The Tong's cured mutton

Nianzhipo Tong Family's Cured Mutton Store is an age-old Muslim food store with a history of more than 200 years. It enjoys a high reputation in Xi'an for its ruddy, savory and crisp cured mutton. There is a much-told story about this local specialty. Empress Dowager Cixi of the late Qing Dynasty smelt the savory meat from afar, when she drove down the West Street in an Imperial carriage during her visit to Xi'an. Then, she stopped to send for the meat, and expressed appreciation for its delicious taste after she enjoyed it. Again she asked Minister of War Zhao Fuqiao's teacher to write down the three characters "Nian Zhi Po" to mark her visit. The characters were then framed into a horizontal tablet, and the tablet was hanged over the door as a store sign. From then on, the Tong Family's Cured Mutton Store has become all the more famous far and wide.