Fragrant Valley Rice, also known as Old Red Rice, is one of the specialties of Ningqiang County, renowned for its fragrant and delicious taste. It is produced in Xigou Village, Huangbayi Township, Ningqiang County. The village is located right next to the Sichuan-Shaanxi Highway, backed by mountains, with a small river running through the valley. Both sides of the river are fertile paddy fields, and the mild and humid climate all year round provides an ideal environment for rice cultivation…
Isn’t liangpi supposed to be cold? That’s the traditional way from the Guanzhong region. But in the Hanzhong area, there’s a uniquely distinctive “hot liangpi” that even diners who can’t eat cold food rave is “a godsend.” The highlight of hot liangpi is that no matter how many customers there are, it must be steamed fresh and sold on the spot. The pre-prepared rice slurry is poured into large steaming trays and cooked over high heat...
In the rural areas around Xinzhen Town in Nanzheng County, many households hang strings of cooked, spicy fermented bean paste wrapped in straw under the eaves or in cool, ventilated spots on their walls — it’s a signature dish served to entertain relatives and friends. Every year after winter sets in, families seal cooked beans in airtight containers to ferment. After about half a month, the beans...
The traditional snack “Wangji Fuxing Old Shop Walnut Cookies” from Ningqiang County was established during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, often served as tribute, and its craftsmanship has been passed down through generations to this day. The basic production process involves steaming flour, mixing it with rapeseed oil, and forming an oil dough; then taking more flour and adding the oil dough, alkaline flour, and refined flour, mixing it with hot water that is just about to boil, and letting it rest briefly...
The thousand-layer cake is a uniquely flavored food used as a ration by Ningqiang locals when they go out to work in the mountains or head to the market. This kind of cake can be as large as a small washbasin, with thick ones reaching eight or nine inches and thin ones no less than four or five inches. First-time observers might think it’s undercooked and hesitate to try it. But that’s not the case. A good thousand-layer cake is made entirely from first-grade fine flour, baked repeatedly over an oak wood fire…
Wang Family Walnut Cake is a famous local snack from Ningqiang County. As small as a porcelain lid, it features a golden color, rich aroma, crispy and oily texture, and excellent shelf life — it won’t change in color or flavor even after days. The cake has a history of over a hundred years. Legend has it that during the late Qing Dynasty, when the Eight-Nation Alliance captured Tianjin and Beijing, Empress Dowager Cixi fled to Xi’an with Emperor Guangxu to take refuge, and local officials once presented this cake...
The Qinqiangfu Tang Banquet originated in the 1930s. It features cured meats, chicken, fish, beef, and bean products as the main ingredients, prepared by steaming or frying, and complemented by seasonal stir-fries and soups. The menu includes both meat and vegetarian dishes that are rich yet not greasy, making it suitable for all ages. The banquet dishes are served in large bowls, also known as the “Ten Great Bowls.” Later, the number increased to thirteen, referred to as the “Thirteen Flowers”…
Geographical Scope Produced in the high-quality tea tree plantations located at elevations of 600–1200 meters across sixteen townships within Ningqiang County, Shaanxi Province, including Han Yuan, Gaozhaizi, Hujia ba, Tiesuoguan, Qingmuchuan, Guangping, Yanzibian, Yangpingguan, Da’an, Daijiaba, Bashan, Anlehe, Shujiaba, Huangbayi, Kuanchuan, and Nanping...
Ningqiang Gastrodia Elata: Gastrodia Elata is a perennial herbaceous plant found in most regions of China. It is a commonly used and relatively precious traditional Chinese medicine, often prescribed clinically for conditions such as headache and dizziness, limb numbness, infantile convulsions, epilepsy, seizures, and tetanus…
Ingredients: 2 taels of southern apricot kernels, 2 taels of northern apricot kernels, 2 taels of longan flesh, appropriate amount of rock sugar, appropriate amount of cornstarch, appropriate amount of water. Method: 1. Rinse the southern and northern apricot kernels together with water, then soak them in three cups of cold boiled water overnight. 2. Put the southern…
The signature snack “Fake Fish” from Ningqiang County is said to have evolved from local vegetarian banquets as a fragrant cold dish. Ingredients include: tofu skin, soybean sprouts, tofu, and bamboo shoots; seasonings include: chopped scallions, minced ginger, cooking oil, salt, Sichuan peppercorn powder, pepper powder, and MSG. First, chop the soybean sprouts, tofu, and bamboo shoots roughly, then mix them with the chopped scallions and minced ginger...
