Shaanxi

Hulatang, also known as hot pepper soup or spicy soup, is a kind of Chinese traditional soup originated in Henan Province, and became popularized in both Henan and Shaanxi Province. Chinese immigrants have introduced it to the United States, where it is known as "spicy soup". It can be divided into two different versions in Henan: Xiaoyaozhen version and Beiwudu version. As its name—literally the characters 'pepper' + 'capsicum/chilli' + 'soup'—implies, capsicum and black pepper are put into the broth made by beef soup. The exact origin of the soup cannot be accurately pinpointed now, but since the pepper, the main ingredient of the soup was not introduced to China until the Tang Dynasty. The soup was dubbed came into being after that, around Song Dynasty. One theory is that soup with pepper originated from the Huizong period in the late Northern Song Dynasty. Legend has it that Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty was addicted to eating, drinking, and playing, which filled the whole country with extravagance.

Glazed layer cake made with glutinous rice, dates and kidney beans

Rice flour cakes filled with candied fruit and nuts, red bean paste, lotus paste

Mizhi hulu is a traditional dish in Beijing cuisine consisting of pork fat with a flour wrapping glazed in honey. The traditional preparation method of this dish begins with mixing the pork fat with flour and then rolling it into circular forms. Flour is mixed with warm water to form spheres, which are then soaked in boiling water. After the flour sphere is taken out of the boiling water, the process is repeated three times, and finally they are mixed with eggs to form a paste. The pork fat covered with flour is then cut into pieces and each piece is covered with the paste made of flour and egg, and deep fried. Honey is stewed until its colour turns dark, then the fried pork fat spheres covered with paste are dipped into the honey, and the dish is served. Before serving, other ingredients such as sugar can be added. Usually, for every three hundred grams of pork fat, two hundred grams of honey and two eggs are used. Due to its high sugar content and the usage of pork fat, it is considered unhealthy and thus not commonly prepared or consumed.

Steamed glutinous rice flour snack shaped like a round mirror

Glazed layer cake made with glutinous rice, dates and kidney beans

Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize , rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the grain to sugars, which dissolve in water to form wort. Fermentation of the wort by yeast produces ethanol and carbonation in the beer. Beer is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks in the world, the most widely consumed, and the third most popular drink after water and tea. Most modern beer is brewed with hops, which add bitterness and other flavours and act as a natural preservative and stabilising agent. Other flavouring agents, such as gruit, herbs, or fruits, may be included or used instead of hops. In commercial brewing, natural carbonation is often replaced with forced carbonation. Beer is distributed in bottles and cans, and is commonly available on draught in pubs and bars. The brewing industry is a global business, consisting of several dominant multinational companies and many thousands of smaller producers ranging from brewpubs to regional breweries. The strength of modern beer is usually around 4% to 6% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Orange soda

Pomegranate juice is made from the fruit of the pomegranate. It is used in cooking both as a fresh juice and as a concentrated syrup. Various primary studies have been conducted into possible health benefits derived from drinking pomegranate juice, but there is no good evidence to suggest any effect in blood pressure management, glucose and insulin management, or heart disease. Interactions with prescription drugs are possible.

Biangbiang noodles , alternatively known as youpo chemian (simplified Chinese: 油泼扯面; traditional Chinese: 油潑扯麵) in Chinese, are a type of Chinese noodle originating from Shaanxi cuisine. The noodles, touted as one of the "eight curiosities" of Shaanxi (陕西八大怪), are described as being like a belt, owing to their thickness and length. Biangbiang noodles are renowned for being written using a unique character. The character is unusually complex, with the standard variant of its traditional form containing 58 strokes.

Seasoned and fried whole chicken

Noodle soup with lamb's blood

Pork is coated with rice flour, then steamed, may also use other meats such as beef, lamb

Stew with pig intestine, which is said to resemble the top of a gourd

Rice milk crepes folded into a bowl and topped with soy sauce, garlic, shallots, chili pepper oil

Hulatang, also known as hot pepper soup or spicy soup, is a kind of Chinese traditional soup originated in Henan Province, and became popularized in both Henan and Shaanxi Province. Chinese immigrants have introduced it to the United States, where it is known as "spicy soup". It can be divided into two different versions in Henan: Xiaoyaozhen version and Beiwudu version. As its name—literally the characters 'pepper' + 'capsicum/chilli' + 'soup'—implies, capsicum and black pepper are put into the broth made by beef soup. The exact origin of the soup cannot be accurately pinpointed now, but since the pepper, the main ingredient of the soup was not introduced to China until the Tang Dynasty. The soup was dubbed came into being after that, around Song Dynasty. One theory is that soup with pepper originated from the Huizong period in the late Northern Song Dynasty. Legend has it that Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty was addicted to eating, drinking, and playing, which filled the whole country with extravagance.

