Long County Lamb Soaking Bread is known for its hearty ingredients, rich flavors, tender meat, and thick, aromatic soup that leaves a lasting aftertaste. It also has the added benefit of warming the stomach. Especially in winter, people often queue up to enjoy it. Unlike lamb soaking bread from other areas in Western Shaanxi, here the flatbread (a baked white flour bread) is broken into pieces by the customer’s own hands, placed in the bowl, and then briefly dipped in the hot broth…
Qianqian Meat is a rare and prized delicacy from northwestern China, with the most renowned variety coming from Longxi County in Gansu Province. But in the eastern starting point of the Silk Road, Qianqian Meat is made by curing and roasting the genitalia of a male donkey (also known as donkey penis). Every year during the cold winter months, many workshops in Chang’an would slaughter donkeys that could no longer work, removing the male donkey’s...
Cauliflower, a member of the Brassica oleracea species in the Brassicaceae family, comes in two types: white cauliflower and green cauliflower. Green cauliflower is also known as broccoli. Introduced for cultivation in 1992, it is a first-generation hybrid product. Thanks to its unique climate, Taibai produces cauliflower that is prized for its vibrant color, tender texture, and crisp taste, and is exported as far as Southeast Asia. It serves as an important ingredient in both Chinese and Western cuisines...
Taibai cabbage, a high-altitude vegetable, is one of the fastest-growing summer-supplementing vegetables in recent years. High-altitude vegetable production areas are located in mountainous regions at high elevations, far from large and medium-sized cities. The vegetables produced must be transport-resistant and have good marketability. Cabbage possesses unique biological characteristics that make it one of the main types cultivated in high-altitude vegetable farming. There are many varieties of cabbage,...
Shiitake mushrooms are the world's second most consumed edible fungus and one of China's specialties. In the past decade, China's shiitake mushroom exports have gradually increased, with an annual growth rate of about 2%. Currently, China's annual shiitake production is 80,000 tons, accounting for over 80% of the global 100,000 tons, ranking first in the world. With exports of 36,000 tons, China also leads the world...
Chestnut refers to trees or shrubs in the genus Castanea of the beech family Fagaceae, comprising approximately 8–9 species native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Most chestnut species are deciduous trees that grow 20–40 meters tall, with only a few being shrubs. All varieties produce edible nuts. The leaves are simple, elliptical or oblong, measuring 10–30 cm in length…
A deciduous shrub or small tree, 3–7 m tall, usually with enlarged prickly stems; branches gray or brownish-gray, with tiny lenticels and slightly obliquely upward-pointing prickles; current-year twigs covered with short pubescence. Odd-pinnate compound leaves, with narrow wings along the rachis; leaflets 5–11, papery, ovate or ovate-oblong, sessile or nearly so...
Also known as black fungus or glossy fungus. In fungal taxonomy, it belongs to the class Basidiomycetes, order Auriculariales, and family Auriculariaceae. It is distributed in the Northeast, Hubei, Zhejiang, and Yunnan—regions that are major production areas of wood ear in China. It grows on decaying wood of more than 120 broadleaf tree species such as oak, poplar, banyan, and locust tree, either singly or in clusters. Currently, it is mainly cultivated on oak logs and in bag culture...
The dish is made by peeling potatoes, boiling them in a pot until cooked, then transferring them to a wooden barrel — actually a hollowed-out tree stump. A strong worker then pounds the mixture vigorously with a long-handled mallet for quite some time. Finally, it is scooped into a bowl, sprinkled with cilantro, chili, sesame oil, and salt, and served to you. …
A traditional specialty food from Long County. In the third year of the Xuantong era (1911), Yang Qingxiu, a renowned late-Qing Dynasty chef from Long County, opened a stir-fry restaurant on the north side of West Avenue in the county town, also offering baked goods. The business flourished and gained widespread fame. After Yang’s death, his son, Yang Guixiang, inherited the family trade and became particularly skilled in making the oil spiral bread passed down by his father. In the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937),…
A traditional snack from Long County. Made primarily with flour and steamed, it can be shaped into forms such as flowers, birds, and snakes. It is a customary treat enjoyed during the Double Ninth Festival in the Long County area of Shaanxi Province. The making of the flower cake is highly intricate and meticulous. The main body consists of a steamed bun made from wheat flour as the filling, wrapped in well-fermented dough on the outside, and then...
