Yup, this is no typo. It's one of those things which result in countless cases of wrong-ticket-wrong-place. Shanxi (山 (shan1) 西), literally "West of Mountain" is where the ancient city of Pingyao resides. Shaanxi (陕 (shan3) 西) is where China's ancient capital of Xi'an is, and also home to Huashan which I wrote about earlier. What makes matters even more confusing is that the two provinces are right next to each other!
The food I experienced in these two provinces were pretty similar, with some differences. We see much more influence from the Muslim-Chinese in Shaanxi i.e. lamb kebabs, flatbreads, heavily spiced (cumin, dried chilli) foods etc whereas Shanxi's cuisine is more Northern-Chinese i.e. more poultry, pork, beef and less heavy-handed with the spices. However, there is so much criss-crossing between the two provinces that it becomes a blurred spectrum of tasty delights after a while and one stops comparing.
Here are some examples (from both provinces):
The ubiquitous kebab stall. This one was in Pingyao, outside the West Gate. Watch out for the chilli - they'll apply several coats of the spicy stuff during the grilling process.
Beef stew! They've cleverly bulked up the meal by rolling the beef in flour before cooking so that each piece of meat is encased in a slimy but delicious starch jacket. It also allows them to "hide" a heart-stopping amount of fat in the dish. Always look out for the shops which sell one or two items in massive quantities - almost sure indicator of good eats.
Naan. Also nan in Chinese in Shaanxi. I think they call it da bing in other parts of China. Literally "big biscuit"; and I can understand why! It tastes like naan, but harder and more leathery. It also comes with sprinklings of assorted embellishments. This one had sesame seeds and sunflower seeds.
This was pretty awesome. Long lines always a good sign. Muslim Quarter in Xi'an.
First pic: Lamb soup with crumbled mo. Now mo is a little bit difficult to describe. It's technically a flatbread which is baked, but more dense and less doughy. Think a cross of 70% bread and 30% biscuit. It is usually in the shape of a thick disc. See second pic.
Second pic: Mo with a super tasty filling of "pulled-beef". This was what the crowd was queuing up for. They'll put a piece of beef on the chopping board, pulverise it while adding lashings of spices and broth, creating this intensely flavoured, juicy filling for the dry and crusty mo. Great contrast in texture and good stuff.
First pic: Lamb soup with crumbled mo. Now mo is a little bit difficult to describe. It's technically a flatbread which is baked, but more dense and less doughy. Think a cross of 70% bread and 30% biscuit. It is usually in the shape of a thick disc. See second pic.
Second pic: Mo with a super tasty filling of "pulled-beef". This was what the crowd was queuing up for. They'll put a piece of beef on the chopping board, pulverise it while adding lashings of spices and broth, creating this intensely flavoured, juicy filling for the dry and crusty mo. Great contrast in texture and good stuff.
Dumplings or jiao zi. This was in a 100-year-old shop recommended by Lonely Planet. It's right on the central square of Xi'an old city and you'll pay a steep premium commensurate with its location. The taste? Nothing spectacular. Minced pork and mushrooms.
They do xiaolongbao in Xi'an too! Over here it's called tang bao. With an interesting twist. I ate in a muslim shop, which means it wasn't the usual pork stuffing. It was lamb! Somehow they've managed to make lamb taste exactly like pork. It was uncanny. So, to my muslim friends who want to know what the forbidden fruit tastes like...
There's not much in terms of dessert in China. In Shanxi and Shaanxi, you'll see stalls selling peanut cakes, and other sweets; but the locals don't eat that every day. As far as I can tell, the typical dessert is fruit and usually watermelon, pineapple or rock melon. Sometimes you can score yourself a sweet deal, especially for fruits in season like this bag of cherries which I paid only USD1.50 for!
