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Xi'an residents are arguably the most fond of noodles in China, consuming over 500 tons of noodles a day. Furthermore, they've mastered the art of making noodles, capturing the hearts of every noodle lover.
As a typical representative of pasta, "Mo" is an indispensable delicacy on the table of Xi'an people. There are many ways to make Mo, and you can have many different flavors of just one Pao Mo.
As a native of Xi'an, every time someone says: Your Pao Mo tastes not so good, my heart is:
Come, follow Lao Shan, avoid the high-priced Muslim Street, and let him help you choose a Pao Mo that is suitable for you, cost-effective and delicious.
Pao Mo is one of the most representative delicacies in Xi'an. If we look into history, the prototype of Pao Mo can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty, and Xi'an people have been eating Pao Mo for hundreds of years. Therefore, mutton Pao Mo is an authentic traditional delicacy.
During the Republic of China period, celebrities liked to eat steamed buns with mutton soup, and mutton steamed buns with mutton soup even became a tool to win votes for National Congress representatives. After the founding of New China, mutton steamed buns with mutton soup were used to entertain foreign guests many times and gradually became a household name.
Xi'an's Pao Mo has evolved into many types after years of development. Today we will mainly introduce: beef and mutton Pao Mo, stir-fried Pao Mo, gourd head Pao Mo and other types.
Tips:
Although everyone knows that Xi'an's Pao Mo is called "Yam Pao Mo", the meat in Pao Mo is actually divided into two types: "Yam" and "Beef".
Generally speaking, "ordinary beef steamed bun" is the basic version of steamed bun. This is also the bowl that Xi'an people usually eat the most. Two steamed buns can satisfy the appetite of ordinary people.
There are four ways to eat beef and mutton soup steamed bun: dry planing (three sounds), soup, water siege, and alone.
Dry planing
In some restaurants it is called dry pao or dry ba. I don’t know if it is because of the difference in accent, but dry pao is a heavy way of eating steamed buns. It has little soup, a lot of oil and a strong taste. Only old Xi’an people can accept it.
Anyone who comes to eat the first soup early in the morning with a bird cage in hand, just break the steamed bun, stick a chopstick in the middle, and the boss will make it into dry bread without saying anything.
Soup
This is the most common way of cooking, which means that a small amount of soup will be left at the bottom of the bowl when you finish eating the steamed bun.
In Pao Mo restaurants, unless there are special requests, the Pao Mo chef will make the dish into soup. This is also the method that tests the chef's level the most. If there is not enough soup, the dish will become dry, and if there is too much soup, it will become a watery dish.
Water Siege
The cooking method is more complicated than that of soup, and it tastes like eating steamed buns and beans from the soup.
Go alone
The soup and steamed buns are served separately. The steamed buns are broken and then soaked in the soup before eating, which is similar to the way of eating water basin mutton.
Breaking steamed buns requires a lot of effort and meticulous work. So, how big should the buns be? Soybean-sized pieces are ideal.
A good bowl of Pao Mo is only possible if the steamed bun is broken well. Breaking the "RanRanMo" involves four steps: breaking (breaking into small pieces), tearing (tearing into thin slices), pinching (pinching into small pieces), and shaking (shaking evenly).
"Break" means: break the steamed bun into two parts, and then into four parts.
"Tear" means: pick up one of the corners and split it in the middle to tear it into thin slices.
"Pinching" means pinching the steamed bun into pieces the size of soybeans. The pieces should be uniform in size and not lumpy or crumbly, so that the five flavors of the soup can be absorbed into the steamed bun.
"Shaking" means: finally shake the steamed bun grains evenly so that they do not stick to each other.
Breaking steamed buns is not only a crafting experience, but also a way to chat with friends and family, share family stories, and attract customers. The size, size, coarseness, or fineness of the buns reveals the individual's personality, becoming a form of style and taste. Experts break buns with small, neat pieces, prompting master chefs to meticulously process them.
There are some rules to eating Pao Mo: dip the tip of your chopsticks in chili sauce and scoop it along the edge of the bowl. Don't stir it around; this is called nibbling. After a few bites, take a bite of pickled garlic to cut through the greasiness, then add more chili sauce and scoop it along the edge of the bowl again. Finish the whole bowl of Pao Mo in one gulp.
Each bowl of Pao Mo is served with a small bowl of clear soup made from the original soup. This small bowl of soup is then poured into the bowl after eating the Pao Mo. A few mouthfuls of the fragrant soup are taken to rinse the bowl and cleanse the mouth. Only then is the bowl of Pao Mo considered to be a complete meal.
Many Xi'an residents go to Pao Mo early in the morning for the first soup, supposedly because it's the most fragrant and rich. The quality of the soup itself depends on both the quality of the soup itself and the chef's "broken soup" process, which involves adding water to the original broth. When watching Pao Mo being prepared, you'll see the chef scooping soup from two separate pots into the steaming ladle. This "broken soup" process is known as "breaking the soup."
