Pingyao Food - What and Where to eat in Pingyao

Like most other areas of Shanxi province, Pingyao cuisine features a lot of wheat-based items. At breakfast time, thin porridge, steamed bread and rolls baked in a clay oven are commonly on the table of Pingyao residents. But Pingyao also has many local specialties like Wantuoze, and the famous Pingyao Beef.

Wantuoze: Wantuoze is a kind of round, flat noodle which is rolled and dipped in sauce. It is a traditional snack in Pingyao, brimming with deep local color. Records say that Wantuoze was created in Pingyao by a celebrity chef named Dong Xuan during the end of the Qing Dynasty, giving them a history of 100 years. It is said that after the Empress Cixi tried the food it became a favorite of hers, and from then on, the Wantuoze became a popular snack.

Pingyao Beef: Pingyao Beef is a special delicacy with a centuries-old history; however, there are no records about its inventor. Pingyao Beef originated from around the time of Han Dynasty, and earned its famous reputation during Ming Dynasty, though it wasn’t until the Qing Dynasty that its popularity really spread. Pingyao Beef is tender, fragrant and tasty, and widely used in Pingyao’s restaurants.