The food in Lanzhou is quite unique compared to that of central China, having been influenced by ethnic groups - especially the Hui people. Besides the beef noodles, there are local delicacies that cannot be tasted in other places, as well as Sichuan cuisines, hotpot, and western food.
Hand Pulled Noodles with Beef
Lanzhou Beef Noodle is the most common dishes in the local area. It is pulled by hand, and only takes a cook for one or two minutes. This kind of hand-pulled noodle is also known as the “Lanzhou bree beef noodle”. Visitors can see it at every corner of the city and it has become a part of the local people’s life. The noodle is vividly featured by its soft chopped meat, fresh soup, fine taste and good shape. There are one or two beef noodles eateries on every street in the city.
Baihe Tao
Baihe Tao is so named because the dish is shaped like peaches. The washed fresh lily - a specialty of Lanzhou - is steamed for about 15 minutes. The lily is then stuffed with sweetened bean paste so that it looks like a peach. The 'peach' is braised in a bamboo steamer for about twenty minutes and then served with a white sugar sauce.
Baisui Chicken
It used to be called the “Pinyuan Chicken” or the “First Scholar’s Chicken”. Wang xiye, the owner and founder of the featured roast chicken established the fame in 1985 and named it Longevity Chicken. The chicken is roasted on fire until its skin is crisp and its bone is soft. The chicken flesh is delicate and tender, with its aroma flowing to every corner of the room.
Lanzhou Roast Lamb
In the city of Lanzhou there is also a large Muslim population which also influences the dining habit of Lanzhou. Roast Lamb was already generally acknowledged as one of the eight most famous dishes in Gansu Province.
Jinyu Facai
Jinyu Facai is a classic dish in Gansu Province. There is no golden fish in the dish; the name comes from the shape. The Fa Cai is soaked in water until it is soft and then kneaded until it is round. Minced chicken flavored with salt, egg white, sesame oil, and cooking wine is used to stuff the Fa Cai so it looks like a golden fish.