Xian warrior

Jerome Louvet

Shaanxi Cuisine, also known as Qin Cuisine, is represented by Guanzhong, south Shaanxi and north Shaanxi cuisine styles. Shaanxi Province occupies an important position in the development history of Chinese culture. Its cooking techniques can be traced back to thousands year's age.

Due to its unique position in the Chinese history, Shaanxi chefs gathered all eating and cooking advantages from all over the country, and formed its own characteristics. Famous dishes include Bottle Gourd Chicken, Mustard and Upper Part of a Pork Leg, Walnuts Kernels and Guozi Fish in Milky Soup, Chicken Rice and Sea Cucumber, etc. It's also famous for the snacks, especially those from local Muslims. The most popular local snack is Yangrou Paomo (pancake in mutton or beef soup). A large bowl and one or two flat-baked bread cakes are served to the visitor, who breaks the cake into tiny pieces and then sends the bowl back to the kitchen, where a mutton or beef and vegetable soup, is poured over the broken pieces. Then the mixture is eaten along with pickled garlic cloves.

Another interesting culinary experience to be had in Xi'an is the Xi'an Dumpling Feast that was originated in the Tang Dynasty and developed in the last twenty years. There are a dozens of dumplings in different shapes served. They resemble duck, chicken, rose flower, walnut, pumpkin etc and different one contains different fillings, which make the dumplings not only tasty, but also nice-looking.

Snacks like Cold Noodles (Liang Pi) and Chinese Hambergers (Rou Jia Mo) are also quite famous, do remember to have a taste once you are in Xi'an.

One tip:  large number of restaurants in xi'an are just marvelous even though they are not big or fascinating looking. Just ask locals or make up mind to try.