Top 10 Local Foods You Should Try in Xi'an
In the past, when Chinese people mentioned Xi'an, they would think of Xi'an as the ancient capital of 13 dynasties, the starting point of the Silk Road, and the great Terracotta Warriors, however, nowadays they would think of its delicacies and call Xi'an as "the Food paradise".
As the city's business card, food is our exclusive memory of a city. In addition to being one of the four ancient civilization cities in the world, Xi'an is also a gathering place for delicious food, mainly pasta and Halal flavors. The overcrowded Muslim Street is full of snacks, and the other famous foodie streets are also overcrowded every night including Yongxingfang, Dapi courtyard, Xiyangshi, etc. The authentic local foods are located on the streets and lanes, not the fancy hotels. Below we have carefully listed the top 10 local foods you should try in Xi'an when you plan to tour China. Let's get started and taste the authentic and special foods in Xi’an!
1. Pita Bread Soaked in Lamb Soup 羊肉泡馍
The history of Pita Bread Soaked in Lamb Soup can be traced back to the 11th century BC when it was listed as a dish for kings and royal aristocrats. Its main ingredients are lamb and scones, plus coriander, pepper, ginger, vermicelli, fennel, cooking wine, and other side dishes and spices. The taste is delicious and savory, can warm the stomach, and endure hunger. As the favorite food of the people in Shaanxi and Xi'an, it can be used as a staple food or as a snack, and it appears in the lives of the local people almost every day.
Tips: Some restaurants require guests to manually "break the steamed bun" into small pieces, and then hand over to the waiter or waitress to add meat and soup. This is also one of Xi'an's special experiences.
- Price Reference: CN¥ 25 ~ 38 Per Bowl
- Recommended Restaurants:
- 马洪小炒泡馍(回民街店) Address: No. 46, Hongbu Street, Lianhu District, Xi'an City.
- 老米家大雨泡馍(西羊市店) Address: No.127, Xiyangshi, Beilin District, Lianhu District, Xi'an City.
2. Chinese Hamburger 肉夹馍
Chinese Hamburger is one of the traditional foods in Shaanxi Province. In fact, it is a wonderful combination of two foods: braised meat in sauce with a baked white bun. Usually, pork is used, and more than 20 kinds of condiments such as cloves, ginger, pepper, rock sugar, cinnamon, etc. are added for cooking, and then simmered over the low-fire stew. Baked white bun (also known as Baiji Bread) is burnt and crispy, with a crispy crust and tender inside. Chinese hamburger is an important food to Shaanxi people, just as burgers are to Americans and pizzas are to Italians.
Tips: It tastes best when served hot! Please do not cover it with a paper bag or plastic bag, otherwise, it won't be crispy.
- Price Reference: CN¥ 10 ~ 15 Each
- Recommended Restaurants:
- 樊记腊汁肉夹馍(竹笆市店) Address: No. 53, Zhubashi Street, Beilin District, Xi'an City.
- 秦豫肉夹馍(东木头市店) Address: No.19, Dongmutoushi, Beilin District, Lianhu District, Xi'an City.
3. Biangbiang Noodles Biángbiáng面
Biángbiáng noodles (biang is a ligature that cannot be entered into the computer and is not included in the Chinese dictionary) is a traditional Han Chinese noodle dish in Shaanxi. It is named because of the sound of “biang” and “biang” in the production process. It is refined from the finest flour, long and thick noodles are usually rolled out by hand. Mixed with soy sauce, vinegar, monosodium glutamate, pepper, and other condiments into the noodle soup, scooped in the noodles, and topped with hot vegetable oil. The side dishes in each restaurant are different, with a variety of choices such as minced meat, tomatoes, and eggs.
- Price Reference: CN¥ 15 ~ 28 Per Bowl
- Recommended Restaurants:
- Biangbiang面(南院门店) Address: No. 80, Nanyuanmen, Beilin District, Xi'an City.
- 老李家Biangbiang面 Address: No.99, Beiyuanmen, Lianhu District, Xi'an City.
4. Hulatang 胡辣汤
Hulatang, also known as hot pepper soup. It originated in Henan Province and has a history of more than 2,000 years. Hulatang has developed into one of the most popular foods in Henan and Shaanxi Provinces for thousands of years. Hulatang is a kind of food that can represent the character of Xi'an people, also called spicy soup. The soup is thick, peppery, spicy, and sour. It contains meatballs, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and other seasonal vegetables. The locals also eat steamed buns in the soup. Many of them will take a Chinese hamburger with Hulatang, which is the perfect breakfast combination.
- Price Reference: CN¥ 7 ~ 10 Per Bowl
- Recommended Restaurants:
- 老刘家肉丸糊辣汤摊 Address: No.85, Dapiyuan, Lianhu District, Xi'an City.
- 孙家肉丸胡辣汤 Address: North Gate of Muslim Street, Beilin District, Xi'an City.
5. Gourd Chicken 葫芦鸡
Gourd chicken is a traditional famous dish in Xi'an, which began in the Tang Dynasty (Year 618 - 907). After the whole chicken is boiled, steamed, and fried, it looks like a gourd, with golden red color and crispy skin and rotten meat. Chopsticks gently clamp a piece of meat, and the chicken bones will fall off. Generally, the hen is used, plus cooking wine, refined salt, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, and other auxiliary materials. Many restaurants will put it on gourd-shaped plates. When locals taste this dish, they like to dip it in pepper salt or chili powder.
- Price Reference: CN¥ 68 ~ 98 Per Dish
- Recommended Restaurants:
- 长安大牌档(长安集市店) Address: 6th Floor, SEG International Shopping Center, No.123 Chang'an Middle Road, Yanta District, Xi'an City.
