Fried boiled pork [Photo by Zhang Xingjian/chinadaily.com.cn]

Fried boiled pork

This pork dish, the most famous of traditional Shanxi cuisine, originated during the Southern and Northern dynasties (420-589) among aristocrats in the southern Shanxi city of Linfen, and then spread to the provincial capital of Taiyuan, eventually becoming a typical restaurant dish during the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Datong copper hotpot

Datong copper hotpot is a tradition in Shanxi province, where food – usually mutton slices and assorted vegetables – is boiled in copperware produced in Datong or pots with meticulously engraved decorative patterns.

Datong has a long history of producing crafted copper pots coated with tin, which is rustproof and acts as a disinfectant, retaining the original taste of the food. Eating hotpot is best during the winter, when restaurants of all sizes serve it up as the winds howl outside the windows.