A Xi'an Stomach's Twelve Hours | 8 Authentic Local Flavors, From Meatball Hot and Sour Soup in the Morning to Lamb Blood Soup in the Late Night
A day in Xi'an rarely begins with a cup of coffee; more commonly, it starts with a bowl of thick, soupy meatball soup. Unlike Henan-style hot and sour soup, the Xi'an version features beef balls and root vegetables, relying on beef bone broth and starch to create its rich and robust flavor. Eating according to the locals' timeline throughout the day allows the food to nourish the ancient city's stomach much faster than visiting tourist attractions.
Early morning: Two hearty breakfast options to warm your stomach
The ingredients for meatball hot and sour soup include beef meatballs, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, zucchini, and green beans. After the beef bone broth boils, the vegetables are added and cooked until tender. The beef meatballs are pre-cooked and then added to the soup. The soup is thickened with cornstarch, and before serving, Sichuan peppercorn powder, white pepper powder, and a spoonful of chili oil are added. The soup is thick and viscous, with a numbing and fragrant aroma that rises to the surface. The meatballs are firm, and the vegetables melt in your mouth with a touch of your tongue. People in Xi'an often break pieces of flatbread (tuotuo) into the soup and soak them in. After finishing a bowl, a slight sweat appears on the forehead, and the morning drowsiness finally dissipates.
Oil tea with fried dough twists is another traditional breakfast option. Oil tea is made by slowly frying flour in butter or rapeseed oil until fragrant, then adding almonds, sesame seeds, soybeans, and crushed peanuts, and finally simmering it in boiling water to create a savory broth. Fried dough twists are prepared in advance and soaked whole in the oil tea before eating. The twists are soft on the outside and chewy on the inside, while the oil tea has a nutty, oily aroma, making it more filling than a spicy soup. Busy office workers often choose the former, while older people with more time enjoy a bowl of oil tea with fried dough twists slowly.
Midday: The patience of breaking bread and the rich flavor of Han-style paomo (pita bread soaked in broth).
Beef and mutton stew with bread is a classic lunch in Xi'an. The bread pieces are first broken into pieces the size of soybeans by the diner, then repeatedly soaked in boiling broth before being topped with vermicelli, wood ear mushrooms, daylily buds, and chopped beef and mutton. Finally, it's sprinkled with cilantro, served with chili sauce and pickled garlic. The bread pieces absorb the broth but remain chewy, the meat is tender but not falling apart, and the broth is clear yet rich in flavor. Breaking the bread is itself a pre-meal ritual; the finer the pieces, the more evenly the broth and bread blend. Xi'an locals often say that the patience for a bowl of stew begins with breaking the first piece of bread.
Hulu Tou is a secret ingredient in Han Chinese-style paomo (pita bread soaked in broth). The main ingredients are pig intestines and stomach, which undergo multiple processes including rinsing, blanching, and braising. The broth is made by simmering pork bones and hen until it turns white. Broken pita bread is placed at the bottom, topped with sliced intestines, stomach, vermicelli, and tofu, then rinsed thoroughly in the boiling broth. Finally, it's sprinkled with scallions and drizzled with chili oil. The broth is white, rich, and flavorful; the intestines are soft, tender, and fragrant with fat, and after thorough cleaning, there's no unpleasant odor. Regular diners often pair it with a side of smoked bangbang meat and pickled vegetables—a dish that Xi'an locals are even more reluctant to share than beef or mutton paomo.
Afternoon: Seasonal Signals in Sweetness
Huang Gui Persimmon Cake is made with Lintong Huojing Persimmons as its core ingredient. The persimmons are peeled, mashed, and mixed with flour to form a soft dough. This dough is then filled with a filling made of osmanthus paste, walnuts, sesame seeds, and brown sugar. The cakes are pressed into small cakes and pan-fried until golden brown on both sides. The outer crust is crisp and soft, with the natural fructose aroma of the persimmons. The filling, when heated, becomes semi-liquid, with a blend of osmanthus and nutty fragrances. It's a seasonal autumn and winter snack in Xi'an; locals know that persimmon cake season has arrived when persimmons are in season. Unfilled persimmon tarts are also common, offering a purer, more delicate flavor.
Mirror cake is a steamed dessert. Glutinous rice flour is placed in a small wooden steamer and steamed for a few minutes. Once cooked, it is lifted with a bamboo skewer and spread with rose jam, crushed peanuts, and white sugar. The cake is soft and chewy, the rose jam provides a delicate aroma, and the crushed peanuts add crunch. It's a small dessert, perfect for a sweet treat after lunch, and is also the lightest snack found in the alleys of the Muslim Quarter.
Late at night: Charcoal fire and spicy food conclude the day
As night falls in the Muslim Quarter, the aroma of charcoal grills replaces the steamy smell of steamers. Grilled meats, mostly beef ribs or lamb, are skewered on iron sticks and quickly grilled over charcoal, sprinkled with cumin and chili powder. Hot pot tripe involves skewering cooked tripe and briefly dipping it in boiling broth, then topping it with sesame sauce, minced garlic, and chili oil. The grilled meat is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, while the hot pot tripe is crisp, tender, and coated in sauce, the sesame sauce and chili oil creating a savory and fragrant flavor. Xi'an's late-night eateries aren't fancy pubs, but rather smoky street stalls; paired with a bottle of local soda or plum juice, the day's fatigue is instantly relieved.
Lamb blood soup is a refreshing late-night snack. Fresh lamb blood is cut into thin strips and quickly cooked in boiling broth. It's served on a bed of vermicelli and tofu, topped with a spicy bone broth and a spoonful of chili oil. The lamb blood is as tender as tofu, and the broth is spicy, flavorful, and has a satisfying aftertaste. The colder the weather, the more popular this bowl of bright red, piping hot lamb blood becomes. After eating it, your pores are open, making it perfect for a nap at home.
From the numbing and spicy aroma of the first sip of hot and sour soup in the morning to the smoky fragrance of the last skewer of grilled meat late at night, Xi'an people live their lives in the simple things they eat. From the main streets to the back alleys, you can understand this city through its food in just one day.