While Xi Jinping spent his formative years in Beijing, his parents hail from Northwest China’s Shaanxi province. In Chinese culture, a person is considered from whatever region their paternal ancestors are from. Shaanxi province, located along the middle reaches of the Yellow River, is considered a gateway to Northwest China and is known for a distinctive cuisine.

There are numerous dishes in Shaanxi cuisine and the flavor varies by location in the province. With a history of thousands of years, Shaanxi cuisine has pioneered more than 800 hot and cold dishes and more than 1,000 different types of noodles and snacks.

Here are just 10 popular Shaanxi dishes:

1. Yang rou pao mo

Yang Rou Pao Mo is made from crumbled unleavened bread soaked in a mutton stew and is a local dish that is enjoyed throughout Shaanxi province as a traditional nourishing meal.

2. Rou jia mo

Also known as “Chinese hamburger” or “meat burger” rou jia mo and is made of steamed bread stuffed with meat (often lamb). This traditional Shaanxi street food is now widely consumed all over the world.

3. Liang pi

Shaanxi liangpi. Liangpi are cold noodles made from wheat or rice flour and can be found on almost ever street. It’s both tasty and affordable.

4. Qishan noodles

Qishan noodles became well-known in the Qing Dynasty. The noodles must be hand-made of high-quality wheat flour. Ingredients include shredded pork, day lily, egg, mushrooms, and bean curd that are flavored with a variety of spices. Qishan noodles originated in Qishan County. It is served with more sour and hot soup than noodles.

5. Guanzhong stone cake

Also called dry cake or bobo, this traditional cake is from from the Guanzhong area. This dish is very old and was even described in the “Book of Rites” from the Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC). It is made by heating small stones in a iron pot and putting the dough on top of the stones to cook.

6. Qianxian guo kui

Guo Kui, a well-known snack in Qianxian County, is thick in the middle and thinner on the edges. It’s made from wheat flour mixed with a minimum amount of water and then baked over low flame. The bread is easy to store since it contains little moisture, which is why locals eat it when traveling. It’s also been described as a “lid of a wok”.

7. Cold honey zongzi

This sticky rice dish is eaten with honey and huanggui sauce and has been recorded in many historical documents. In one Tang Dynasty book described it as “white like jade” and a favorite summer food. The old recipe calls for mixing honey with huanggui sauce, slicing the rice with thread, and putting it on a plate with the sauce.

8. Baoji tea cake

This green tea cake is made of refined white flour and is a traditional snack. The dough is kneaded and baked in a flat pan. ting. The final product has a crispy skin and a soft inner later.

9. Biang-biang noodles

Biang-biang pulled noodle can be wide or narrow and are soft and chewing. thin. ving in the Central Shaanxi Plain would like to knead dough and then roll it into a thick sheet and cut it into wide stripes. Such noodles are smooth, soft, and chewy.

10. Dumplings

Xian, the capital of Shaanxi province, is known for its dumplings. The city has served as China’s capital for many dynasties and is regarded as the home of China’s dumpling tradition. It was in the province that the art of making dumplings was refined.