Lamb Kebabs
Lamb Kebabs is originally a local delicacy for Kazakh people, the Uighurs and the Huis who are Islam in Xijiang. As Qinghai, Gansu and Xijiang are the confluence of Islamic believers, the Lamb Kebabs appeared in Qinghai naturally because of ethnic cultural exchange. Qinghai is rich in lamb, and the Lamb Kebabs are cheap, delicious and easy to make, so they became popular among all ethnic groups.
Lamb Kebabs are made of fresh lamb. First, cut the lamb into thin slices as big as a thumb, and use iron sticks to skewer them; second, add some condiment mixed with soy sauces, refined salts, ginger powders, cayenne peppers and star aniseed powder; then put them on the tailor-made rectangular stove and roast them. Keep turning them and add condiment now and then so that they are roasted properly. When the lambs are well-done and their surfaces turn yellow, it is time to enjoy them.
Lamb Kebabs are not only delicious, but nutrionally endowed and easy to digest. Nowadays in the street of Xining especially in the dawn, they can be seen everywhere. Lamb Kebabs have become a local cuisine in each hotel and restaurant.
Rang Pi
Rang Pi is a traditional local food which can be found in Xining City and each town of agriculture regions.
First, mix wheat flour with certain Peng Hui (a kind of plant ash) and dressing, add some mild water and make it smooth dough, then put it into cold water and wash the starch out. Keep washing till the dough become alveolate, then steam it until cooked. By now it is called “wheat glutens”. Second, steam the starch paste until cooked, and cut it into strips, then add some condiments like wheat glutens, vinegars, chili oils, mustards, leeks and garlic spreads, and here the Rang Pi is. It tastes spicy, cool and pliable. How delicious!
Though Rang Pi is regarded as a snack, it can cure the hunger like staple food or become a dish that goes with wine. It is tempting both cool and hot cooked and available all year round.
San Zi
San Zi, a flour-based fried pastry, is a traditional festival food for guests among the Hui and other nationalities.
Qinghai People love San Zi because its good color and taste will make one has a voracious appetite. But skills are needed if you want to fry it crisp. To make San Zi, use wheat flour mixed with vegetable oil and juice of the Chinese prickly ash. Knead the dough repeatedly, and then divide it into several pieces. Pull the dough into thin noodles and deep-fry in oil until golden yellow. During festivals, every Uygur family makes San Zi to treat guests.
Nowadays, in the market of agriculture regions of Qinghai, there are stores specialized in selling San Zi. People buy San Zi to gine their friends and relatives as a gift. Because it is dry and crisp and can be kept for a long time, people out for work will take it as the “hard tacks”.
Mutton-Eaten-with-Hands
Mutton-Eaten-with-Hands is a famous local delicacy of the Qinghai grasslands. It is not only a restaurant dish but also the staple food of the herdsmen.
Although the mutton does not need to be cut or fried, this dish still has a special color, fragrance, taste and form.
When you visit the grasslands in the autumn, the hospitable herdsmen will pick a fat sheep for you, kill it in large chunks, and in about half an hour, the lamb will be ready to eat.
With lamb in one hand and a knife in the other, cutting as you eat, you will surely find this tasty dish different from all others.
The pity is that mutton-eaten-with-hands as a restaurant dish has lost much of its original flavor. If you want to taste real mutton-eaten-with-hands, you are supposed to visit a herdsman's home on grasslands.
Yogurt
Yogurt is a snack you can find on every street corner. With its sweet and sour taste, yogurt makes a nutritious summer drink. As a cold drink on the plateau, yogurt is well received by the people all over Qinghai Province because it is as white as ice cream, as smooth as fair and delicate skin, and as tasty as litchi.
Usually yogurt you see in Xining is filled in small bowls, which are stacked with a piece of glass on each storey. You can require some sugar on yogurt to your own taste.
Yogurt has nutritional benefits beyond those of milk. People who are moderately lactose-intolerant can enjoy yoghurt without ill effects, because the lactose in the milk precursor is converted to lactic acid by the bacterial culture.