Shanxi Cuisine (Jin Cai)
Jin is short for Shanxi Province. Jin Cai means the Shanxi Cuisine. When traveling in Taiyuan, Jin Cai should not be missed. The Shanxi Cuisine has a salty flavor accompanied by a little sweet and sour. The methods of cooking include deep-frying, stir-frying, quick-frying, grilling and braising. And the traditional dishes of Jin Cai include Ba Si Shan Yao (Chinese Yam in Hot Toffee), Guo Shao Yang Rou (Braised Mutton), Fu Ru Rou (Braised Pork with Pickled Bean Curd Sauce) and Tang Cu Yu (Sweet and Sour Fish).
Shanxi Noodles are definitely a local specialty and these can be prepared in several ways. Each kind cooked by a special method has a unique name and taste, such as the Fried Oats Noodle, Pulled Noodle, Mao Erduo (Cat's Ear, for it takes the shape of a cat's ear.), Sliced Noodle, and many more. You must taste the noodles yourself to discover how delicious they are.
The Taiyuan Noodle Restaurant at the junction of Da Nan Men (South Gate) and Yingze Dajie (Yingze Avenue) comes highly recommended. As you walk into the restaurant, you will see a pair of couplets saying, 'Delicious noodles of the world are in China, China's delicious noodles are in Shanxi'. The words are attributed to a Japanese gourmet who tasted the delicious noodles here.
Snacks
Besides the Jin Cai and Shanxi Noodle, local snacks are plenty. The recommended breakfast includes Tou Nao and Taiyuan Yang Za Sui Tang (A tasty soup prepared from sheep offal).
Taiyuan Tou Nao, the most delicious snack in Taiyuan, literarily means Brain or Head. In fact, it is the mutton soup with yam and lotus root. The dish is full of flavor and is a nutritious food ideal for warding off winter colds.
The Taiyuan Tou Nao served in the Qing He Yuan Restaurant is the most tasty.
Qing He Yuan Restaurant: No. 97, Qiaotou Jie, Taiyuan
Hao Gang Gang Mutton Soup Restaurant: at the north entrance of Liu Xiang, also near the entrance of Fuxi Jie.
This restaurant serves the reputed Taiyuan Yang Za Sui Tang. The long queue of customers in front of the restaurant proves just how popular their Hao Gang Gang Mutton has become.
Taiyuan Food Street
This street is situated in the center of Taiyuan City. If you would like to taste the snacks from all over the country, come to this street. Antique pavilions, memorial archways on this street replicate the architectural style of the Ming and Qing dynasties and so add greatly to the atmosphere of the area.
On either side of the street entrance, there are two snack bars, the Jian Nan Chun Restaurant and Famous Chengdu Snacks; both serve Sichuan snacks. Otherwise, delicacies from the whole country can be found here, Hunan cuisine, Sichuan hotpots, Lanzhou beef noodles and Shanxi local dishes and western food from foreign countries are served in plenty on this street.
Finally we must mention the specialty on this street, namely the Yangji Sausage. Yangji is a famous food brand that serves the most delicious sausage in Taiyuan. You can have this sausage for only CNY 1. So give it a try!