This year, I had the incredible opportunity to explore Xian, China, the hometown of my partner Shiping. Xian is a city brimming with captivating culture, historical wonders like the Terracotta Warriors, and most importantly for a food enthusiast like myself, an astounding array of delicious Xian Food.
While fresh, handmade noodles available at almost any hour might seem like a dream, it’s a daily reality on the bustling streets of Xian. Xian cuisine has been gaining popularity in the US, largely thanks to pioneers like Jason Wang and his acclaimed restaurant chain, Xian Famous Foods (a favorite of Shiping!). Having only experienced glimpses of authentic Xian food through Shiping’s home cooking and the occasional visit to Xian Famous Foods in the States, I was beyond thrilled to immerse myself in the real culinary landscape of Xian during our four-day trip.
Our exploration spanned across Xian and its surrounding areas, allowing us to sample everything from comforting homemade dishes to vibrant street food, elegant restaurant fare, and even elaborate banquet meals. This article is your personal guide to my Xian food journey, focusing on 7 iconic Xian street foods that I wholeheartedly recommend you try.
Liang Pi (Cold Skin Noodles): A Refreshing Xian Food Staple
Liang Pi, often referred to as “cold skin noodles,” is undeniably one of the most beloved dishes in Xian. This Xian food icon is a cold noodle dish celebrated for its delightful chewy and slippery texture, and an explosion of flavors in every bite. The noodles themselves are remarkably simple, crafted from just wheat flour and water. The fascinating process begins with washing wheat flour dough, which separates it into two key components: starchy water and gluten. After a meticulous washing process, the starchy water is left to settle overnight. The starch is then steamed to create the distinctive Liang Pi noodles. These freshly steamed noodles are then sliced, artfully tossed with a medley of crisp vegetables, a tangy garlic and vinegar sauce, and a fragrant chili oil.
And let’s not forget about the gluten! This byproduct of the noodle-making process is also steamed, cubed, and incorporated into the Liang Pi bowl, adding another layer of texture and flavor. Interestingly, we found it surprisingly challenging to find the traditional wheat noodle Liang Pi served with gluten during our trip. This scarcity is likely due to the labor-intensive nature of the traditional wheat noodle preparation, leading to the increased popularity of the rice noodle variant in modern Xian food culture.
The unique texture and flavor profile of Liang Pi are truly unlike anything else you can find globally. It’s a testament to creative culinary ingenuity, transforming simple flour into something extraordinary. It’s easy to understand why Liang Pi becomes such a cherished, nostalgic favorite for those who grow up with this quintessential Xian food.
While the vibrant red chili oil in Liang Pi might suggest intense spiciness, I found that in many restaurants, it was more fragrant and flavorful than fiery. For those who crave extra heat, a separate chili oil is usually available at the table, allowing you to customize the spice level of your Xian food experience.
To delve deeper into the world of Liang Pi, I recommend checking out this insightful Eater article and this engaging YouTube short. They offer fantastic perspectives on this iconic Xian food.
Biang Biang Mian (Belt Noodles): The Wide and Wonderful Xian Noodle
Biang Biang Mian are the undisputed champions of wide noodles in Xian food. These incredibly broad, thick noodles are served hot, bathed in a savory and aromatic sauce. Incredibly, Biang Biang noodles are crafted from just four basic ingredients: flour, water, salt, and oil. The magic lies in the making process – the dough is skillfully hand-pulled, stretched as wide as your arm span, and dramatically smacked against the counter, creating the characteristic “biang biang” sound that gives the noodle its name. As we explored the popular street food avenues of Xian, we encountered numerous stalls dedicated to preparing this Xian food specialty.
We opted for the combination flavor of Biang Biang Mian, a delightful medley featuring tomato egg (ji dan xi hong shi), fragrant chili oil (you po la zi), and savory minced meat (sao zi). The combination of flavors was incredibly well-balanced – aromatic, subtly tangy, and utterly satisfying. I was particularly captivated by the unique texture and satisfying chewiness of these noodles. Among all the diverse street foods I sampled in Xian, Biang Biang Mian emerged as my absolute favorite Xian food!
Pao Mo (Lamb and Bread Soup): A Hearty Xian Food Classic with History
Pao Mo is truly THE signature dish that Xian is most famous for. Shiping’s uncle regaled me with stories about how Pao Mo propelled Xian onto the culinary map and how deeply ingrained it is in local Xian food culture – it’s common for Xian residents to enjoy Pao Mo at least once a month.
Pao Mo is a comforting and hearty bread soup featuring tender lamb, delicate vermicelli noodles, and an assortment of vegetables. Interestingly, it shares a culinary kinship with Italian Ribollita, as both dishes originated from the resourceful need to use up stale bread. This resourceful origin story adds another layer of appreciation to this humble yet delicious Xian food.