Is the ratio of broth to water 37% or 46%? The chef will determine this based on the day's business. Early in the morning, it's usually 46% because there are fewer people and it's hard to tell whether business is good or bad. With less water, the broth naturally has a richer and more fragrant flavor. In the afternoon, when more people come, it might become 37% (a broken broth). At this point, experienced customers will call out, "Boss!" The lean meat makes the broth rich, and the boss will understand.
Tips:
When friends from other places want to eat Pao Mo, they must first find the right place and go at a different time than mealtime.
Recommend water siege or soup, if you don't like greasy, remember to tell the chef: no oil. According to this method, foreigners will find it more suitable.
Avoiding Muslim Street, I would like to recommend 5 of my favorite Pao Mo restaurants. These are all shops frequented by locals, and the prices are very reasonable. The ordinary beef Pao Mo is very cost-effective.
This popular old shop at Xiajia Cross is known for its hand-made steamed buns, not machine-made ones. The shop boasts a spacious, open kitchen and plenty of seating. The broth is clear, the steamed buns are soft, the meat is tender, and the wood ear mushrooms are chewy. Add a little chili and serve with pickled garlic for a truly authentic flavor.
Address: No. 7, Building C, Tangren Pedestrian Street, Xiajia Cross, Lianhu District
This is a typical no-frills restaurant, where the regular customers who eat Pao Mo are mostly from the Huiminfang area. With only seven or eight tables, it's filled with a lively atmosphere. If you want to experience the everyday Pao Mo taste of the Huiminfang people, this is the place to go.
You can make your own steamed buns here, or they offer machine-made buns. The broth is golden brown, with a distinct, yet not greasy, aroma that remains consistent from start to finish. The seasoning also has a subtle Sichuan peppercorn flavor. The meat is tender and flavorful, and the pickled garlic is crisp and delicious. It's best to go during lunchtime, or you might have to wait for a table.
Address: No. 100, Damaishi Street, Qiaozikou, Xidajie (near the Employment Service Center)
With a prime location and a sophisticated atmosphere, their Pao Mo (pao mo) is typically prepared with a water-filled broth, unless otherwise specified. This style is particularly popular with tourists and young women. The Pao Mo here is light on oil, salt, and the broth is delicious, making it perfect for first-timers. You can break the mo yourself or use a pre-made machine. However, their one major flaw is the pickled garlic; instead of having a refreshing crispness, it's left with a rather unpleasant, wilted texture.
Address: No. 18, Dapianyuan, Lianhu District, Xi'an
The shop is located in the middle of Guangming Lane, with a sign outside, making it easy to find. The interior is immaculately clean, and the owner is warm and chatty, chatting while he cooks his buns. The customers who eat here are either regulars or acquaintances. The soup is rich and flavorful, and the aroma is overflowing. The old-timer's skills are impeccable!
Address: Beside Guangming Lane (Guangming Lane)
Huang's Pao Mo is a time-honored snack bar. The customers who come here are all old fans of Pao Mo, who break the steamed buns by themselves. This is a shop far away from Huifang, but it still retains the traditional taste of Pao Mo. The decoration of the whole shop is quite standard, at the level of a high-end fly restaurant, with bright windows and a good view. The food here is very fragrant, and there is relatively more soup. The meat is cooked very well and has more lean meat. Both the beef and mutton here are very good, the soup is very strong, and there is no need to add too much seasoning, and the meat portion is also sufficient.
Address: No. 3, Hancheng South Road, Lianhu District
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Xiaochao refers to stir-fried beef and mutton with steamed buns. Although the process of breaking the buns is the same, the taste is very different. Xiaochao’s advantage lies in its sour and spicy taste!
The steamed buns for stir-fry are carefully broken into pieces the size of broad beans. They are then cooked in beef and mutton broth, and then vegetables such as tomatoes, greens, dried tofu, wood ear mushrooms, daylilies, and vermicelli are added, followed by small chunks of beef and mutton. Finally, vinegar and spicy noodles are added. Stir-fry over high heat until the flavors are absorbed and serve. The sour, spicy, and fragrant flavor of stir-fry has earned it a place in the Xi'an snack world.
However, stir-frying is a test of the chef's skills. The sour and spicy taste and the aroma of beef and mutton must be properly balanced to make delicious stir-fry. If the chef's skills are not up to standard, the food will taste bad.
Although the following are recommended stir-fry restaurants, their steamed buns are also very delicious.
Liu Xin started out by selling steamed buns with fragrant soup, tender meat and reasonable prices. Later, he added stir-fried steamed buns, which were sought after by countless foodies. The characteristics of stir-fried steamed buns are large pieces of meat, strong sour and spicy flavors, fragrant seasonings, and a strong smell of butter. This combination can be said to be very domineering, and people in Xi'an who prefer heavy flavors really love it.
Next to his shop, there are also the more famous Ma Er Sour Soup Dumplings and Li Weiyi Meatball Spicy Soup. If your stomach allows, you can check in at both.