Liangpi is a Chinese dish composed of cold noodles made from wheat or rice flour. It is a specialty dish originating from the cuisine of Shaanxi Province, but has now spread throughout China. In northwestern areas of China, it is often called liangpi zi (凉皮子). Although liangpi is served cold, they are served in every season, including summer. During the reign of Qin Shi Huang, each village and county had to pay tribute to the court every year. The annual tribute item in Shaanxi Province was rice. Here, people produced the most quality and delicious japonica rice at that time. However, because of a severe drought, the peasants could not bring grain to the imperial court. So the people went to a local squire for help and advice. After thoughtful consideration, the squire decided to use the old rice left over from the first year to make a tribute to the court. They soaked the old rice overnight, and then ground it into a slurry with stone, after precipitation, they filtered the rice milk and steamed it on the steamer. After cooking, people tasted the cooled rice skin and felt full of praise. The texture was smooth, tender, and fragrant. After that, people used seasonings on the cold skin noodles, including chili, vinegar, sesame, salt, and soy sauce unexpectedly, which eventually came as liangpi. Later, people offered liangpi as a tribute to Qin Shi Huang’s taste. After taking a bite, Qin Shi Huang felt the hot and sour taste refreshing, tender and smooth, and very delicious, so he decided to take Shaanxi Liangpi as an annual royal tribute. Since then, liangpi has become popular in the province, and has become a unique Shaanxi snack!

Spicy noodle soup with peppercorns, seaweed, bean curd, serve with flatbread

Roujiamo or rougamo is a street food originating from the cuisine of Shaanxi Province. The meat is most commonly pork, stewed for hours in a soup containing over 20 spices and seasonings. Although it is possible to use only a few spices (which many vendors do), the resulting meat is less flavourful. Some alternatives are also available. For example, in Muslim areas in Xi'an, the meat is usually beef (seasoned with cumin and pepper), and in Gansu Province it is often lamb. The meat is then minced or chopped and stuffed in "baijimo", a type of flatbread. An authentic baijimo is made from a wheat flour dough with yeast and then baked in a clay oven, but now in many parts of China, baijimo is made in a frying pan, giving a taste that diverges significantly from the clay oven-baked version. Depending on the types of spices used to cook the meat and the way the bread is made, the taste of roujiamo can vary greatly from vendor to vendor. Roujiamo is not a full meal and is often sold in the form of combo with liangpi.[citation needed] It is found with regional modifications across China.

Noodle soup with minced pork, chili powder, fried eggs, tofu, vegetables, black fungus, garlic sprouts

Hot and sour mutton dumplings, serve with sesame seeds, leek and cilantro

Tangbao or soup buns are large, soup-filled steamed buns in Chinese cuisine. They are also sometimes known as guantang bao or soup-filled buns. Various varieties are found, with some name variations in various parts of the country. All of these buns are made by wrapping a gelatinous filling in dough, which is then steamed to melt the filling into soup. Tangbao first appeared in the capital city of the Song dynasty, Bianjing, now Kaifeng, Henan. It spread to the Yangtze River delta following the Jingkang Incident. Some examples of tangbao include:

Lamb or beef soup with noodles and small hand-torn pieces of flatbread, served with sides, for example, chilies, cilantro, pickled garlic

Chuan , especially in the north-east of China referred to as chuan'r (Chinese: 串儿), are small pieces of meat roasted on skewers. Chuan originated in the Xinjiang region of China. It has been spread throughout the rest of the country, most notably in Beijing, Tianjin, Jinan and Jilin, where it is a popular street food. It is a product of the Chinese Islamic cuisine of the Uyghur people and other Chinese Muslims. Chuan are small pieces of meat roasted on skewers over charcoal or sometimes, electric heat. It is also sometimes cooked by deep frying in oil (popular in Beijing). It can be classified as a type of kebab. Chuan was traditionally made from lamb (yáng ròu chuàn, 羊肉串, lamb meat chuan), which is still the most common kind, but now, chicken, pork, beef and various types of seafood can also be used. Especially in some tourist areas, chuan can be found made with various insects, bugs, birds and other exotic animals. In general, chuan may be spiced according to preference, but generally cumin seeds, dried red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper and sesame or sesame oil are sprinkled or brushed onto it. Another popular incarnation is mantou chuan or "steamed bun chuan"; it is commonly brushed with a sweet bean sauce (甜面酱, not to be confused with sweet red bean paste) and its taste serves as a foil to the often spicy meat chuan. In Tianjin and Jinan, chuan is often served with small round breads (馅饼, xiàn bǐng), also grilled with the same spices. Xiàn bǐng technically means "pie" or "filled bread". After cooking the bread and meat, the bread is split open and chuan meat is stuffed inside, then eaten together.

Marinated and dried beef

Marinated and dried sheep, lamb

Large pan-fried bread, may be filled with savory ingredients

Wheat bun or flatbread, commonly used in rou jia mo sandwiches

Shaanxi apple, grown in the Loess Plateau, Weibei, Shaanxi, China