Few urban centres in China have retained their shambolic, old-world charm quite like Xi’an’s historic Muslim Quarter. Yes, it can be touristy: Beiyuanmen Street – the Quarter’s main pedestrian one – is a frenzy of spruikers, noise and endless motion. It’s where hordes of tourists flock to eat lu dou gao (dense mung bean cakes studded with dates, raisins, peanuts or walnuts), jing gao (steamed discs of soft, fruity rice slathered in a jam-like topping and eaten off skewers), rou jia mo (the so-called Xi’an hamburger – small, white flatbreads filled with fragrant meat) and many other unique dishes.

It’s not hard to escape the hoopla, though. Life in the Quarter’s back alleys marches to its own pace. Look for the feng mi liang bao, pounded sticky rice cake, sold by Mrs Zhao (something of a food celebrity in these parts) down on Xiyangshi Street. These diamonds of sticky rice filled with red bean paste, crusted with peanuts and sesame seeds, and drenched in syrup are my absolute favourite.

At any time of the day, freshly fried shi zi bing cakes are in order. The dough is made with the sweet pulp of locally produced fire crystal persimmons, with syrupy fillings of walnuts, sesame seeds, red bean paste or raisins. No visit to Xi’an would be considered complete without acquiring a taste, if not a downright addiction, for these.

Click here for our favorite Xi’an Hamburger recipe.

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