Qinghai Cuisine: Qinghai food recommendation

Qinghai is a province in northwest China, known for its unique geography and rich ethnic culture. Qinghai's food culture is also part of its unique charm.

In Qinghai, there are many delicious traditional dishes, and the following is an introduction to Qinghai's top 10 famous dishes, including hot and sour tenderloin, earth hot pot, steamed beef tendons, yak splint meat, hand-grasped mutton, Qinghai three roast, roasted whole sheep, pit pot lamb chops, braised fragrant pork, and steamed eggs with fat cabbage.

Top 10 famous dishes in Qinghai, which one do you like to eat

The high altitude and rugged terrain in Qinghai province means that agriculturally the land can only sustain a limited array of vegetables and fruit. However, it’s the ideal place for growing barley and raising yaks, both of which thrive in the cold climate. This means that signature Qinghai dishes tend to be hearty and full of yak-based products, from yak meat to yak butter. In short, Qinghai locals are always yakking on about something! Qinghai itself is populated by a wide variety of China’s ethnic minorities, but is dominated by the Han, Hui, and Tibetan people. Thus Qinghai cuisine is characterised by its simplicity and sustenance, with a unique blend of Tibetan and Hui Muslim influences adding a touch of flavour to each dish.

Hot and sour tenderloin

Hot and sour tenderloin is a dish with pork loin as the main ingredient. Pork is thinly sliced and stir-fried with hot and sour seasoning. This dish is tender, sour and spicy and appetizing, and is one of the classic dishes in the Qinghai region.

Hui-style Dumpings (回式饺子)

Hui-style Dumplings are so delectably plump, they appear to have been filled to the point of bursting! Unlike other types of dumplings, these tasty treats are filled with unusual, hearty ingredients such as carrot shreds or tiny cubes of potato. The meat filling is heavily seasoned with mustard seeds, cumin, cassia bark, cardamom, pepper, and sugar to give it an added burst of flavor. Different vendors will shape their dumplings in unique and captivating ways. Sometimes these shapes even provide clues as to what the dumplings contain. So, if you see a little fish-shaped ball of dough, you know just what to expect! They may look small but these dumplings are very rich, so two or three is normally enough for a decent meal.

Grabbing Mutton (手抓羊肉)

This dish is popular with several of China’s Muslim ethnic minorities throughout the regions of Xinjiang, Ningxia, Gansu, and Qinghai. Its name derives from the fact that historically it was sold on the street and, in order to eat it on the go, people would simply “grab” a piece of the mutton with their hands. That being said, be sure to pay for it first! To make the dish, a joint of mutton is first stewed for a long time, until it becomes so tender that the chops can be easily separated and the meat melts off the bone.

The mutton is then chopped into small pieces and arranged on a plate, where people are free to grab a piece and dip it into their condiment of choice. It is often served simply with a sauce made from salt, crushed garlic, parsley, soy sauce, vinegar, chilli oil, and sesame paste. Variations on the sauce depend on who’s serving it, but the juicy mutton alone is enough to sate most people’s hunger.

Blood Sausage (血肠)

Blood Sausage may not sound like the most appetising of snacks, but its rich and mildly spicy flavour is surprisingly pleasant. Like Black Pudding in England, Blood Sausage is made using a mixture of spiced sheep’s blood and roasted barley. Another variation, known as White Sausage, contains all of the same ingredients except for the sheep’s blood. Travel to one of Qinghai’s city markets and you’re sure to come across tables full of Blood Sausage, coiled into large piles like shimmering black snakes. In restaurants, it is normally sliced into small pieces and fried on a griddle, to be served as a side dish. With its full-bodied texture and umami flavour, fried Blood Sausage makes the perfect accompaniment to any meal.

Flag Flower Noodles (旗花汤面)

This sumptuous dish is so-named for the unusual shape of its wheat noodles, which are rolled thin and then cut into tiny, diamond flag-shaped pieces before being added to a clear broth. This broth is usually flavoured using tomatoes, squash, carrots, celery, white radishes, spinach, and small pieces of mutton. The result is a light soup with a clean and refreshing taste that is perfect as a palate cleanser or to simply cool you down during the summer months!

Clay hot pot(土火锅)

Tu hot pot is a traditional hot pot dish in Qinghai. It uses beef, lamb, horse meat, etc. as the main ingredients, and is served with a variety of vegetables and seasonings. In the earthen hot pot, the ingredients and seasonings are reasonably matched, and it is fragrant and delicious after cooking, and it is one of the most popular delicacies in Qinghai in winter.

Steamed beef tendons(清蒸牛蹄筋)

Steamed beef tendons are a dish that uses beef tendons as the main ingredient. After steaming, the beef tendon has a tough, light and refreshing taste. This dish is very popular in the Aomi region and is considered a healthy and delicious traditional dish.

Pit pot lamb chops（坑锅羊排）

Pit pot lamb chops are a dish with lamb chops as the main ingredient. The lamb chops are slowly simmered in a special pit pot to make the lamb tender and delicious, and the soup is rich. This dish is very popular in the Qinghai region and is a dish with strong local characteristics.

Braised fragrant pork(红烧香猪肉)

Braised fragrant pork is a dish with pork as the main ingredient. The pork is cut into pieces and simmered in a special seasoning. This dish is one of the traditional dishes of the Qinghai region, with its tender meat, rich soup and rich taste.

Yak splint meat(牦牛夹板肉)

Yak splint meat is a dish that uses yak meat as the main ingredient. Cut the yak meat into thin slices, sandwich it in a scone, and add vegetables and spices. This dish has a rich taste and tender meat, and is one of the specialties of the Qinghai region.