Taste Shaanxi Cuisine Luochuan Fire Bowl and Experience the Poetic and Picturesque Huanglong Wazijie Pianshi Village B&B

Summer, a small river flows slowly, everywhere is a lush green scene. On July 15, following the 137th stop of the Shaanxi Cuisine Exploration Food Tour, we explore the Shaanxi delicacy Luochuan Fire Bowl and experience the poetic and picturesque Huanglong Wazijie Pianshi Village B&B.

The Luochuan Fire Bowl is called "fire bowl" because it is relatively small and can be brought directly to the table after cooking, and can even be lifted up to eat. The material of the fire bowl is also different from ordinary hotpot. The locals in Luochuan use fire bowls made of sand and clay, which are ceramic products made from black sand, quartz, feldspar, clay, and other raw materials. After being fired at high temperatures, they have characteristics such as air permeability, adsorption, uniform heat transfer, and slow heat dissipation. They do not contain any elements harmful to the human body, and frying, boiling, stewing, or braising will not cause quality changes, so nutrients are not easily lost. The fire bowl looks similar to a hotpot, with a fire pit in the middle where apple wood charcoal can be burned. The upper part of the fire pit is the bowl, where ingredients are placed. The charcoal in the fire pit can transfer heat evenly and persistently.

The traditional fire bowl uses four ingredients: tofu, white radish slices, vermicelli, and braised pork belly slices. Each ingredient is layered; radish slices are placed at the bottom to prevent sticking, and pork belly slices are placed on top, cut paper-thin and semi-transparent for best results. The soup base is made from old hen chicken broth. After that, oil-poured chili is spread on top of the pork belly slices, and chopped green onions, cilantro, and crushed chili are sprinkled on. Covered with a lid and filled with burning charcoal, it is then brought to the table to enjoy.

When you taste the simmered broth with your tongue, you immediately feel its freshness and richness. Take a slice of meat and swish it back and forth on the wall of the fire pit to remove excess broth; after swishing, the meat slice also has a smoky grilled flavor. The vegetarian ingredients such as tofu, radish, and vermicelli, after absorbing the meat broth, become tender and have an even richer aroma. On a cold winter day, a group of people gather around the boiling fire bowl, accompanied by local northern Shaanxi specialty grains and noodles like pepper leaf buns, corn buns, buckwheat rolls, and yellow millet buns, allowing you to find the taste of home.

Located in Yongxiang Town, 14 kilometers from Luochuan County, it is the hometown of Li Xin'an, the "father of Luochuan apples." In 2019, it was listed by Shaanxi Province as one of the first batch of provincial-level historical and cultural villages.

In 1947, Li Xin'an of Ashi Village, Yongxiang Town, Luochuan County, transported more than 200 apple saplings from Lingbao, Henan, on a donkey, becoming the first person to plant apples in Luochuan. Now, 72 years later, Luochuan apples have become a world-renowned brand. Many believe that "the root and soul of northern Shaanxi apples lie in Ashi Village."

Entering Ashi Village, you can see agricultural paintings of apple planting, pruning, thinning, and bagging on the walls everywhere. The bronze statues at the street intersections are all apple-themed, and every alley is named after different apple varieties. The stone slabs on the streets are engraved with apple process paper cuttings, and the trash cans on both sides of the street are apple-shaped.

In Pianshi Village, Wazijie Town, the ancient village has been transformed into a series of rural B&B courtyards. Here, you can not only experience the rich flavor of daily life but also feel endless poetic charm and enjoy the slow pace of life. Due to the lack of excessive formal constraints, this place creates more possibilities, with everything naturally just right, always carrying a touch of ancient charm, restoring the original poetry of the people's lives here.

Entering Pianshi Village, Wazijie Town, rows of well-arranged rural B&Bs sit in the mountains, serene and beautiful. From outdoors to indoors, from the stone mill walkways to large floor-to-ceiling windows, from the ancient well and spiritual spring to the detailed decorations, everything evokes a sense of rustic beauty, attracting many urban tourists to visit, stay, taste local cuisine, and experience activities such as rafting, sand buggies, and horseback riding.

Entering Jietou Miao Town, Huanglong County, an endless expanse of greenery comes into view. Butterflies dance among the flowers, a gentle breeze brushes your face, and the fragrance of grass and flowers greets your nose, making you feel relaxed and happy.

Jietou Miao Town is located 10 kilometers southwest of Huanglong County, at the junction of the Weibei Plain and the northern Shaanxi Loess Plateau. Its over 50,000 mu of alpine meadows have a beautiful environment and pleasant climate. Due to the large altitude difference and strong wind convection, it is the best wind power resource area in northern Shaanxi. Relying on its unique geographical advantages and tourists' impression of Huanglong's wind power, Jietou Miao Town combines wind power resources with meadow scenery to cultivate new forms of specialty tourism.