Edible fungi in Feng County is a new, fast-yielding industry developed by leveraging the region’s abundant raw materials and favorable climate conditions. The county produces nearly 10,000 tons of raw materials annually, including various types of oak, shrubs, pruned branches, plant stalks, and corn cobs, making year-round cultivation of fungi possible. The edible fungi produced here are beloved by consumers for their fresh color, delicious taste, rich aroma…
Xi’an Qinxian pepper, Hancheng Dahongpao pepper, and Fengxian Dahongpao peppercorns are all very famous. Qinxian pepper has long been known as the “King of Peppers” and is a major export commodity of Shaanxi, selling well in international markets. Xi’an pepper is slender and long, deep red and glossy, with a strong and fragrant spiciness. It is easy to dry and store, earning the title of the “King of Spicy Peppers.” At the same time, it contains relatively…
Codonopsis pilosula belongs to the genus Codonopsis in the family Campanulaceae. The root of the plant is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, sweet in taste and neutral in nature, known for its functions in invigorating qi, enriching blood, and promoting fluid production. It is produced in various regions across China. The Feng County-produced Codonopsis features a honeycomb-like root head, commonly referred to as “lion’s head”; dense transverse striations beneath the root head are called “silkworm neck”; the skin is loose while the flesh is firm, with a soft, moist texture that is flexible yet brittle...
Potatoes, also known as "yangyu," are an extremely common vegetable and a staple food. In northern China, they appear on people’s dining tables all year round. However, when it comes to preparation methods, city dwellers tend to keep things simple and monotonous, whereas rural folks get more creative—coming up with a wide variety of ways to cook potatoes, refining their methods over time. But the common folk are actually very clever and resourceful...
Jingkou Prickly Ash is a specialty of Jingkou Town, Taibai County, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province. The Taibai Jingkou prickly ash features large fruit, rich oil content, bright red color, and strong aroma with a numbing taste. In particular, the locally produced "Dahongpao" prickly ash, with its red skin and yellow husk, large grains, and thick flesh, is especially favored by merchants. Located deep in the Qinling Mountains, Jingkou Town in Taibai County borders Feng County, one of the province’s well-known prickly ash producing areas...
Fritillaria taipaiensis (Zuitou production area), covering the administrative region of Zuitou Town, Taibai County, Shaanxi Province. “Request from the People’s Government of Taibai County on Delimiting the Geographic Indication Product Protection Scope of Fritillaria taipaiensis (Zuitou Production Area)”, Document No. Tai Zheng Zi [2012] 131. Corporate standard of Shaanxi Yuanbei Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd.:…
The yardlong bean king, also known as the king of yardlong beans, is an annual or overwintering herbaceous plant. In 1996, Taibai County conducted an introduction and trial cultivation that proved highly successful. The resulting beans are long and straight, with no strings or fibers, thick pod walls, tender flesh, and excellent marketability, leading to high demand that outpaces supply.…
Lettuce, commonly known as leaf lettuce, belongs to the Lactuca genus of the Asteraceae family. Based on leaf color, it is categorized into green lettuce and purple lettuce. Lettuce contains lactucin, mannitol, interferon inducers, and other components, giving it pain-relieving and sleep-inducing properties, as well as the ability to lower cholesterol, assist in treating neurasthenia, promote diuresis, improve blood circulation, and inhibit...
Golden Thread Pumpkin Golden Thread Pumpkin. When ripe, its skin is orange, with thick flesh that is orange-red in color, fine starch texture, sweet taste, and excellent quality. It is highly resilient, resistant to storage and transportation. The Golden Thread Pumpkins produced in Taibai are aesthetically pleasing, brightly colored, and have a sweet taste. They are rich in starch, protein, carotene, vitamin B, vitamin C, as well as calcium, phosphorus, and other nutrients. They can nourish...