This traditional dish features thin pancakes made from flour, potato starch, lotus root starch, or similar ingredients, rolled out as thin as rice paper and served with cured meat. The pancakes are chewy and resilient, while the cured meat is rich and aromatic, making this a classic local delicacy. …
Liuba is located in a high-altitude mountainous region where locals have a long-standing tradition of butchering pigs raised for the New Year and curing them into preserved meat during winter. This age-old practice, passed down through generations, has evolved into a local delicacy with distinctive regional characteristics. In the deep winter months, people choose free-range pigs that have been raised for over a year. After butchering, the pork is cured with refined salt and seasoned with seven or eight premium spices...
Legend has it that during the late Tang Dynasty, amidst the An Lushan Rebellion, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang fled from Chang’an southward to Chengdu. On his journey, passing through Yingpan (now Zhakoushi in Liuba), he had been traveling for days and was famished. He then asked the local mountain dwellers, “Do you have any food at home? I don’t care if it’s coarse or fine—just bring whatever you have.” The locals were understanding and kindly offered their various mountain produce and cured meats, which they prepared and presented to him. These...
Preserved pork is made by selecting premium streaky pork, slicing it thinly and arranging the slices at the bottom of a bowl (preferably an earthenware bowl). It is then covered with homemade fermented glutinous rice wine, topped with ingredients such as goji berries, red dates, and rock sugar, and steamed in a basket for about an hour before serving. The dish boasts an invitingly fragrant aroma, a sweet taste without being greasy, making it a delicious treat suitable for all ages. The cooking process is...
Fuling (Poria) from Liuba — produced by the Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine Planting Association of Liuba County. Fuling is a medicinal fungus belonging to the genus Grifola in the family Polyporaceae, order Aphyllophorales. The fruiting body is large or very large, fleshy, stalked, highly branched, with rounded white to light brown caps at the tips. A single cluster can reach up to 35 cm in diameter. The cap is round, centrally sunken almost funnel-shaped, with inrolled edges and covered in dark fine scales...
Most people in Xixiang enjoy eating spicy pickled peppers, and nearly every household, whether in the city or countryside, keeps homemade jars of them. These pickled peppers look plump, bright yellow, and have a fragrant, spicy, and crisp taste. When eaten raw, they become more flavorful the more you chew and make an excellent drinking snack. When cooked, they can be stir-fried with fatty or lean meat, fish, or shrimp. They also pair well with konjac tofu, greens, potatoes, and more, offering a unique twist.
For shepherd's purse dumplings, select fresh shepherd’s purse, wash and clean it, blanch in boiling water, then remove and squeeze out excess moisture to set aside. Also prepare an appropriate amount of Chinese chives, finely chopped. Mince the meat filling, mix it with scallions, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns until it becomes elastic, then add soy sauce, pepper, chicken essence, and stir well. Add an appropriate amount of salt, sesame oil, and five-spice powder, and mix evenly to form the filling. The rest of the process is the same as...
Noodle Soup with Fermented Mustard Water Noodle Soup with Fermented Mustard Water is made by stir-frying chopped scallions in oil until slightly scorched, then adding fermented mustard greens and heating them until just simmering. This makes a savory stir-fried side dish. The handmade noodle soup is cooked in a pot, then topped with the fermented mustard mixture, seasoned with chili oil and a pinch of salt before serving. The version from Xixiang is uniquely tangy, spicy, and fragrant, leaving an unforgettable aftertaste...
Li Laoyao Roast Chicken Recipe: (1) Chicken selection and slaughtering: Choose healthy chickens aged between six months and two years, weighing 1–1.5 kg. Slaughter by neck-cutting to bleed, pluck feathers, open the abdomen, remove internal organs, cut off both claws, clean blood residue inside the body cavity, and remove any debris from the mouth. (2) Shaping: Place the cleaned chicken...
Vegetable tofu, also known as vegetable tofu porridge, has a long history of preparation. It is a famous local snack in Xixiang and was originally served as a delicacy to honor guests. Now it is a common food enjoyed by many. Its main ingredient is soybeans, which are soaked, ground into a slurry, then filtered through a fine sieve or cloth to remove the bean dregs. The mixture is boiled, then a sour vegetable soaking liquid (浆水菜酸汤) is added to coagulate it until it begins to form tofu...
