Shaanxi Cuisine, also known as Qin Cuisine, is the representative culinary achievement in the northwest China. In comparison to other Chinese cuisines, it is outstanding in three aspects. Firstly, due to Shaanxi's geographical location in the center of China, various kinds of materials deriving from both north and south China are adopted by Shaanxi Cuisine. Second is the special cooking skills of the local chefs, including Tun (deep-fry), Qiang (fry quickly in hot oil, then cook with sauce and water), Chao (stir-fry), Zheng (cook by use of steam), Dun (braise) and so on. Finally is its frequently use of salt, vinegar, capsicum and garlic, making the savory flavor of sour, spicy and fragrant.
The history of Shaanxi Cuisine is said to be as long as the national's civilization, retaining the table characteristics of the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties. At present, the Shaanxi Cuisine is divided into the Guanzhong (central Shaanxi), Shannan (south Shaanxi) and Shanbei (north Shaanxi) cuisines according to their geographical locations. Here, in Xian, the Guanzhong Cuisine plays the vital role in the citizens' daily lives as well as the Shannan and Shanbei dishes supply the gastronomists with another choice.
Pictures of Yang Rou Pao Mo 
Yang Rou Pao Mo
Visitors to Xian must do two things: one is to see the clay figures of terra cotta warriors and horses. The other is to taste Yang Rou Pao Mo (a soup dish that involves breaking wheat flour flat bread into a bowl and adding a delicious mutton stock). Before dinner, you will be served one or two pieces of wheat flour flat bread which you into tiny chunks, the smaller the better. The waiter or the waitress will then hand your bowl to the cook who mixes the bread and mutton soup with an appropriate relish. When the steaming hot meal is brought in, the waiter will also offer you sweet crisp pickled garlic, coriander, and hot pepper sauce. Xian Dumplings
In Xian, there is a must for travelers to try the delicious dumplings. While tasting those dumplings, customers will be astonished by the cooks' smart cooking methods include steaming, boiling, pan-frying, deep frying, and roasting. It seems that all of the indigenous meat and vegetables can be used for the dumplings' stuffing, such as pork, mutton, beef as well as celery, radish, cabbages, etc. Nowadays, by the cooks' continuously improving, the dumpling has been one of the best foods of Xian to entertain travelers from home and abroad. It must be a great pity if you miss tasting the Xian's featured Dumpling Banquet. Usually, the Dumpling Banquet consists of a number of steamed dumplings as well as the family style dumplings are boiled which can be easily found in some chophouses distributed in Xian City. 
Pictures of Dumpling Dinner Local Snacks
Snack Bars of Liang Pi Snack Bars of Rou Jia Mo
It is hardly for any traveler to taste all of the Xian snacks in his short stay here. That is because no one could point out exactly how many kinds of snacks exist in this historic city. In fact, discovering and enjoying as many as local snack should be only next to visiting the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses. If you are a gourmet longing for typical Chinese food, the various kinds of Xian snacks will give you as much personal satisfaction as possible, ranging from dim sum, candy, cracker to dried fruit and dessert. 
Muslim Snacks Street Pictures
When you ask locals for a place to find the featured Xian snacks, it is no doubt that you will be suggested to visit the Moslem Street firstly although this city's main composition of population is Han. As a unique characteristic, the Moslem food occupies a vital role in the Xian Cuisine (also Shaanxi Cuisine), partly because the Hui people have inhabited here in a large number for many years. Anyway, this narrow but prosperous street is the largest assembling place for all of the Moslem food over half of which are the Moslem snacks. Alternatively, you can have some snack at the elegant Moslem restaurants which are distributed everywhere in the city area. Local Dishes Recommended Local Restaurants Recommended Local Restaurants of Shannan & Shanbei Food
As the representative of Shaanxi Cuisine, Guanzhong dish is well know for cooking pork and mutton as well as in strong and heavy flavor. In addition, the simplex but choice material in a course gives a pure taste to the Guanzhong dish. Shannan dish emphasizes on the use of pepper, having a spicy flavor. Also using pork and mutton frequently, the Shanbei dish is usually cooked by steaming. More Chinese and Western Restaurants Sichuan Cuisine, Hot Pot, Fast Food, Vegetarian and top Western Restaurant in Xian
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Travelers' Voices on Xian Dining
1.
Oct. 30,2009 01:14 Reply
Ms.Mary said:
I have saw a kind of noodle called "Biangbiang Noodle", or "Belt noodle" which is as long as 1m and as thick as a coin. It's amazing and i may have a try next time if the chance present itself.
Oct. 30,2009 03:28
Ms.Helena replied:
biangbiang noodle in xi'an city is a little different from that in its birthplace. noodles in city are normally not that long or that thick. anyway, it's tasty and worth a try.
