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Shaanxi cuisine | |||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 陝西菜 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 陕西菜 | ||||||
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Qin cuisine | |||||||
Chinese | 秦菜 | ||||||
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Shaanxi cuisine, or Qin cuisine, is derived from the native cooking styles of Shaanxi Province and parts of northwestern China.
Shaanxi cuisine makes elaborate use of ordinary materials, and is characterized by its noodles, lamb/mutton dishes, and heavy use of strong and complex flavours. There is an emphasis on savoury flavours such as salt, garlic, onion and vinegar; sugar is seldom used. The main cooking methods are steaming, frying and stir-frying.
Due to its geographical location between the provinces of Shanxi and Sichuan, the flavours of Shaanxi cuisine include both the sour and spicy of Sichuan cuisine, and the salty flavours of Shanxi. Shaanxi cuisine's primary flavor profile is xiāng là (香辣) or "fragrant spicy".
Shaanxi cuisine uses more noodles than other Chinese cuisines, but Shaanxi noodles are almost always thicker and longer than those of Beijing cuisine, and to a lesser degree, Shanxi cuisine, especially the Biangbiang ones. [1] [2] [3]
The taste of Shaanxi cuisine can be quite spicy; however, this can be diluted by adding soy sauce. Many different types of meat are used in Shaanxi cuisine such as duck, lamb, chicken, and beef. Additionally, there are vegetarian mixed dishes where no meat is included, the extra flavour being provided by more spices, resulting in these dishes being considerably spicier.
Shaanxi cuisine includes three regional styles:
The following is a selected list of dishes in Shaanxi cuisine. [5]
English | Traditional Chinese | Simplified Chinese | Pinyin | Image | Notes |
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Biangbiang noodles | 麵 | 面 | biángbiáng miàn | Notable for its name being written with one of the most complex characters used in modern Chinese. | |
Crispy fried noodles | 金線油塔 | 金线油塔 | jīn xiàn yóu tǎ | ||
Cured beef and lamb | 臘牛羊肉 | 腊牛羊肉 | là niú yáng ròu | ||
Gourd head | 葫蘆頭 | 葫芦头 | húlú tóu | A dish made from pig's large intestine. It is called "gourd head" because the pig's large intestine looks like the top of a gourd. It originated as street food during the Northern Song dynasty. Since then, the dish has evolved to include variations with meat fillings inside the pig's large intestine, as well as the inclusion of other ingredients. Pictured with bottle of Ice Peak soda. | |
Guokui | 鍋盔 | 锅盔 | guōkuī | A kind of pancake made from flour. It is round in shape, about a foot long in diameter, an inch in thickness, and weighs about 2.5 kg. It is traditionally presented as a gift by a grandmother to her grandson when he turns one month old. | |
Hanzhong hot rice noodles | 漢中熱米皮 | 汉中热米皮 | Hànzhōng rè mǐ pí | ||
Lamb paomo | 羊肉泡饃 | 羊肉泡馍 | yáng ròu pào mó | Bread is shredded into pieces and put into a boiling beef or mutton broth before serving. | |
Lamb soup | 水盆羊肉 | 水盆羊肉 | shuǐ pén yáng ròu | ||
Mingsixi | 明四喜 | 明四喜 | míng sì xǐ | As Shaanxi is located far away from the coast, seafood hardly features in Shaanxi cuisine. This dish, composed of ingredients such as abalone, sea cucumber, squid, Shaoxing wine and clear chicken broth, is served only at major banquets and festivals in Shaanxi. | |
Qishan saozi noodles | 岐山臊子麵 | 岐山臊子面 | Qíshān sàozǐ miàn | ||
Rose mirror cake | 玫瑰鏡糕 | 玫瑰镜糕 | méiguī jìng gāo | A type of pastry made from glutinous rice. It is round in shape and looks like a mirror. | |
Roujiamo | 肉夾饃 | 肉夹馍 | ròujiāmó, ròugāmó | Often called "Chinese hamburgers", this famous Shaanxi dish can now be found everywhere in China. | |
Shaanxi-style liangpi | 陝西涼皮 | 陕西凉皮 | Shǎnxī liángpí | Cold wheat noodles with a chili and vinegar sauce. | |
Spicy soup | 胡辣湯 | 胡辣汤 | hú là tāng | ||
Vermicelli in lamb's blood soup | 粉湯羊血 | 粉汤羊血 | fěn tāng yáng xué | A soup composed of ingredients such as congealed lamb's blood, paomo and other condiments. It is eaten with vermicelli and coriander. | |
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Sichuan cuisine or Sichuanese cuisine, alternatively romanized as Szechwan cuisine or Szechuan cuisine, is a style of Chinese cuisine originating from Sichuan province and the neighboring Chongqing municipality. Chongqing was formerly a part of Sichuan until 1997; thus, there is a great deal of cultural overlap between the two administrative divisions. There are many regional, local variations of Sichuanese cuisine within Sichuan and Chongqing.