Wuzi Xianhao tea is a type of green tea, produced in Xixiang County, Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province, known as the "Famous Tea Hometown of China." It was first created in 1984 and is a famous-brand product of Shaanxi Province. The tea leaves resemble orchid blossoms, with emerald green color, and the leaf base shows evenly tender sprouts forming distinct buds. Basic Introduction: Wuzi Xianhao is a premium green tea, produced in…
Songhua preserved eggs are a uniquely flavored traditional specialty product of Shaanxi. They are made by wrapping duck eggs with lime, salt, tea leaves, and other ingredients, then sealing them. The eggs are known for their shell easily peeling off, glossy and smooth egg whites that are translucent brown, resembling amber; the yolks are slightly soft-centered with a dark crystal-like outer ring, showing distinct layers. They have a well-balanced saltiness, a soft and delicate texture, and a smooth, refreshing taste. …
Xixiang County is located in the eastern part of the Hanzhong Basin, bordered by the Qinling Mountains to the north and the Bashan Mountains to the south. The Han River and its tributary, the Muma River, run through the region, featuring undulating hills, crisscrossing streams, a mild climate, abundant rainfall, clear waters, and tender grass. Cattle raised here are fed fresh grass and high-quality feed, enjoying exceptionally favorable breeding conditions. The Xizhen cattle used in Xixiang Beef Jerky are hailed as one of the nation’s top…
Halal mung bean jelly is one of the most beloved snacks among the people of Xixiang. It carries the meaning of "growing higher each year," symbolizing continuous improvement. During festivals and holidays, locals eat it to invite good fortune—it's cool, sweet, and refreshingly delicious. …
Xixiang Steamed Pork with Rice Flour features a striking red-and-white color, tender yet not mushy, with fragrant, oil-rich rice flour that is rich but not greasy. Paired with locally grown sweet potatoes, it leaves a delightful aftertaste...
Xixiang Lamb Pita Soak is a specialty snack from Xixiang County, Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province. It is a distinctive and flavorful dish of the Xixiang region. The dish is meticulously prepared with generous ingredients, offering a rich and mellow taste. The meat is tender, the broth is thick, and it is fatty yet not greasy. It is highly nutritious, fragrant, appetizing, and leaves an unforgettable aftertaste. The cooking technique for lamb pita soak is very demanding, and its preparation method is…
Xixiang Pineflower Preserved Eggs are produced in Xixiang County, Hanzhong City, southern Shaanxi Province. They are a uniquely flavored traditional delicacy and can be considered one of the finest “top-grade” pineflower preserved eggs in China. The Xixiang version features eggs that easily separate from their shells, making them convenient to remove and peel. When shaken, they give a slight wobble. Once peeled, the egg presents a translucent tea-brown color with a glossy, oily sheen, resembling amber...
Hanzhong rice noodle sheets are said to date back to the Qin and Han dynasties. They are made from glutinous rice, which is soaked, ground into a rice slurry, then diluted with water to the right consistency, steamed in a special steamer basket, cooled, and cut into thin strips. The finished product is characterized by its white color, thinness, smoothness, tenderness, fineness, softness, elasticity, and fragrance. It is typically served with bean sprouts, spinach, shredded carrots, and seasoned with sesame paste, chili sauce, …
4 bowls of cooked rice, 6 eggs, about 13 taels of maitake mushrooms, 6 tablespoons of chopped green onions, about 1 jin of ground chicken, 2 teaspoons of salt, 8 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, an appropriate amount of ketchup Preparation: 1. Lightly marinate the ground chicken with a little salt and pepper, set aside. 2. Remove the stems from the maitake mushrooms, wash them, blanch in boiling water, then drain. 3. Beat the eggs and add a little salt and pepper,…
Vegetable tofu congee is a traditional home-style dish from the Hanzhong area. Though not complicated to make, it uses readily available ingredients, is carefully prepared, and is both delicious and nutritious—making it a popular dish to serve guests. Vegetable tofu congee features snow-white soybean milk resembling milk, topped with fine tofu cubes as delicate as white silk, mixed with green vegetable tofu...