Xining Jiaotuan

Xining Jiaotuan

　　Jiaotuan is a rare delicacy for many longtime residents of Xining, but making it is a skillful task. First, boil water in a large pot. Once the water is boiling, hold the flour in one hand and a rolling pin in the other, then evenly pour a pre-mixed combination of highland barley flour and bean flour into the boiling water while continuously stirring with the rolling pin. Why use a rolling pin? It turns out that when there are many people in the household, more flour is used, and chopsticks can’t stir it properly—it’s too thick to mix. During this process, some additional boiling water is added. When no more lumps of flour are visible in the pot, cover it with a lid and let it simmer for a while. Once cooked, mix it with pre-prepared vegetables, as well as seasonings like poured chili oil and vinegar. If there’s any leftover jiaotuan, you can add some water the next day, mix it with chopped scallions, chili, and vinegar, and eat it as “rice lumps.” Alternatively, when cooled, it can be cut into chunks and served cold in a salad—this is called “rice cubes.”

　　Source: People’s Government of Xining City