The Fu Tang Thirteen Flowers, also known as the Fu Tang Banquet, consists of the favorite dishes of Wei Futang, a prominent figure during the heyday of Qingmuchuan. Wei Futang neither indulged in smoking or drinking nor had any special interest in tea, but he was quite particular about food—paying close attention to its nutritional value and flavor. He even took care in the presentation of the dishes and the sequence in which they were served. As the King of Qin favored swordsmen, …
Ningqiang black fungus is a specialty of Ningqiang County in Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province. Made from high-quality Bashan oak-grown black fungus, it has long been renowned for its large caps, thick flesh, attractive color, and high moisture-dry ratio. Its consumption has been recorded since the Tang Dynasty and it enjoys strong sales both domestically and internationally. With qualities such as being premium, wash-free, having a high rehydration rate, long shelf life, and no pollution, it makes an excellent...
Ningqiang walnuts are a specialty of Ningqiang County in Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province. The thin-shelled walnuts of Ningqiang are large in size, have a thin shell, smooth surface, shallow sutures, high kernel yield, and are easy to peel into whole, intact kernels. They are sweet and fragrant, rich in oil, making them an excellent tonic food. The area north of Wuding Pass in Ningqiang County is abundant in walnut production and has a long history of walnut cultivation. The thin-shelled walnuts produced there...
Ningqiang Bracken Root Vermicelli is a specialty of Ningqiang County, Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province. It is made from the rhizomes of wild bracken plants that grow for many years in the Qinba Mountain area. The starch is extracted from these rhizomes and then refined into the final product. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, "bracken root eliminates intense heat, benefits urination, aids sleep, and replenishes deficiencies in the five internal organs." Modern science has proven that it is rich in...
Ningqiang Walnut Crispy Cake is made by peeling walnut kernels and mixing them with salt and pepper, sesame seeds, and other ingredients to form a filling paste. The oil-based dough is fermented three times before being spread with the walnut paste and then baked in an oven. This pastry has a crispy texture and sweet flavor, making it especially suitable for the elderly and children. The Wang family’s Walnut Crispy Cake has a long history. According to oral accounts passed down by the Wang family…
Ningqiang has a special local dish called tree leaf jelly, made from the leaves of a tree known as "Còu Huángjīn" (literally "Gathering Gold"). The preparation involves picking about one kilogram (half a bucket) of these leaves, placing them in a wooden barrel, and pouring hot water mixed with cypress ash over them. Then, using a rolling pin, the leaves are continuously stirred in the barrel until they break down. The resulting leaf juice is scooped into bowls...
Quality and Technical Requirements for Ningqiang Huaxixin I. Source: Huaxixin (Asarum sieboldii Miq.). II. Growing Conditions: Altitude within the production area ranges from 700m to 1500m, on slopes ≤11°, with soil types being humus soil and sandy loam,…
In Ningqiang, Shaanxi, there is a uniquely flavorful cold dish that is indispensable at upscale banquets; often seen on ordinary families’ dining tables; a must-try when friends visit; and frequently chosen as a gift. It is none other than the renowned and highly acclaimed local specialty of Ningqiang — Wang Family Spicy Chicken. Wang Family Spicy Chicken also...
Four-Dao-Shui Cured Meat Four-Dao-Shui Cured Meat is a specialty of Shaanxi Province with a history of several thousand years. According to records, over two thousand years ago, when Zhang Lu, who styled himself the King of Han’ning, was defeated in battle and retreated southward toward Bazhong, he passed through Si-Dao-Shui in Hanzhong. The locals there served him top-quality cured meat. It is also said that in the 26th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu took refuge in Xi’an...