Huimin Jie Pomegranate Juice Stalls

Shaanxi, and particularly the area around Lintong district near Xi'an, is one of China's best-known pomegranate-growing regions, and stalls along Huimin Jie near its intersection with Beiyuanmen sell the fruit both whole and freshly pressed into juice. Vendors run small mechanical or hand-crank presses at the counter, squeezing whole pomegranates -- seeds, pulp and all -- to order in front of the customer, so the juice arrives a deep red and noticeably tart-sweet rather than the sugared, diluted versions sold elsewhere. Some stalls offer a blend with orange for a milder, less tannic drink. This is a purely grab-and-go purchase with no seating, sold in plastic cups for drinking while continuing to browse the surrounding stalls and shops. Pomegranates are in season in autumn, when juice tends to be freshest and most vendors are stocked, though juice is sold year-round using stored or imported fruit in the off-season. It's a popular, refreshing counterpoint to the smoky, spicy skewers and fried snacks found throughout the same street.