- 西安饭庄(立丰国际店) Address: 8th Floor, Lifeng International Shopping Plaza, No. 6 Jinhua South Road, Beilin District, Xi'an City.
6. Cold Noodle 凉皮
Cold noodle is a traditional food of the Han nationality that originated in the Guanzhong region of Shaanxi Province. It has a history of more than two thousand years. It is different from pasta in that it is formed by the precipitation of dough being continuously kneaded in water, then steamed, dried, and naturally cooled. The taste is fresh, smooth, and chewy. The flavors are spicy, sweet and sour, etc. There is also a cold noodle with a mixture of sesame sauce and peanut butter. It is halal and has good taste. It is the most popular snack in Muslim streets.
- Price Reference: CN¥ 7 ~ 12 RMB Per Bowl
- Recommended Restaurants:
- 魏家凉皮(南门店) Address: No. 3, South Street, Beilin District, Xi'an City.
- 清真·盛志望麻酱酿皮铺 Address: No. 225, West Exit of Dapiyuan, Lianhu District, Xi'an City.
7. Soup Dumplings 灌汤包
Soup Dumpling is also a famous dish in Shaanxi province. It is usually steamed and served hot. Take a bite of the thin crust, suck the fresh thick soup, then taste the stuffing, full of meat but not greasy. Xi'an soup dumpling tastes a bit salty and fragrant. It is beautiful in form, exquisite in the filling, meat and fresh soup are good combined. When you taste a soup dumpling, you will integrate the three aspects of eating noodles, meat, and soup, which is an integrated charm. The most classic dipping sauce for soup dumpling is ginger vinegar sauce, in addition to various dipping sauces, such as garlic sauce and chili sauce.
- Price Reference: CN¥ 15 ~ 25 Per Cage
- Recommended Restaurants:
- 西安贾三清真灌汤包子馆(北院门总店) Address: No. 93, North Yard Gate, Muslim Street, Lianhu District, Xi'an City.
- 小六汤包(雁南路店) Address: No.4-1-10101, Lot A, Big Goose Pagoda South Square, Ci'en Road, Xi'an City.
8. Cake Caldron (Jing gao) 甑糕
Cake Caldron is a unique traditional snack in Xi'an and Guanzhong area of Shaanxi, also called rice cake. It is made by steaming glutinous rice, red dates, and candied dates. Nowadays, many restaurants add red beans, raisins, etc., and then steam them on iron utensils. This snack has a history of hundreds of years in Xi'an, but the special container used to cook it can be traced back 3,000 years. It has a mellow taste and fragrance and salty taste and unique flavor. Especially favored by the elderly with bad teeth or children, because of its good shape and color, soft and hard moderate, soft sweet sticky, mellow taste. It is rich in nutrition and nourishing, making it a good option for breakfast or snacks in early winter and spring.
- Price Reference: CN¥ 5 ~ 10 Per Piece
- Recommended Restaurants:
- 胖子甑糕(洒金桥店) Address: No. 95, Sajin Bridge, Lianhu District, Xi'an City.
- 清真李穆沙甑糕 Address: No.135, Sajin Bridge, Lianhu District, Xi'an City.
9. Pine Cone-like Rolled Noodle (Jin Xian Youta) 金线油塔
The Pine cone-like rolled noodle has a long history, which can date back as early as the Tang Dynasty more than 1,400 years ago. Its layers are rich, loose, and ungreasy, the shape like the pine tower. When you try to taste it, it will be released like a line. Choose the finest flour, pork suet, and other raw materials, then make the noodles into a tower shape, and finally steam them to enjoy. When the Pine cone-like rolled noodle steamed and then put into the bamboo cage to taste, mix with onion section, sweet sauce, chili sauce, or garlic sauce, etc., according to your favorite taste. When tasting with pickles and almond sweet pulp, it is more refreshing and flavorful. Nowadays, "Pine cone-like rolled noodle" has been used as a dessert, often appearing at weddings and birthday parties.
- Price Reference: CN¥ 6 ~ 12 Per Dish
- Recommended Restaurants:
- 西安饭庄(钟楼店) Address: No. 110, South Street, Beilin District, Xi'an City.
- 长安大牌档之长安集市(赛格旗舰店) Address: 6th Floor, SEG International Shopping Center, 123 Chang'an Middle Road, Yanta District, Xi'an City.
10. Ice Peak Soda 冰峰汽水
For local people, three Shaanxi delicacies including Cold Noodle, Chinese hamburger, and Ice Peak Soda are dubbed the "Three Best Set Menu". Bingfeng is a well-known local brand of carbonated drinks in Xi'an, born in 1953. Almost everyone in Xi 'an knows that they will order a bottle of Ice Peak Soda when they have lunch, dinner or tea time. It is the orange flavor carbonated drink, sweet but not greasy, less irritating. In summer to take an ice bottle, cool thoroughly and so refreshing!
You can buy Ice Peak Soda in restaurants, supermarkets, and even roadside shops. The most common one is glass bottles, CN¥ 2 per bottle. Now there is a new can-packed package, about CN¥ 3 - 4 a can.
Useful Travel Tips
- Muslim Street is not a street, but an area composed of multiple streets. Tourists gather in Xiyangshi Street. In fact, the Sajin Bridge next to it has many delicacies that are highly recommended by locals.
- Yongxingfang (the intersection of Dongxin Street and Shuncheng East Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an) is also a very popular food and cultural district in recent years.
- There are many cultural night shows in Xi'an, you can watch the performances while tasting the special snacks.
- As a Muslim gathering place, most restaurants will be closed by noon during Ramadan.