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Having visited the length and breadth of China, I always recommend Xi’an as one of the best tourist destinations in the country. Besides its wealth of culturally significant sites, Xi’an also boasts some of China’s tastiest cuisine. Sampling Xi’an street food is a perfect opportunity to delve into this unique culinary tradition.

As a sprawling metropolis of over 12 million people, Xi’an has some truly excellent street food. What’s more, it is one of the best places in China for the accessibility of its street food. You should have no trouble finding clusters of street vendors throughout Xi’an, especially within the historic core of its walled city. Having said that, joining a street food tour can take you straight to some of the best spots.
The absolute best thing, however, is that most of these mouth-watering street food snacks will only set you back RMB 10-20 (around USD$ 1.30-2.70).

After you’ve cycled or walked the city walls, explored Xi’an’s famous Muslim area, or taken a trip out of town to the world-renowned Terracotta Warriors, tasting some of this excellent street food is one of the best things to do in Xi’an. Read to the end of this article for exactly where in the city to find these quick eats.

7 Must-try Xi’an street food dishes
1. Biang Biang noodles
Biang Biang noodles are just about as representative of Xi’an as any of the city’s other many icons. Most traditionally served with chilli, garlic, bean sprouts, tomato and Sichuan pepper, the dish mainly consists of just one long, thick and wide noodle. Sometimes you’ll even get a small pair of scissors to cut the noodle before eating it.


Adding to the mystique of this dish is the fiendishly complicated Chinese character, specially invented to represent the sound “biang” as the noodles are hit against the worktop while being pulled. (Chinese people will challenge each other to write this character, which has a whopping 58 strokes in its traditional form!)
You won’t be able to miss the complicated character for “biang” on restaurant signs all over the city. You’ll even be able to find good renditions of this signature dish at the exit to the Terracotta Warriors museum.


2. 羊肉泡馍 Yang Rou Pao Mo – Lamb meat with soaked pita in soup
Looks are a little bit deceiving with this dish – the base of this stew may look at first to be made of noodles. However, the soup actually contains broken up pieces of pita bread (mo 馍).
Essentially, pao mo is made from pita bread, broken up into small pieces, and stewed in a hot broth with meat until the pita bread pieces go soggy. The meat is normally lamb, although you might occasionally find it with beef (as you’ll see in the picture).
Especially in the winter, it’s a perfect for a chilly winter day. You might also find it at some of Xi’an’s morning markets, on offer for breakfast.

3. 肉夹馍 Rou Jia Mo – Meat in Flatbread
The more traditional appearance of the mo 馍 just mentioned above is in the simple but oh-so-tasty rou jia mo. This simple snack is so tasty and popular that it is consumed widely all over China. However, rou jia mo originally hails from Xi’an and Shaanxi province.

Succulent stewed meat is seasoned with spices, before being stuffed inside a small flatbread. Alongside the meat, spring onion and sometimes other vegetables are added. The combination is cooked briefly on a hot plate, often with a little oil.
Pork is a popular meat that you will find in the rou jia mo. However, since Xi’an has a significant Muslim population, you will often find variations with beef. Rou jia mo is one of my personal favorite Xi’an street foods for a quick, cheap fix at any time of the day.

4. 凉皮 Liang Pi – “Cold skin noodles”
Directly translating as “cold skin (noodles)”, liang pi is an especially tasty snack in the summer heat. Since their preparation uses no animal product, liang pi are an excellent vegan or vegetarian street food in Xi’an.
Liang pi are cold noodles made of solidified starch, almost like a pancake that is stretched and cut up into strips. After being boiled, the liang pi are placed back into cold water and are served with a wide variety of accompaniments.
On the streets of Xi’an, you’ll find liang pi served in simple combinations of vinegar, chilli oil, sesame oil, thin strips of cucumber, and light herbs. Liang pi is an absolute classic of Xi’an street food; the most popular pairing is together with a rou jia mo.


5. 羊肉水饺 Yang Rou Shui Jiao – Lamb dumpling soup
Dumpling soup is not unique to Shaanxi cuisine. However it is so ubiquitous to Xi’an’s food markets (and irresistibly tasty) that it should not be overlooked.
Lamb is one of the most popular fillings for dumplings in Xi’an, often combined with leek, chives, and egg. The dumplings are served in a hearty broth which is especially ideal on a cold winter morning. For the best lamb dumplings in Xi’an, stop by the Morning Market near Wumu Gate on the south side of the old city.
Across Xi’an, however, you’ll see vendors making the dumpling filling, rolling the dough, and wrapping them into cute dumplings, all by hand. It’s a laborious process, but worth every single bite when you try the finished product.


6. 桂花糕 Gui Hua Gao – Osmanthus rice cake
It would be impossible to talk about Xi’an street food without mentioning some of the sweet dishes on offer.


Osmanthus rice cake – known locally as gui hua gao – is a spongy steamed dessert, with the flavoring of sweet osmanthus flower. The cakes are sometimes also topped off with dates. You’ll often see it at night markets, presented as a large, round yellow cake with purple coloring and brown on top. The color may be slightly off-putting at first, but it’s a truly delicious sweet snack.
Vendors will generally offer you a slice of osmanthus rice cake on a stick. The refreshing aftertaste of the osmanthus flower make this is a form of street food very unique to Xi’an.

7. 甑糕 Zeng Gao – Jujube and glutinous rice cake
Similar to the osmanthus rice cake, zeng gao uses sweet ingredients often unfamiliar to Western tourists. This makes the zeng gao one of the most unique Xi’an street food dishes.

The sweet dessert of the zeng gao is based on glutinous rice and jujube beans. Dates and dark sugar sometimes form the top layer, bringing out a delicate sweet flavor. As with many Chinese desserts, the level of sweetness is much lower than desserts from other areas of the world.
Over many hours, chefs steam the zeng gao in a large flat pan, and scrape it out of the pan using a spatula. To understand it better, the character gao (糕) here translates most accurately somewhere halfway between a “cake” and a “paste”. The gooey, soft texture of the zeng gao means that it is not comfortably a “cake”, but is also a little firmer than a “paste”. Zeng (甑) refers to the rice pot in which the chefs cook this dessert.


Best places to find Xi’an street food
Morning: 小南门早市: Breakfast market near 勿幕门 Wumu Gate
Undisputedly, this is the best place to find Xi’an street food for breakfast. Head to the south side of the old city, just inside Wumu Gate.
Clustered around an intersection of streets are many restaurants, with many more portable stalls and seating spilling out onto the street. Come here to find excellent lamb dumpling soup, soy milk with fried dough sticks, liang pi and much more.


Lunch: 回民街 Huimin Street
You’ll undoubtedly be passing through Huimin Street on your way to the Muslim area of Xi’an. The north-south street, almost exactly in the center of historical Xi’an, is home to the widest variety of street food in the city.
You’ll be able to find virtually every one of your Xi’an street food bucket list items here, as well as sweet drinks and desserts famous throughout China.


Evening: 大唐不夜市 Da Tang night market
Literally, the name of this market is the “Da Tang Market That Never Sleeps”. To get to this sprawling commercial area, head a little south in the city, outside the fortified city walls.
Once you overlook the slightly garish neon lights on the streetside buildings and hanging from the trees, there’s an endless choice of street food and entertainment. Spend the evening wandering down the main thoroughfare and side alleys, working your way through the above list of Xi’an street foods.


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