Shaanxi Home-Style Cooking Class (Roujiamo & Liangpi)

This class walks guests through two of Xi'an's most recognizable snacks from scratch: roujiamo, the griddle-baked bun stuffed with meat braised for hours in a spiced broth, and liangpi, the cold, chewy wheat-noodle dish dressed in vinegar, garlic and chili oil. Because the roujiamo's braised meat takes hours to prepare properly, the class typically uses meat braised in advance by the instructor, with guests focusing on shaping and griddle-baking the bun themselves, while the liangpi is made more fully from scratch, including mixing and steaming the wheat-starch batter into sheets before cutting it into noodles. The instructor explains the regional and Hui Muslim food history behind both dishes as the class progresses, and the roughly three-hour session ends with guests eating the full spread of what they prepared. Classes run in small groups with all ingredients and equipment supplied, conducted in English or with an English-speaking assistant. This is a good complement to eating the same dishes on Beiyuanmen, giving a hands-on understanding of the preparation behind two dishes most visitors only experience as finished street food.