Gansu's Hidden Culinary Gem: Neither Spicy Hot Pot nor Beef Noodles

Recently, Gansu has frequently appeared on trending searches, with numerous local delicacies gaining popularity as people "vote with their stomachs."

Today's younger generation no longer limits their culinary exploration to "internet-famous recommendations." Instead, they turn their attention to long-standing, word-of-mouth flavors deeply rooted in daily life.

"The Hottest New Trend": Tianshui Spicy Hot Pot from Gansu

From the highly acclaimed "top-tier" Gansu spicy hot pot to the gradually unlocked Gansu-style fried skewers and barbecue—common dishes found nationwide take on a fresh vitality when paired with the words "Gansu" in this magical land.

Locals, still processing the sudden influx of attention, sum it up in one phrase: "Since you're here, we’ve got plenty of good stuff at home."

Another delicacy uncovered by enthusiastic netizens:

As the most introverted culinary powerhouse in the northwest, Gansu’s food is as delicious as it is understated. Before spicy hot pot went viral, many outsiders associated Gansu cuisine solely with Lanzhou beef noodles—prompting locals to quietly correct: "We don’t call it 'lamian'; it’s Lanzhou beef noodles."

Yet after spicy hot pot broke through, a treasure trove of flavors began shining in the northwest. Among them, Gansu stewed vegetables stand out as a heartfelt classic. As the saying goes, "Life boils down to three bowls of stewed vegetables"—a seemingly ordinary dish that carries the ancient legacy of Gansu’s culinary traditions.

"The first bowl at birth, the second at marriage, the third at death."

Photo/Serious

In Gansu, stewed vegetables are indispensable—whether at traditional weddings and funerals, corner restaurants near homes, or holiday feasts. No single ingredient dominates; each shines in its own way: plump fried meatballs, crispy shredded pork, local potatoes, glass noodles, fresh and dried vegetables, garnished with green scallions and red chili oil... This "Gansu stewed vegetable ensemble," seemingly simple, embodies the northwest’s unique abundance and grandeur.

Far from a "random pot of stew," this dish has a long history. Archaeological findings show that as early as 7,400 years ago, locals used pottery tripods to cook ingredients. Over millennia, despite evolving culinary techniques, Gansu people have clung to their primal love for soupy dishes.

How many variations can one bowl of Gansu stewed vegetables hold?

Ingredients are prepped by frying or blanching, while seasonings evolve continuously. Post Zhang Qian’s Silk Road journeys, pepper, garlic, and scallions arrived; chili peppers gained popularity in the mid-Qing Dynasty—all stewed together, preserving Gansu’s historical shifts.

Yes, you read right. Often overlooked as too homely elsewhere, stewed vegetables in Gansu are uniquely diverse across cities and counties. Lanzhou’s "classic six" (radish, glass noodles, tofu, meatballs, crispy pork, braised pork), Gangu’s dried vegetables and chili oil, Wuwei’s green noodles, Tianshui’s fermented tofu, Linxia’s water noodles and lamb broth... Locals proudly infuse this banquet staple with regional pride.

So what’s the foundation of an excellent Gansu stewed vegetable dish?

Lanzhou stewed vegetables are the taste of home etched in wanderers’ memories.

Source/TigerThree Travels the World

The broth from boiled meat is the soul of the dish. The Yellow River basin, an early hub of agriculture and animal husbandry, saw locals mastering livestock rearing millennia ago, laying the groundwork for protein-rich diets. Today, Gansu ranks among China’s top five pastoral regions.

Premium local beef, lamb, or fresh ribs and bones are roughly chopped, simmered in cold water, skimmed, and stewed with spices. As time works its magic, the broth grows fragrant. Once meat yields easily to chopsticks, it’s removed. The cooled broth is reserved, while the meat is repurposed as "extras" for the stew.

The broth from boiled meat is rich in meaty aroma and abundant in fat.

Photo/VCG

The deep-fried meat and vegetable items, adjustable to one's budget, are the finishing touch of the stewed dish. This dish is not a haphazard "hodgepodge" thrown together with whatever's on hand. In Gansu, a stew worthy of a banquet requires at least a day of preparation. Beyond preparing the broth in advance, the highlight is setting up a separate oil pot for deep-frying.

Fresh beef is minced, mixed with potato starch and seasonings, shaped into meatballs, and fried until golden. Alternatively, the minced meat and starch are loosely combined and scooped directly into the oil to form crispy chunks. There are also golden egg-wrapped meat rolls called "jasha." Even when resources are scarce, Gansu locals improvise by making potato balls or vegetarian "crispy meat" from eggs and starch. These fried potato balls and egg fritters, soaked in meat broth, are equally delicious.

Pre-frying ingredients is a crucial step in preparing Gansu-style stew.