Nov. 19,2009 01:21
Ms.HERBEAT(China) replied:
Agreed, you probably won't get something as long as 1m there. But Biangbiang Noodle is a typical thing in Xi'an and it's worth to try. If you are interested in Noodle, you might like to try different kinds of Noodles there. It's a good place for varity kinds of Noodle...
2.
Sep. 7,2009 10:34 Reply
Mr.Raghavendra(India) said:
I am Puer Vegetarian ? What are Veg food options available at Xian
Sep. 8,2009 03:43
Mr.Zhang(China) replied:
There are few special restaurants for vegetarian in Xi'an. You can ask the waitors to suggest some food which do not contain any ingrediences made of animals and birds. There is a buddism restaurant for buddism monk just east of Wild Groose Pagoda, which serve food not made of meat of animals.
Sep. 8,2009 22:40
Mr.Shan replied:
You may go to the restaurant of Daxingshan Temple for a vegetarian dinner, which is located in Xiaozhai area. And, another popular one is called Su Xin Ming which is located a little far from the city center.
Sep. 12,2009 03:46
Mr.Krish(UAE) replied:
There are two Indian restaurants in Xian as far as I know -- Delhi Durbar and Cacaja. Both are close to each other but the former is better in terms of food quality and service. Price is reasonable and placeis clean.
3.
Apr. 3,2009 10:06 Reply
Mr.Ujjwal Banerjee.(India) said:
Is there any Indian Restaurant in Xian city?
My email : ujjwalbanerjee1@gmail.com.
Apr. 9,2009 04:58
Ms.Emma replied:
Yes. I know CACAJA in West Yanta Road, and New Delhi Restaurant in Datang Tongyifang, not far away fromt he first one.
4.
Feb. 17,2009 22:23 Reply
Mr.wai guo ren(USA) said:
Jiaozi nothing..
It's BAOZI that's the good isht. I could eat 15-20 of those huge suckers at the college "foreigner hotel" dining room where I studied - about 5RMB. And from what I read online, there's a famous place in Shanghai that serves it up. And another article about Xisi Baozi Restaurant in Beijing.
5.
Feb. 10,2009 03:04 Reply
Ms.Simpson(china) said:
Dinning at Xian, but don’t know what the English names of the local delicacy? The commercial administration of Shaanxi Province initiated a special Chinese-English menu listing typical Shaanxi dishes last July. The specially designed menu contains a variety of 455 local Shaanxi dishes and popular snacks prepared by 136 catering enterprises. These are just a sample of some of items in the Chinese-English menu:
凉皮 steamed cold noodles
黄桂柿子饼 deep-fried persimmon pastry
洋芋擦擦 potato shreds steamed with flour
陕西老碗菜 assorted ragout
摆汤面 noodles with hot and sour soup
6.
Jan. 23,2009 12:49 Reply
Mrs.Swinford(USA) said:
The "dumpling dinner", while obviously for tourists, is a fabulous experience and not to be missed if you only have a short time to enjoy Xi'an.
7.
Dec. 26,2008 13:10 Reply
Ms.aa(uk) said:
im a muslim and would like to know is there some muslim population in xian? also can u get vegetarian or halal food easily out there?please help thank you x
Dec. 27,2008 02:40
Ms.Strawberry replied:
Just as I wrote in the bottom, it is the Moslem Street!!!!!!
8.
Dec. 9,2008 21:16 Reply
Mr.Brad said:
Yang rou pao mo is the most classical food in Xian. Laosunjia and Tongshengxiang are big and famous yang rou pao mo restaurants, but not recommended. Not so delicious and authentic. They just have fames that attracts visitors not well-known about Xian. In Huimin Jie, Laomijia is a hightly recommended restaurant. It is more authentic and reliable and it is cheaper. During dinner hours, you may not find seats and the restaurant will close at 2 in the afternoon. So, come there earlier. Around Huimin Jie, Dapiyuan, several well praised restaurants are closed early. Perhaps because of this, it attracts more people. Smart business strategy!!
9.
Dec. 2,2008 02:06 Reply
Mr.Philip(US) said:
I like our dinner in Xian, so delicious and amazing cheap. I tried a popular local food called Gan Mian Pi, about 3 Yuan per bowl, so much chili sauce, the local must have strong stomach.
Dec. 7,2008 22:06
Ms.Sunny(china) replied:
i like gan mian pi,it's one of my favorite foods ..
10.
Nov. 28,2008 03:17 Reply
Ms.Joan said:
I'm interesting cooking some food of XI'an, dumpling Does anyone know where I can learn, maybe pay for a course? I just have 2-week there.
Thanks! Joan
Nov. 29,2008 20:24
Ms.Glency replied:
It may be difficult to have such a course. Do you have any local friends there? You may learn cooking with the help of them. I know some bookstores also have cooking books, may help some.