Xi'an

ròujiāmó

A crisp-edged griddled wheat flatbread split and packed with meat that has been braised for hours in a spiced master stock, then chopped on the board with a little of its own fat and juice.

Tastes like: Savoury, lightly spiced with star anise and cassia, juicy and faintly fatty; not spicy by default

Not on the menu but in it: The Han Chinese version is pork belly braised in a decades-old pork master stock; the halal version from the Muslim quarter uses beef or lamb. If you need halal, buy from a clearly Muslim-run shop rather than assuming.

Might not be for you: Chopped fat is mixed through the meat by design, so a pure lean filling is unusual — ask for 'chun shou' (pure lean) if you prefer.

Where: Dedicated single-item shops all over the city; halal versions throughout the Muslim quarter around Beiyuanmen and Sajinqiao

liángpí

Wide, slippery sheets of steamed wheat-starch or rice-starch noodle cut into ribbons, served cold with cucumber, wheat gluten cubes, vinegar, garlic water and chilli oil.

Tastes like: Sour, garlicky, cool and chilli-fragrant rather than burning hot

Not on the menu but in it: Majiang liangpi (sesame-paste version) contains a lot of sesame. The spongy cubes mixed in are wheat gluten, not tofu — not coeliac-safe. The chilli oil is usually plant-based, which makes this one of the better genuinely vegetarian street options.

Might not be for you: The noodles are slick and rubbery, eaten cold; the raw-garlic hit is strong.

Where: Stalls and small shops citywide; the Muslim quarter and any neighbourhood market

yángròu pàomó

You are given a dense unleavened bread roll and tear it by hand into fingernail-sized crumbs; the kitchen then cooks it in a rich mutton or beef broth with glass noodles and sliced meat and returns the bowl to you.

Tastes like: Deeply savoury, mutton-rich, thickened by the bread; eaten with pickled sweet garlic and chilli paste

Not on the menu but in it: The broth is simmered from mutton or beef bones for many hours; there is no meat-free version. Most paomo houses in the Muslim quarter are halal, but confirm.

Might not be for you: Strong mutton aroma, and the bread turns to a soft, porridge-like mass. Tearing the bread yourself takes fifteen minutes and is part of the ritual — tearing it too large ruins the bowl.

Where: Old paomo houses around the Drum Tower and the Muslim quarter; also Han-Chinese versions elsewhere in Beilin district

biángbiáng miàn

A single enormous belt-wide hand-slapped wheat noodle, boiled and topped with chilli flakes, spring onion and garlic, over which smoking-hot oil is poured at the last second to bloom the chilli.

Tastes like: Toasty chilli fragrance, garlicky, salty-sour with vinegar; more aromatic than fiery

Not on the menu but in it: Usually vegetarian in its plain 'youpo' form, but many shops add a minced-pork or braised-meat topping by default and some use lard in the hot oil. Ask for 'su de' (plain/vegetarian).

Might not be for you: The noodles are extremely thick and chewy; portions are large.

Where: Noodle shops across Beilin and Lianhu districts, and inside the city walls

suāntāng shuǐjiǎo

Small boiled dumplings, usually lamb or beef, floated in a hot-and-sour broth sharpened with vinegar, chilli oil, coriander and sometimes seaweed and dried shrimp.

Tastes like: Sharply sour, mildly spicy, light

Not on the menu but in it: The soup frequently contains dried shrimp (haimi) and sesame oil, and is built on a meat broth even when the dumplings look plain.

Might not be for you: Coriander-heavy as standard.

Where: Muslim-quarter dumpling shops and neighbourhood breakfast counters

niúròuwán húlàtāng

A thick, starch-bound beef broth loaded with bouncy beef meatballs, potato, carrot, cabbage and wheat gluten, finished with a ladle of chilli oil. Torn flatbread goes in. A Xi'an breakfast, not the Henan version of the same name.

Tastes like: Thick, peppery, salty, moderately spicy and very filling

Not on the menu but in it: Beef-bone broth; the 'gluten' cubes are wheat. Heavily peppered with white pepper as well as chilli.

Might not be for you: The gloopy starch-thickened texture and the bouncy, almost rubbery meatballs are unfamiliar.

Where: Morning stalls in the Muslim quarter, especially around Sajinqiao; sold out by late morning

húluji

A whole chicken trussed into a gourd shape, then steamed, simmered and deep-fried so the skin shatters while the meat stays soft. A Tang-dynasty banquet dish and Xi'an's most famous sit-down speciality.

Tastes like: Mildly spiced, crisp-skinned, savoury; served with pepper-salt for dipping

Might not be for you: Served whole with bones in, to be pulled apart by hand or with chopsticks.

Where: Old-brand Shaanxi restaurants inside the city walls; it is a restaurant dish, not street food

guàntāngbāo

Xi'an's Muslim-quarter version of soup dumplings: thin-skinned steamed buns filled with beef or lamb and a gelled broth, eaten with vinegar.

Tastes like: Savoury and lightly spiced, with a strong beef or mutton character

Not on the menu but in it: The soup is set with beef-bone aspic. Halal versions use no pork, but non-halal shops elsewhere in the city may.

Might not be for you: Very hot liquid inside; mutton versions have a strong aroma.

Where: The Muslim quarter around Beiyuanmen

xiǎo sūròu

Cubes of battered, deep-fried beef (halal) or pork then steamed in a bowl until meltingly tender, served over rice with a ladle of chilli oil. In Xi'an the halal beef version is the famous one.

Tastes like: Rich, oily, soft, with a chilli-oil kick

Not on the menu but in it: The batter typically contains egg and wheat starch. The Sichuan dish of the same name is crisp and dry; the Xi'an one is steamed and soft.

Might not be for you: Very soft, almost mushy texture and a high fat content.

Where: Specialist shops in the Muslim quarter, several of which sell out daily

huángguì shìzǐbǐng

Small griddled cakes made from dough enriched with pulped Lintong persimmon, stuffed with osmanthus-scented sugar, walnut or rose paste and fried on a flat pan.

Tastes like: Sweet, floral, sticky inside with a crisp outside

Not on the menu but in it: Walnut and sesame commonly appear in the filling; the frying fat is sometimes lard.

Where: Griddle stalls along the Muslim quarter streets, made to order

húlutóu pàomó

A Han-Chinese cousin of paomo: torn bread in a milky pork broth with carefully cleaned, sliced pig large intestine and sometimes streaky pork.

Tastes like: Rich, milky, peppery, with an unmistakable offal depth

Not on the menu but in it: Pork intestine and pork-bone broth — definitely not halal, despite sitting on menus near the Muslim quarter.

Might not be for you: Pig intestine, with the characteristic smell that survives even careful cleaning.

Where: Old Han-Chinese paomo houses in Beilin district, away from the Muslim quarter

láozāo / guìhuā chóujiǔ

A cloudy, barely alcoholic drink of fermented glutinous rice, served warm and sweetened with osmanthus flowers; the traditional accompaniment to a Xi'an meal.

Tastes like: Sweet, milky, lightly yeasty and floral

Not on the menu but in it: Lightly alcoholic despite being sold as a soft drink — relevant for anyone avoiding alcohol on religious or medical grounds.

Where: Old Shaanxi restaurants and Muslim-quarter stalls (the quarter's versions are generally non-alcoholic sweet laozao)