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Hulutou
Hulutou(Broth with Intestines and tripe), Is a local delicacy In Xian. Its raw materials are Intestine. Before It. Is served, the customer needs to break the pancake Into small pieces, then the chef soaks them In the boiling
bone soup three or four times with pork Intestine, pork tripe, chicken, sea cucumber and squid on the top. Afterward, lard and greens are added to It. It Is often served with preserved garlic and chili jam. It Is said that this culinary method was passed down from Sun Simiao,
the famous doctor In the TangDynasty, to an owner of a |
restaurant In Chang'an with a bottle gourd of medicine for the flavoring. After the owner of the restaurant Improved the delicacy In light with what Sun Simiao told him, the delicacy became known as Broth with Intestines and Tripe for thousands of years.
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Xian Dumpling Dinner
Whether you are travell-ing in the north or the south of China, one delicacy you are almost sure to find on the menu is the dumpling. A universal favourite, the Chinese dumpling has a long history and is an essential part of celebra-tory meals such as those prepared for the Chinese lunar Spring Festival. The dumpling can be anything from a quick snack to a delicacy with which to entertain family and friends or the basis of a veritable feast. A well-loved story tells how long ago during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) a doctor named Zhang Zhongjing travelled back to his hometown in the county of Nanyang. He found the people were suffering from an outbreak of typhoid and dying from hunger and cold. |
In fact the weather was so cold that many had frostbitten ears to add to their troubles. The kindly doctor set about concocting a mixture of mutton, cayenne and a special medicine that he wrapped in a piece of ear-shaped dough. The dumplings he created were fed to the starving people and by New Year's Eve, not only were they saved from the typhoid epidemic but also their frost bitten ears were healed. The doctor's fame became legendary and thus the dumpling became a favourite addition to the Chinese diet.
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Fan's cured meat in pancakes
Fan's cured meat In pancakes Is one of the traditional Shaanxi delicacies. In fact they are pancakes made of high-quality wheat flour stuffed with cured meat. Fan's cured meat appeared In Xian a long time ago, and there Is a story about It. In the Tang Dynasty, an official called "Fan" lived In Eastern Chang'an. Once he financed a your man when his mother died. Ten years later, this young man became wealthy through his cured meat business. To show his gratitude, he want to Fan's 80th birthday |
with an Intricately built coffin made of Chinese prickly ash wood. In the coffin there hid cured meat made of 250 kg of lean meat. Since there were many guests on the day, Fan did not take any notice of the coffin. Ten years later when Fan died of Illness, the family had no means of making a living but sell property. At last, they found the coffin In the small house. When the family opened It, there was the aromatic and freshly looking cured meat! Mrs. Fan sent It for sale In the market and It was well received. More people rushed to the family for the meat. Mrs. Fan put some fresh meat Into the juice. The newly cooked cured meat was just as delicious. Then the Fans' fame of their cured meat went apace.
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Yang Rou Pao Mo
Yang Rou Pao Mo is a local dish that is enjoyed throughout Shaanxi Province but is particularly popular in Xi'an City as a traditional nourishing meal. Not only do the local people enjoy it on a regular basis; it is also often appreciated by visiting celebrities. A highly seasoned mutton gravy in which bread is soaked, Yang Rou Pau Mo smells and tastes great. When the weather is cold, this dish is a sure way to warm you up! Many restaurants in Xi'an serve Yang Rou Pao Mo but among the best known is the Lao Sun Jia, established in 1898 and the Tong Sheng Xiang where they have been serving |
excellent food for almost a century. Both establishments can be recommended if you wish to try this special dish. How Yang Rou Pau Mo is served. The custom is both unique and interesting. When you order the meal you will be given a large bowl and a quantity of round, flat unleavened bread (nan bread). The amount of bread depends entirely upon the size of your appetite! You have to break the bread into small pieces so that it can absorb the flavor of the liquid. Be warned, the bread is hard and it will prove something of a test of strength for your fingers but the smaller you break the pieces, the better the result. Once you have prepared your bread, you pass your bowl to the chef who will stir it into a pot of hot mutton soup. After some five to ten minutes he will ladle the soup and bread back into your bowl with a quantity of mutton. Adding chili paste, caraway and a specially salted sweet garlic enhances the dish. These together act to reduce the greasiness so often associated with mutton. Yang Rou Pao Mo might not sound as though it could become a favorite with you but if you are seeking to experience something of the local food of the people of western China, this is well worth a try. If you want to taste it at its best, remember to come to Xi'an.
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