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The dining options in Qinghai province have never been considered a highly relevant
addition to the nation"s cuisine, and as such have yet to be formed into figures such as
"one of the ten best cuisines in Nanbei" or "of the 20th spiciest styles on
the mainland". The food that can be had here, however, can surprise one, perhaps
mainly due to the good mix of local and other provincial/regional cuisines that can be
found. For a sample of distinctly local Qinghai cuisine, the best city to visit is the
capital, Xining. The
area around Xining is the agricultural heartland of the whole province and as such the
local cooking styles, using highly native food materials, are in quantity. As the capital
the city also does a good range of many other specialties, with featured cuisines from
almost all of the country"s most famous food styles. Heading further east, you will arrive at the province"s namesake, the vast, salty Qinghai Lake. The birds
that flock here in huge numbers are testament to the lake"s most tasty foodstuff, the Qinghaihu
fish. The highlight of dining is the popular naked carp (Wulin
huangyu) that is a native of the lake, and that is famed for both growing one
centimeter a year and for dying instantly on being taken from the lake. The best of
cooking styles is the simplest: quick fried. As you head further onto the plateau, into China"s remoter depths, the food becomes
more western China influenced. Golmud, probably the last
major stopping point before heading into Tibet, is influenced by the spicy Sichuan and the
Tibetan cuisine. This area, although part desert, is rich in minerals and has vast plains,
that are used mainly for the cultivation of livestock, so that dining here is heavily meat
orientated. |
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