Renyili steamed dumpling (Renyili zhengjiao) is a household name in Taiyuan. The minced beef and mutton in dumplings is particularly palatable when mixed with Shanxi mature vinegar. Its long lasting and delicious taste has turned it into a time-honored brand in the dumpling business. [Photo/sxrb.com]

Linji Tounao from Taiyuan is a medicinal soup made of mutton and seven kinds of herbal medicine. The dish named by Fu Shan, a local medical expert in the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), is taken as a tonic. During the period of the lunar calendar from bai lu to li chun, residents in Taiyuan tend to go to local Muslim restaurants to have a taste. [Photo/sxrb.com]