The capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi province, Xi'an is the undisputed root of Chinese civilization having served as capital cities of 13 dynasties since some 2,000 years ago.

As the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, it was also one of the great ancient capitals influencing the world, standing alongside Rome, Athens and Cairo in size and significance. For hundreds of years the illustrious Silk Road brought a mix of cultures to Xi'an, and even today the city still has a sizeable Muslim community.

The long history of Xi'an and its hybrid cultures have brought abundant ancient relics of historic and cultural interest to the city. It is worth visiting for the famed Terracotta Warriors alone. An old saying goes that "if you have not been to Xi'an, you have not been to China!"

And just as famous as the local cultural heritage are the city's characteristic local snacks. Walking around Xi'an, you will be struck by the culinary diversity and creativity in the city. A distinctive mix of traditional Shaanxi fare and Chinese Muslim influence, the famous Xi'an xiao chi can whet any appetite and satisfy all cravings. We will introduce you three of them.

羊肉泡馍yáng ròu pào mó

Pita Bread Soaked in Lamb Soup, or yangrou paomo, is one of the unique local snacks founded in Xi'an, with a history dating back to the 11th century BC.

It is a hot stew of chopped-up steamed leavened bread cooked in lamb broth and served with lamb meat, or lamb substituted with beef. Yangrou paomo is made of lamb soup and a great amount of flat bread, which is known locally as mo.

 

Biang Biang 面 biāng biāng miàn

 

Xi'an's main contribution to the world of noodles is its signature, extremely wide and long ribbons known generically as Ku Dai Mian, or as the commercially trademarked Biang Biang Noodles. The hand-ripped noodles, not to be confused with the hand-pulled noodles which are thinner, are touted as one of the "ten strange wonders of Shaanxi". The noodles, which are wider and thicker, are often described as being belt-like; and so they are more chewy, and can better hold on to the flavors. Genuine in its Xi'an flavors, which are spicy and sour, the noodles are typically served with a vinegar-chili oil dressing and a load of raw minced garlic stirred in.

Biang Biang Noodles are famous not only for their distinctive taste, but also for the name itself. Made up of 58 strokes, Biang is said to be the biggest Chinese character in contemporary usage, although the character is not found in modern dictionaries or even in the Kangxi dictionary. It cannot be typed out on a computer either. Even the local people need a pithy formula to remember how to write the characters consisting of dozens of strokes.

 

肉夹馍 ròu jiá mó

One of the iconic local snacks is rou-jia-mo. Often called Shaanxi Province's answer to the hamburger, rou jia mo is a popular street food that's now found all over China. The simple fast food is believed to have been prepared that way for some 2,400 years.

A meat filling, usually mutton or beef, and in non-Muslim areas pork is as well as popular, is stewed with more than a dozen spices until it melts in the mouth.

In an authentic roujiamo, the pork inside is stewed for hours in a soup containing more than 20 kinds of spices and seasonings, then minced into fine shreds and mixed with coriander and mild peppers.

The meat is then stuffed in a mo, a type of flatbread made of wheat flour, and baked in a clay or mud oven.