Spicy—the Savory Kind

Now this is where the food gets interesting. While many parts of China use Sichuan peppercorns, Tianjin chile peppers, and black vinegar (call it the holy trinity), the food of Xi’an is unique in that it embodies the Silk Road’s history. So, in addition to those three core flavors, we’re also drawing in spices from the Mediterranean, India, and the Middle East, plus the core spices that are native to China. Star anise, a key ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder, often gets paired with cinnamon for its spicy sweetness and cloves for their earthy intensity, all simmered with soy sauce to tenderize and flavor heavy meat stews. Dried tangerine or orange peel, a staple from the Guangdong region with a pithy bitterness softened with aging, is frequently used to cut through those heady spices, while powdery white pepper adds a bright, clean kick as a final flourish.