In the local Xian dialect, “mo” refers to bread, and “pao” translates to soak. Therefore, Pao Mo literally means “soaked bread,” perfectly describing the essence of this dish.
A highlight of our Pao Mo experience was the interactive element of selecting and preparing our own stale bread. We each chose a piece of the unleavened flatbread and painstakingly picked it into tiny pieces. The secret to exceptional Pao Mo, as we learned, is that the smaller you pick the bread pieces, the better it tastes. Participating in this bread-picking ritual gave me a genuine appreciation for the dish and highlighted why larger bread pieces simply wouldn’t achieve the desired texture and flavor integration in this Xian food staple.
Once we finished preparing our bread, our bowls were taken to the kitchen to complete the Pao Mo preparation. You can customize your bowl by choosing between beef or lamb and adding extra ingredients as desired, allowing for a personalized Xian food experience.
A full portion of Pao Mo can be quite substantial and filling, especially towards the end. To fully enjoy a wider range of Xian food delights, I recommend sharing a bowl of Pao Mo, allowing you to sample more of Xian’s culinary offerings.
Rou Jia Mo (Xian Pork Burger): The Savory Xian Street Food Sandwich
Often playfully referred to as a “Chinese hamburger,” Rou Jia Mo is another immensely popular Xian street food that is truly unique to the Shaanxi province. It’s a quintessential example of Xian food ingenuity.
The literal translation of Rou Jia Mo is straightforward: “meat plus bread.” It typically features succulent stewed pork, meticulously chopped into small pieces and generously stuffed inside a round bun.
The bun used for Rou Jia Mo is distinctively non-yeasted, resulting in a texture that is less fluffy and soft compared to the hamburger buns commonly found in the US. However, the richly flavored, juicy, and slightly fatty stewed pork beautifully softens the bread, creating a harmonious and incredibly tasty Xian food treat.
It’s a common sight to see locals strolling along the streets of Xian, enjoying a Rou Jia Mo in one hand while simultaneously slurping a bowl of Liang Pi with the other. The rich, savory character of the Rou Jia Mo perfectly complements the vinegary and flavorful Liang Pi. It’s abundantly clear why these two dishes are consistently ranked among the most popular street foods in Xian, representing the heart of Xian food culture.
Hot and Sour Lamb Dumplings: A Flavorful Xian Food Dumpling Experience
Because Xian is renowned for its exceptional flour-based foods, I knew that sampling their dumplings was an absolute must on my Xian food adventure.
Dumpling wrappers in Xian are exclusively made by hand, resulting in a wonderfully chewy and satisfying texture. These handmade wrappers are noticeably different from dumplings found in other regions of China, where machine-made wrappers are more common and tend to be much thinner. This commitment to hand-crafted wrappers elevates the Xian food dumpling experience.
This culinary experience also marked my first time trying dumplings served in a hot and sour soup base, and I was instantly captivated. The tangy and invigorating soup provided a perfect counterpoint to the savory lamb filling, while the fresh cilantro and scallions brightened the entire dish, creating a harmonious blend of flavors in this unique Xian food.
It was captivating to watch the dumpling maker skillfully wrap each dumpling from a massive mound of savory filling. If you have the opportunity to try hot and sour lamb dumplings in Xian, I wholeheartedly recommend you seize it – it’s a truly memorable Xian food experience.
Lamb Skewers: A Fiery and Flavorful Xian Street Food Snack
Another Xian street food specialty that tantalizes the taste buds is lamb skewers. Grilled over intense heat and generously dusted with a distinctive, slightly tingly cumin-based seasoning blend, these lamb skewers are not only fun to eat but also incredibly flavorful. They make an excellent accompaniment to almost any Xian food noodle dish.
You’ll find people of all ages, particularly teenage boys, enthusiastically enjoying multiple lamb skewers alongside their bowls of noodles or lamb dumplings, making it a quintessential part of the Xian food street scene.
Hong Tang Ci Ba (Brown Sugar Mochi): A Sweet Xian Food Finale
No food tour is truly complete without a delightful dessert, and these brown sugar mochi in Xian were the perfect sweet ending to our Xian food exploration. They were wonderfully chewy, perfectly sweet, and utterly delicious!
The mochi is freshly hand-pounded right before your eyes, then generously filled with sweet red bean paste and drizzled with a luscious combination of sesame powder, fragrant rose jam, and honey. If you’ve never experienced fresh, hand-pounded mochi, you absolutely HAVE to try it whenever you have the chance. The unique texture, delightful toppings, and harmonious flavors make it an unforgettable way to conclude a Xian street food tour.
I sincerely hope this culinary journey has given you a taste of the incredible Xian street food scene and inspired you to seek out these flavors for yourself!
