Must-Try Gansu Foods: A Guide to the City’s Signature Dishes

When you travel to Gansu, you must try the rich and varied cuisines, which not only represent the local characteristics of Gansu, but also reflect the food culture and historical inheritance of the local people. The following are some of the must-try Gansu cuisines:

1. Lanzhou Beef Noodle

Features: Known as “China's first noodle”, it is famous for its unique flavor of “clear soup mirror, fragrant meat, fine noodle” and the pleasing colors of “a clear white, three red, four green and five yellow”. The noodles are smooth and yellowish, with a tendon. The noodles are smooth and yellow, with a chewy tendon; the beef is tender and delicious, melting in the mouth; the soup is mellow and delicious, with an endless aftertaste.

Reason: As a representative noodle dish of Gansu and even China, Lanzhou Beef Noodle is the first choice for experiencing the food culture of Gansu.

2. Hand-Cut Lamb

Characteristics: Fresh hand-cut mutton is cooked with onion, ginger, garlic and other condiments, which makes the meat tender and juicy, with a rich and unique flavor.

Reason: Hand-held mutton is one of the traditional famous dishes in Gansu, showing the pursuit of the original flavor of ingredients and the exquisite cooking skills of Gansu people.

3. Jingyuan Lamb

Characteristics: Local goats or sheep are used, and then roasted with charcoal after special treatment, the roasted lamb is tender and delicious, with delicate meat and excellent taste.

Reason: Jingyuan lamb has become the best in Gansu cuisine with its unique taste and flavor.

4. Battered Noodles

Characteristics: The traditional noodles in Gansu Province are most famous in Longxi. After the noodles are boiled, seasonings such as slurry water, green onion and chili oil are added, which is sour and spicy and quenches the thirst.

Reason: Slurry noodles not only have a unique taste, but also carry the historical memory and cultural heritage of Gansu people.

5. Tianshui Croak

Characteristics: Tianshui region's specialty snacks, also known as “Qinzhou first food”. Selection of local high-quality buckwheat as raw materials, after a number of processes refined from the texture of soft and smooth, fresh and unique flavor.

Reason: Tianshui croak has become one of the favorite breakfast foods of Tianshui people with its unique production process and flavor.

6. Longxi bacon

Characteristics: One of the traditional famous products in Gansu, famous for its delicious meat and unique taste. The production requires a number of procedures, including curing, drying and smoking.

Reason: Longxi bacon is not only a specialty of Gansu, but also a good gift for friends and relatives.

7. Dunhuang Donkey Meat Yellow Noodle

Characteristics: Local high-quality donkey meat and high-quality wheat flour are used as raw materials and refined through a number of processes. The noodles are strong and smooth, and the donkey meat is tender and juicy, the flavor is delicious.

Reason: In the historical and cultural city of Dunhuang, savoring donkey yellow noodles has become a unique cultural experience.

8. Stuffed Pi'er

Characteristics: A kind of cold noodle skin, made of rice vinegar, chili sauce, sesame sauce, crushed peanuts and other seasonings, with a hot and sour taste.

Reason: Stuffed Peel is a good product to cool down the summer heat in Gansu area, and it is also one of the must-try food for tourists.

9. Guokuimo

Characteristics: A kind of round cake food made of wheat flour as the main raw material, with a crispy outside and tender inside, and a delicious crispy taste.

Reason: Guokuimo is one of the common noodle dishes in Gansu, which is loved by people both as a staple food and a snack.

10. Roasted Whole Lamb

Characteristics: One of the famous traditional dishes in Gansu, the whole sheep is used for barbecuing, the meat is tender and juicy, and the flavor is rich and unique.

Reason: Roasted whole sheep is an indispensable delicacy in grand banquets or Festivals in Gansu, and is also an excellent choice for tourists to experience the local food culture.

These cuisines not only represent the local characteristics of Gansu, but also show the food culture and historical heritage of local people. When traveling in Gansu, why not try these cuisines and let your taste buds have an unforgettable trip as well? If you have any questions or would like to customize your trip, please contact us! Popular Tour Packages including Gansu:

Qinghai-Gansu Cultural Tour

Gansu Tour