Top 5 famous foods to eat in Xi’an, China
Xi’an has long been known as the first capital of China. As the starting point of the Silk Road, the city boasts a unique cuisine that combines Chinese and Middle Eastern flavors, most notably cumin, chili and Sichuan peppercorns.
Traveling through China is challenging. Language aside, it’s remarkably difficult to perform basic tasks like ordering good food or food that you may want to eat. You quickly learn to either keep quiet and not question what you are eating, or you figure out innovative ways of ordering food. For instance, walking around the restaurant taking pictures of other people's food (sneakily, of course), or exhaustively googling till you find a picture of what you want to order.
Doing food research only gets you so far. You figure out what you want to eat based on what the city is famous for, but it’s impossible to find specific restaurants or hawker stalls since most of them are not listed on google. If you know Mandarin you can use Dianping, which is China’s yelp, however, if you don’t then you have to resort to eating your way to the best. Or you find articles such as mine!
I did extensive research during my time in Xi’an to find the best food the city has to offer. The Food Rangers article was tremendously helpful, however, many of the places were hard to find and the list was too overwhelming for my 4 days in Xi’an.
Here are the top 5 famous food to eat in Xi’an China. :
1. Bing (stuffed and fried Xi’an pancakes)
Walking through the old alleyways of the Muslim Quarter, it’s hard to miss these deep-fried, crunchy, and flaky pieces of heaven.
The bing is stuffed with lamb or beef, leek, cabbage, cumin and a little bit of Sichuan peppercorn.
This was my favorite snack to grab mid-morning or later afternoon while I walked through the Muslim Quarter exploring the Ancient district of Xi’an.
Eat it here: https://goo.gl/maps/zXJdWHQsmGgAMTL19
2. Suantang Jiaozi (sour and spicy dumplings)
These are some of the best dumplings I’ve ever had. When you order a bowl, they take the dumplings out of a steaming vat and serve it to you with some soup, vinegar, chili oil, sesame seeds, garlic, and cilantro.
Biting into each dumpling you get a rich explosion of soup, beef, garlic, chives, and chili.
Don’t leave Xi’an without having a bowl of Suantang Jiaozi. You will regret it.
Eat it here: https://goo.gl/maps/oLvXpMrUBqQK6jjb8
3. Lamb Kebabs
You’ll see a lot of shops selling lamb kebabs in the Muslim Quarter. Hold your horses and go to XINLIANG KAOROU.
When you walk in you’ll see the guy grilling the kebabs on your left. Ask for the big pieces since they are fattier. Soon, he’ll come to your table with 10–20 pieces of the kebab. Pick as many as you want. I recommend at least 10 per person.
These are one of the best kebabs you’ll ever find. You can see the cumin and chili sprinkled judiciously on the lamb. As you take a bite the fat, chili, and cumin will make you not want to leave this place. You’ll have to since they close at midnight.
Eat it here: https://goo.gl/maps/B69h611nwfwCkuj37
4. Nang (a type of bread)
When you order the kebabs, ask for a plate of Nang. The crispiness of the bread creates a contrast to the fattiness of the meat. And together it feels like a marriage made in heaven (I’m usually not cheesy, but it feels apt to use this metaphor here).
The nang is very similar to Naan, which is the most popular Indian bread. It is in fact made in a tandoor, and sprinkled with a lot of cumin, chili, and sesame.
If you are vegetarian then just get the Nang. It’s worth the trip and won’t disappoint you.
Eat it here: https://goo.gl/maps/B69h611nwfwCkuj37
5. Yangrou Paomo (Lamb and Pita Soup)
Paomo is a dish that is very unique to Xi’an since it is literally Pita bread in noodle soup broth. Again this goes back to the history of the city and the role it played as the starting point of the silk road.
I absolutely loved this dish. The pita bread soaked up the soup and added a creamy texture that you cannot get with noodles. The soup was delicious with a rich cumin flavor while the lamb was cooked to perfection.
On a cold winter day, all I wanted was a bowl of Paomo. It was so good!
Eat it here: https://goo.gl/maps/2wPAs5wUYCZ3mvFE6
Wanna learn some more about Sichuan Peppercorns and how to use it?
https://www.thespruceeats.com/szechuan-peppercorn-info-694248
