Dunhuang Food

Local Dunhuang people like mutton, chicken and beef and they take noodle as their staple food. Dunhuang Cuisine has refined taste, novel skills and special dishes. The most famous dishes are Handmade Saozi Noodle, Niangpizi and Yellow Noodle. Other famous ones include Apricot Peel Water, Camel Hoof and Fried Oil Cake.

Handmade Saozi Noodle is unique not only about cutting noodles but also delicious soup and fresh ingredients. Niangpizi is a traditional popular fast food in Dunhuang tastes spicy and sour and is popular among the tourists. Yellow Noodle seasoned with diced agarics, pepper, tomato and donkey meat is only available in Dunhuang.

Dunhang Cuisine distinguishes itself by its refined taste, novel skills and special dishes. Since the 2nd Chinese Food Festival, Dunhuang Cuisine has ranked first among the "New Eight Chinese Cuisines."

There are three world-famous banquets in Dunhuang: Dunhuang Banquet, Dameng Dunhuang Banquet and Dunhuang Yuewu Banquet. The three banquets absorb the essence of local culture and custom, which fills the gap of diet culture in the study of Dunhuang. Among them, Dunhuang Banquet has won the Golden Censer Prize, the highest award in Chinese culinary field.

Niang Pi Zi is one of the most popular local flavour snacks in northwestern China and Dunhuang Niang Pi Zi is highly praised and widely accepted because of its unique making art and flavor. It is a special flour-made dish, which can be regarded as the main food as well as a kind of snack. Mixed with some sauce, vinegar, salt, garlic, sesame oil, cucumber and chili oil, it is really flavorful. While eating it, you can feel cool and your stomach will be fully satisfied.

The Yellow Noodles is a local flavor snack. It has a long history. As early as Song Dynasty, people have known how to make it and the busy scene was depicted in the frescoes of Mogao Grotto.

It is famous far and near. It not only is particular about cutting noodles, but also has delicious soup and fresh ingredients. All of those make it unique in taste, color and smell and the local people never seem to tire of it.

Apricot peel water is a kind of brand drink in Dunhuang, which takes the Li Guang apricot as its raw material, and is boiled with apricot peel. It is said that it is General Li Guang ( a famous general of the Han Dynasty) who planted this kind of apricot in Dunhuang and only in Dunhuang can you find Li Guang apricot. So it is quite unique.

Mutton Powder Soup is not soup with mutton powder. Mutton powder is a kind of noodles which are very tasty.

A dish, also known as Camel Hoof on Jokul, gained its name for the shape that is like camel prints on the Jokul. It is a known fact that the camel is the most important means of transportation along the ancient Silk Road.
Restaurant: Daji Lvrou Huangmian Restaurant
price: CNY15~20 / pax
Address: Located in the city center of Dunhuang and aside the statue of Flying Apsaras

This traditional Dunhuang dish was a favorite of high-ranking imperial concubine Yang Yuhuan of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The primary ingredient is Camel hump, accompanied with five shredding consists of Yulan (dryed bamboo shoot), Dongru (a type of mushroom), leek shoots, ham and chicken breast. It is featured in fat and the soft meat.
Restaurant: Daji Lvrou Huangmian Restaurant
Price: CNY15~20 / pax
Address: Located in the city center of Dunhuang and aside the statue of Flying Apsaras

It uses various fresh vegetables and fruit to make the shape of huge Wofo Mountain in Dunhuang. It is rumored that Buddhism pupils in ancient times of Central Plain went to the Buddhist paradise to take through, returned to Dunhuang, slept here not to wake up, became the Wofo Mountain and made melons and fruit float the joss-stick in this place finally and brought benefit to Dunhuang.
Restaurant: Tianshi Caigenxiang Restaurant
Price: CNY30 / pax
Address: 1st floor of the Building of Armed Force Department, Guanxi Road, Dunhuang City