At the table
Eat the curds, tofu and noodles together, taking care with the hot broth. Ask “少放辣子” (“Less chili, please”). To request no bread in the soup, ask for “单走” and confirm the shop’s usage.
Contains sheep’s blood, sheep broth, soy tofu and sesame, so it is not vegetarian or vegan. Optional soy sauce may contain wheat. Ask about cooking fat and other seasonings if avoiding pork; chili and broth can be very hot.
Chili powder supplies chili heat; Sichuan pepper adds a different numbing sensation. Soy sauce and vinegar are optional. Noodle starch, stock, fat and chili amount vary by maker.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
This is a garlic-chili soup version without bread in the bowl. Other Xi’an servings soak torn flatbread in the soup and use different stocks or fats; ask about the version.
Typical ingredients
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Savory garlic and chili, sesame aroma and a separate numbing tingle from Sichuan pepper.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Soft, slightly springy blood-curd strips, smooth tofu and slippery thin glass noodles.
- How it’s made
- Prepared blood-curd and tofu strips are heated and combined with softened glass noodles and sheep broth. Hot garlic-and-Sichuan-pepper oil seasons chili powder, green garlic and sesame; coriander finishes the bowl.
This is a garlic-chili soup version without bread in the bowl. Other Xi’an servings soak torn flatbread in the soup and use different stocks or fats; ask about the version.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Shaanxi.
About this regional connection
Shaanxi: ActualdatedZhangTongwu essayandprimaryauthoredrecipe supportXi’an/Guanzhong association, notexclusiveoriginorcurrentshopavailability.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有粉汤羊血吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
A name that explains the bowl
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
Fen refers to the starch noodles; yangxue means sheep’s blood. Xi’an’s soup combines smooth blood curds with tofu and noodles, often with bread soaked in the broth. The no-bread serving is called danzou. Chili brings heat, while Sichuan pepper adds a separate numbing tingle.