Mazhong Shifu

Mazhong Shifu began in the 1970s when the forebears of the Mazhong family carried shoulder-pole baskets of niangpi to sell at local markets. At the time niangpi was a sought-after market snack, loved for its sour-spicy taste and modest price, and from that single bowl the stall grew into a gathering place for nearly every Xining snack before settling on Mojia Street as a celebrated "Qinghai time-honoured brand."

For older Xining residents, the word "time-honoured brand" brings Mazhong Shifu to mind first. Bringing together niangpi, mutton paomo, sweet barley醺醅 and yogurt—almost every Qinghai snack—it is the first stop for visitors tasting the city and the very synonym of "Qinghai famous snacks."

Its signature niangpi is made by washing gluten from fine flour, settling the starch and steaming it into golden pliable sheets, then cut and dressed with chilli oil, mustard, garlic, vinegar and the gluten itself for a chewy, sour-spicy bite; the house also keeps alive the craft of hand-eaten mutton, sweet barley and yogurt from the region's many peoples.