a baked flatbread...
Asparagus is rich in a variety of amino acids, proteins, and vitamins, all of which are present in higher amounts than in most fruits and vegetables. In particular, asparagine in asparagus and trace elements such as selenium, molybdenum, chromium, and manganese help regulate metabolism and enhance the body’s immune function. It also plays a strong inhibitory and pharmacological role in the prevention and treatment of conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, leukemia, blood cancer, edema, and cystitis…
Qiangbai Town in Dali County, Shaanxi Province, is a well-known hub for greenhouse-grown melons, with nearly every household cultivating small melons. The town’s Party committee, government, and village cadres have prioritized this industry as a “money tree” to boost local incomes, providing strong support in introducing new varieties and technical management. They help residents grow and manage the melons effectively, as well as…
The milk melon cucumber is a type of short-fruited cucumber, also known as a fruit cucumber, mini cucumber, spineless cucumber, or small cucumber. Due to its excellent taste, high nutritional value, firm texture, and good storability and transportability, it is often used as a gift and is therefore also called a gift cucumber. The milk melon cucumber has a high fruit-setting rate, with more than one fruit per node. The fruit is short and club-shaped, with ridges...
Dali nectarines are rich in various vitamins and nutrients. They help relieve coughs and reduce phlegm, invigorate qi and strengthen kidneys, lower blood pressure, and promote longevity. For children, they support growth and enhance intelligence. Dali nectarines are particularly high in vitamin C. Cultivated through improved peach breeding, they are sweeter and more nutritious than regular peaches. A single fresh…
San Chi Noodles The village of San Chi, located to the north of Xushui, is famous for its noodles. Unlike Shanxi-style knife-cut noodles, San Chi Noodles use buckwheat flour instead of wheat flour. The noodles are made with a flat knife, resulting in long, evenly thin strips rather than the thick-middle, thin-end shape typical of other styles. Instead of serving the noodles in bowls, they are placed on flat plates. San Chi Noodles can be customized according to diners’ preferences, offering a variety of widths and thicknesses. After being boiled and plated, they are topped with spicy oil, vinegar, and a sprinkle of scallions. The texture is smooth, chewy, and incredibly delicious. Several San Chi Noodle shops have opened in Heyang County, but many people still prefer to make a special trip to Tongjiazhuang to enjoy the authentic version.
Freshwater Hele Noodles from Tongjiazhuang are made by pressing buckwheat flour. When kneading the dough, wormwood seeds are added or water from burnt bluestone is mixed in, resulting in a chewy and elastic dough. The prepared dough is kept in a ceramic basin until needed. The noodles are pressed fresh as needed using a fine-mesh hele press, then boiled in a pot and immediately transferred to cold water to rinse—hence the name “Freshwater Hele Noodles.” Freshwater Hele...
Lujing Hand-Pulled Noodles — these aren’t the single-strand “ox-head” hand-pulled noodles, nor are they the kind made by pressing dough into a grate-like pattern with a rolling pin, stretching it, and then separating it. Instead, they’re the kind where several strands are pulled at once, with several kilograms tossed into the pot at a time, yielding over ten bowls per batch. The dough preparation for Lujing Hand-Pulled Noodles is unique — it’s mixed right before use without resting in a basin. The key lies in adjusting the water temperature according to the season, kneading the dough into a firm ball in one go, then using a rolling pin to flatten it into a sheet about one centimeter thick. With the rolling pin as a guide, the sheet is then sliced into strips roughly two centimeters wide using a knife. A pair of hands can grab seven or eight strands at a time, and with full-body effort, the noodles are repeatedly stretched until they reach an even and moderate thickness, then dropped into boiling water. The cooking emphasizes high heat and generous broth, with the noodles being rinsed as they cook. This results in noodles that are chewy yet not sticky, smooth and delicious. Once served in the bowl, aside from salt and vinegar, they’re topped with a savory tofu and scallion topping, then drizzled with spicy chili oil — aromatic and mouthwatering.
Mutton Hupopo from Hei Chi Town in Heyang County was once honored as one of the Four Famous Dishes of the Guanzhong Region. Hei Chi Town earned its name after the Sage of Calligraphy, Wang Xizhi, washed his brush in the local pond, turning the water black. It is also the hometown of the legendary Ming Dynasty playwright Wang Yi, boasting a rich cultural heritage. In terms of culinary tradition alone, the local specialty mutton hupopo is also linked to the famous Southern Song Dynasty...
The Thirteen-Flower Dishes and Ten-Bowl Feast are the main courses for dining, while the Thirteen-Flower Dishes refer to cold dishes served with alcohol. This is the most formal etiquette in Heyang, with all dishes arranged before guests are seated. In the center is a Manchu platter, consisting of deep-fried tofu shreds, lotus root slices, shredded meat, cellophane noodles, and vinegar stir-fried cabbage. Around it are four types of meat (ribs, liver slices, pork head meat, ear slices, etc.),…
The tofu dish of Dali County first became famous thanks to the people of Zhaoyi. The ingredients are not complicated, and the cooking method is quite home-style — it basically involves deep-frying and shredding firm tofu, and preparing a seasoned broth (stock). Next comes the stir-frying of seasonings: the oil temperature is kept around 70–80 degrees Celsius, then dried chili peppers and minced ginger are stir-fried until fragrant, and two spoonfuls of water are added and brought to a boil. Finally, the shredded tofu…
Eight-Treasure Chili, also known as Mixed Chili or Sauce Chili, is a specialty snack from the Weinan region of Shaanxi Province and an indispensable dish at local banquets. Legend has it that Yan Dan Chu, a Qing Dynasty grand secretary originally from Chao Yi (now part of Dali County), brought it back from the imperial court and introduced it to local markets. Made by stir-frying a variety of ingredients with the local specialty Qin pepper, it is thus...
The National Aquatic Germplasm Resource Reserve for Snakehead in the Chexia Section of the Yellow River covers a total area of 25,800 hectares, including a core zone of 14,300 hectares and an experimental zone of 11,500 hectares. The special protection period for the core zone is from March 10 to August 31 each year. The reserve is located in the Yellow River basin within Heyang County, Weinan City, Shaanxi Province...
The opening chapter of the Classic of Poetry, “Guan Ju” (“Fair, Fair, the Ospreys”), with its verse “Fair, fair, the ospreys, / On the islet in the river,” describes Heyang Qiaochuan. Qiaochuan is China’s largest wetland along the Yellow River, dotted with numerous fountains, and it is here that the Heyang Nine-Eye Lotus grows. Legend has it that during the Western Han Dynasty, Empress Dowager Bo admired the clear springs and pristine vitality of Qiaochuan, and ordered lotus roots brought back from West Lake to be planted...
Héyáng Beiléi Sweet Potatoes are a specialty of Beiléi Village, Mochi Town, Héyáng County, Weinan City, Shaanxi Province. Héyáng County has a long history of sweet potato cultivation, with high-quality sweet potato planting now covering an area of 100,000 mu. The “Héyáng Beiléi Red” sweet potato has become a well-known and reputable brand. Sweet potatoes, also called red yams, sweet tubers, or yams, have been cultivated for seven thousand years...