Photo/VCG

Cabbage, tofu, and noodles are the "big three" of Gansu stew. Though variations exist across the province—clear broth vs. spiced broth, dried or fresh vegetables—these three staples, as long-lasting cellar ingredients, hold a special place in the Northwest.

Even the humble noodles in Gansu stew come in many forms: dark, translucent, and chewy sweet potato noodles; thick, white, and hearty hand-pulled noodles; or green noodles made from mung or fava beans. These diverse noodles serve as both a staple and a textural highlight, quickly becoming the heartiest part of the dish.

The seemingly simple noodles are also a point of meticulous attention in Gansu.

If banquet-style stew is more of a grand finale soup, in daily life, it becomes a standalone dish balancing meat, vegetables, and warmth. At Gansu's ubiquitous stew shops, a bowl topped with fresh scallions, a splash of vinegar, a spoonful of chili oil, paired with steamed buns or fried cakes, delivers a soul-satisfying experience—one that lingers in memory.

On Lanzhou's streets, a bowl of steaming "touyao" soup,

randomly "embraces" an out-of-towner with its fragrance.

Water noodles, fried potatoes, fermented tofu...

Stewing is one of the most common cooking techniques in Chinese cuisine, widely seen in northern cities. As stew transitions from banquets to home cooking, it carries countless simple yet beautiful life memories.

Gansu people take pride in refining seemingly ordinary foods. Stew is no exception. Beyond the rich meat broth, assorted fried items, and local staples like potatoes, tofu, and noodles, different counties add regional specialties to their stews.

These "small innovations" make Gansu stew uniquely vibrant, securing its place in northern China's stew scene.

Gansu's "facai" rolls are visually appealing and texturally diverse.

As the Northwest's "fermented juice capital" closest to the Yangtze, Tianshui locals adore this tangy brew with unbridled passion. Every household keeps a vat of it; going days without it feels unbearable. A bowl of raw fermented juice is their go-to remedy for mild "heatiness." Show the slightest interest, and a Tianshui native will eagerly offer you a taste.

Originally the brine from pickled vegetables, fermented juice—with its refreshing sourness—has become Tianshui's culinary star. As the city's "signature," it naturally shines in stew. But with meat broth dominating the base, fermented juice pairs instead with tofu: the resulting curd loses all beaniness, gaining a subtle tang. In stew, it appears in many forms—firm aged tofu, crispy fried slices, or melt-in-your-mouth soft curd.

Tofu is one of the most common ingredients in stewed dishes.

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Gangu is singled out from Tianshui for no other reason than the fame of its stewed dishes.

The ingredient combinations in Gangu stew are the most flexible, with no fixed formula but famously rich content. Beyond common stew ingredients, Gangu locals excel at using dried vegetables—dried radish, dried string beans, dried cauliflower, dried bracken, and bamboo shoots are soaked in advance and simmered in meat broth. These dehydrated vegetables gradually revive in the aroma and heat, soaking up the broth, their own flavors clashing with the meaty soup to create a unique taste.

Various dried vegetables greatly enrich the ingredients of Gangu stew.

In addition to the generous use of dried vegetables for fragrance, Gangu people also lavish fresh vegetables in their stew. Depending on the season and availability, mushrooms, bean sprouts, yams, spinach, onions, tomatoes—whatever is locally available—can appear in the stew without seeming out of place. The magic of Gangu stew lies in how the mix of diverse ingredients never compromises the rich, flavorful broth.

The side dishes are prepared in advance and stewed fresh when served, topped with chili oil made from beef fat and Gangu peppers. Despite its fiery red appearance, the chili is fragrant rather than spicy, simply whetting the appetite.

You can also opt for a non-spicy version to savor the stew’s mellow richness.

Using ingredients for auspicious wordplay isn’t exclusive to southerners. For example, Wuwei’s Qingfeng stew incorporates green bean starch, homophonous with “celebrating abundance and gathering wealth,” making it an essential festive dish. Unlike common vermicelli, this starch is made from mung or hyacinth bean paste. Similar to central China, Qingfeng stew is prepared with pork for stir-frying before adding cabbage, tofu, starch, bean sprouts, and wood ear mushrooms after boiling, symbolizing abundant harvests and prosperity—delicious with excellent auspicious meaning.

Simplicity, abundance, and unpretentiousness are the essence of rural stew.

Beyond this, Linxia—home to the historic Hezhou Tea-Horse Trading Office from the Ming Dynasty—adds its intangible cultural heritage food, water starch noodles, to the stew. The smooth, chewy noodles absorb the broth’s aroma, offering a tender yet resilient bite. In Dingxi’s Weiyuan, known as China’s potato hometown, locals favor their homegrown potato starch for stew, creating a fragrant and hearty texture...

On reflection, people from different Gansu counties quietly incorporate their most cherished local specialties into the stew, embedding their love for it into daily life. A steaming, hearty bowl of stew is imprinted with Gansu’s identity.

Gansu people’s love for soupy dishes extends far beyond stew.