Spicy—the Hot Kind

Contrary to popular belief, our food isn’t supposed to burn your face off. Instead, Xi’an food tends to use spice for fragrance, flavor, and depth. Nevertheless, we do incorporate two types of sinus-clearing heat. The first comes from Tianjin peppers, also referred to as Chinese red chile peppers. These capsaicin-loaded fruits are typically spicier than cayenne, but not quite as explosive as habanero chile peppers. The Tianjin pepper lacks some of the more complex, earthy notes of other varietals, but makes up for it with heat, smokiness, and eye-catching color. You could chop up these red peppers and toss them straight into any dish for extra fire, but I prefer to turn them into a chili oil, roasting both the membrane and the seeds to really amp up the flavors. For a spicy crunch but slightly milder hit, we’ll also thinly slice red or green longhorn peppers, tossing the slivers into a stir-fry or raw into salads.