Address: No. 129 Sajin Bridge (next to Laoguan Temple)
Mahong Xiaochao Pao Mo Restaurant is a recent arrival on the Pao Mo scene. Their broth is truly fresh, and the meat is generous; a few slices are enough to fill you up. Their beef and mutton Pao Mo and Xiaochao Pao Mo are both perfectly cooked and comparable in taste to any other restaurant in the area. It's rare for a restaurant to offer both.
The steamed buns here are freshly made and served hot, so it's not hard to break them. I personally like them, and you can have stir-fries and steamed buns here.
Address: No. 46, Hongbu Street, Lianhu District
There are several restaurants in Huifang that only serve stir-fried buns for late-night snacks, but Ma Ji's stir-fried buns are the most outstanding among them. The sour, spicy and fragrant taste is just right, and each flavor is strong but matched appropriately.
The most popular dish is the stir-fried raw meat dish, which is essentially stir-fried beef slices in a hot and sour steamed bun. The meat is tender and flavorful. The cooked meat dish is braised beef chunks in brown sauce, which is rich and flavorful. It's a delightful late-night snack. They usually open at 4 p.m., so don't go too early.
Address: No. 33, Guangming Lane, Lianhu District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
The following steamed bun has a stronger flavor - Hulutou steamed bun
The gourd head mentioned here is not the gourd that grows on the trellis, but the large intestine head (also called "fat intestine head") that grows in the pig's stomach. It is about one foot long and full of fat. It gets its name because it shrinks after being cooked and looks like a gourd.
Many people like to eat it because it uses a lot of seasonings to make a soup, and its aroma can be smelled for miles. However, its preparation process is very troublesome, requiring three steps: preparing the intestines, making the soup, and soaking the steamed buns. The most laborious step is the intestines, which requires more than a dozen steps to clean thoroughly, without any fishy smell or greasiness.
The unique flavor of Hulutou lies in the blending of aniseed, which fully dissolves the fragrance of aniseed into the large intestine. After the chef's careful preparation, the aroma of all the ingredients is fully stimulated.
The steamed bun for Hulutou Pao Mo is not a completely unleavened flatbread. When breaking the bun, it is better to keep it small, slightly larger than the steamed bun for beef and mutton Pao Mo. This allows the soup to seep directly into the bun without making it too mushy.
After breaking, it is sent to the kitchen. The chef will place the intestines, pork and chicken cut into sloped shapes on the steamed buns, add appropriate amount of vermicelli, and pour boiling soup over them 3 to 4 times to allow the hot soup to penetrate the steamed buns; then add appropriate amount of cooked oil, seasoning water, MSG, coriander, garlic sprouts, and chili oil, and finally pour appropriate amount of boiling soup.
When eating, it is even more refreshing and delicious when paired with pickled garlic, pickles, chili sauce, etc.
The meat is like jade rings and the soup is like pulp.
The five flavors are harmonious and taste good.
The chili oil is red and crystal-like,
The fishy smell is completely gone and your mouth is full of fragrance.
Lao Nanyuanmen Hulutou is located on the west side of the Second Courtyard at the intersection of Tangfang Street and Mingxin Lane. Their steamed buns are crystal white, soft and chewy, and the meaty broth is rich but not greasy, with a rich aroma. If you don't like chili, don't add the oil or chili to enhance the original flavor of the broth.
Address: No. 152, Tangfang Street, Lianhu District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province
The Nanyuanmen Chunsheng Store is a very popular old brand, with average service. When the steamed buns were served, the first bite was delicious. The pig intestines were cleaned very well, without any odor. If you like spicy food, you can add chili sauce to it to relieve the greasiness.
Address: No. 25, Nanyuanmen, Beilin District
"The essence of Hulutou Pao Mo lies in the broth!" The first sip is truly astonishing; it's incredibly fragrant, the pig intestines are tender and degreased, and the steamed buns are soft on the outside and chewy on the inside. The peppery flavor is especially potent, and it's perfect for slurping with vermicelli noodles. The broth is rich and filling, and the service here is far superior to any night market or Muslim Quarter.
Address: No. 18 Baoensi Street (near Hanguang Gate)
Their gourd tou (Chinese sausage) boasts a rich, savory broth, chewy steamed buns, and tender, fragrant intestines without any off-flavor. It's no less delicious than their spring version. Their bangbangrou (Chinese sausage) uses mostly lean intestines, ensuring a flavorful, meaty aroma. Anyone who's tried their bangbangrou and gourd tou (Chinese sausage) becomes a repeat customer.
Address: No. 50, Kaitong Lane, Beilin District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province
Under the city walls of Xi'an are Xi'an's trains, and Xi'an residents can't go anywhere without enjoying Pao Mo. Every dish has its own unique cultural heritage, and the Shaanxi people have integrated their rich history and culture into their daily lives. There's nothing a Pao Mo can't solve, and if that doesn't work, then a bowl of Youpao Mian (oil-splashed noodles) is the ideal. That open-minded, carefree, and unpretentious straightforwardness embodies the spirit of the Shaanxi people who grew up eating Guanzhong noodles.
There are delicious foods everywhere in Xi'an. There is no bad food, you just haven't found the right place.
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