We tried some of the most raved about foods of Xian and we weren't really impressed. We tried many dishes and snacks during our visit to Xi'an and below are top 6 of our picks and the ones that aren't worth it. This is based on the dishes we tried as we strolled down Muslim Quarter and an ancient snack street. Enjoy!
MUST TRY
1) Flatbread in Steamed Mutton Stew
(Crumbled unleavened Bread in Mutton Stew )
We are going to start with the most obvious one which is a distinctive food of Xian and its delicious. But, if you are eating this, it's best not to eat anything prior to this. You will get full fast and you will also feel tired after some bites because it's so heavy on carbs. I think one bowl is enough for 2-3 people. We had so much left over it was sad.
The way this dish is prepped is different than any dish we have tried before. Basically, you are given two unleavened bread and you have to crumble them before the waitress comes and takes it to the chef. They use your bowl with the crumbled bread to make the mutton stew. You can find restaurant that sell this dish all over the Muslim Quarter Street.
2) Yadanjiamo
This is a sandwich with a duck egg & a chicken Egg in a special bread with other condiments. its pretty delicious and different from all the foods that are sold on the main road of Muslim quarter.
3) Shanzhayangmeidong (Stand Name)
Away from the famous road (Muslim quarter) is an Ancient snack street named Yongxingfang on the East Side of the city wall. They sell this amazing jelly looking thingie and this is definitely the one thing you shouldn't leave without trying! It looks like jelly but tastes completely different. It has authentic Chinese fruits, sesames, and sunflower seeds in it. I don't know how to describe the taste, but trust me, it's a must try! The only problem here is, this street only takes Wechat or Alipay payment. All the vendors on this street don't accept cash at all.
4) Hongshuwanzi
On the same ancient street, by the entrance is a stand that sells sweet potatoes pastry. This is made out of sweet potatoes, flour and sugar. It gives a new meaning to the way we view sweet potatoes.There is a purple cream filling inside the balls which is purple sweet potatoes. you can not taste the sweet potatoes at all, and honestly if they told me this were made out of something else, I would totally believe it.
5) Shanzhatangxueqiu
I believe these authentic Chinese fruits topped in powdered sugar look alike thing are totally worth checking out for. The fruit is a little sour and the topping is sweet, but not very sweet. So, overall you get a well balanced quick snack.
6) Nitrogen Ice Cream
For anyone that loves Ice cream this is a must try! These are just a fun experience overall. Its not like any other ice cream because it's crunchy and not smooth but still tasty. It's a new way to experience the ice cream world.
NOT WORTH IT 1) Osmanthus Flower Jelly Cake
These have no flavor. They look cute but they taste bland. It tastes like a bit of alcohol, and I want to say sponge, but it’s not sponge. It’s not really bad, but totally not worth it!
2) lamb Skewers
These skewers are sold EVERYWHERE in Xi’an and even outside Xi’an, but they really are not worth the hype at all. Although the lamb skewers are famous and popular, there are other meat options if lamb isn’t for you. These are not hard to miss because Lamb skewers stands are everywhere.
3) Mini Fried Potato Balls
These Potatoes balls are boiled before stir fried and season with many spices.They are not very soft, they are a bit tender. These are of one those snacks you have to keep eating and eventually somehow the taste changes and you kind of start to like them.
4) Pomegranate Juice
There are the fake kind and the authentic kind and you can totally tell them apart. The fake kinds look like juice while the authentic ones look a bit like smoothies. In my opinion, these are not worth the money.