Malay cuisine is the traditional food of the ethnic Malays of Southeast Asia, residing in modern-day Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Southern Thailand and the Philippines as well as Cocos Islands, Christmas Island, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dish. Fried rice is a popular component of East Asian, Southeast Asian and certain South Asian cuisines, as well as a staple national dish of Indonesia. As a homemade dish, fried rice is typically made with ingredients left over from other dishes, leading to countless variations. Fried rice first developed during the Sui Dynasty in China.
Peranakan cuisine or Nyonya cuisine comes from the Peranakans, descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Singapore and Indonesia, inter-marrying with local Malays. In Baba Malay, a female Peranakan is known as a nonya, and a male Peranakan is known as a baba. The cuisine combines Chinese, Malay, Javanese, South Indian, and other influences.
Japanese Chinese cuisine, also known as Chūka, represents a unique fusion of Japanese and Chinese culinary traditions that have evolved over the late 19th century and more recent times. This style, served predominantly by Chinese restaurants in Japan, stands distinct from the "authentic Chinese food" found in areas such as Yokohama Chinatown. Despite this difference, the cuisine retains strong influences from various Chinese culinary styles, as seen in the Shippoku cooking style.
Jiangxi cuisine, also known as Gan cuisine, is a style of Chinese cuisine derived from the native cooking styles of Jiangxi province in southern China. According to the East China Travel Guide published in 1983, Jiangxi Cuisine has its unique taste which can be described in four Chinese idioms: 原汁原味(aim to bring out the own flavor of the cooking material),油厚不腻(dishes contained a significant amount of oil but the taste are not greasy),口味浓厚(dishes have really thick taste),咸鲜兼辣(always come with spicy solid, salty flavor). Jiangxi cuisine is widely popular within the ordinary family because most of the notable dishes from Jiangxi cuisine are the extension of homely dishes with solid local flavor.
Guizhou cuisine, or Qian cuisine, consists of cooking traditions and dishes from Guizhou Province in southwestern China. Guizhou cuisine shares many features with Sichuan cuisine and Hunan cuisine, especially in bringing the sensation of spiciness and pungency. What makes Guizhou cuisine unique is the emphasis of a mixed sour-and-spicy taste, as compared to the numbing-and-hot sensation featured in Sichuan cuisine and the dry-hot taste featured in Hunan cuisine. There is an ancient local saying, "Without eating a sour dish for three days, people will stagger with weak legs". The saying reflects how Guizhou people love local dishes with a sour taste. The combination of sour and spicy flavours is also found in Shaanxi cuisine. Guizhou cuisine differs from Shaanxi cuisine in that it lacks the emphasis on the salty taste, which is a common trait found in most northern Chinese cuisines. In addition, the unique sourness featured in Guizhou cuisine comes from the local tradition of fermenting vegetables or grains, and not from using vinegar products.
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Hot pot or hotpot, also known as steamboat, is a dish whereby a heat source placed on the dining table keeps a pot of soup stock simmering, and a variety of Chinese foodstuffs and ingredients are served beside the pot for the diners to put into the hot stock.
Hui mian is a Henan-style noodle soup. The ingredients used in the dish vary across different cities and restaurants. Typically, hui mian is made with lamb bones and a range of Chinese herbs, such as lycium chinense and star anise. However, kelp, tofu, coriander, quail eggs, chili oil, sugar, garlic, and minced peppers are also common ingredients.
Mala xiang guo, roughly translated into English as "spicy stir-fry hot pot", is a Chinese dish prepared by stir frying. Strongly flavored with mala, it often contains meat and vegetables, and has a salty and spicy taste. The preparation process involves placing the required ingredients in the pot, stir frying and adding seasoning. In restaurants, customers usually choose the ingredients by themselves before the chef prepares the dish.