A pan-baked flatbread filled with beef (or lamb in the Hui version) braised for 8 hours in a master sauce of 20 spices. The bread should crackle outside and stay tender inside. The meat should fall apart.

• Origin: Qin dynasty, 3rd century BCE
• Protected: Shaanxi origin designation
• Street price in Xi'an: 10–15 CNY (~€1.50)
• The secret: the lǔzhī (卤汁), a master sauce passed down for years

1. The meat — do this the day before

Blanch the beef: cold water, bring to the boil, simmer 5 minutes, discard the scummy water and rinse the meat. Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in oil until golden. Add the spices — star anise, Sichuan pepper, fennel, cinnamon, cloves, bay — and toast for 30 seconds. Add the meat, soy sauce, sugar, wine and enough water to cover. Simmer on the lowest heat for 3 hours, covered. The beef should yield to a fork. Leave it to rest overnight in its braising liquid. By morning the flavour will be in every fibre.

The Muslim Quarter (回民街) is the obvious destination. For purists, head to Lao Sun Jia or Tong Sheng Xiang — institutions that have been making roujiamo for generations. Avoid the chain versions outside the historic centre.

Original recipe in Spanish: roujiamo paso a paso. For the city, see Xi'an in 3 days.