Linxia’s cuisine is predominantly Halal, and Halal restaurants can be found everywhere across the city. Thanks to its unique geographical location and natural environment, the local beef and mutton here taste exceptionally delicious. Dishes made with these ingredients, including Dongxiang Hand-Grabbed Mutton, Mutton Sausage Roll, Halal Beef and Offal Soup, and Oil-Flour Tea, are all renowned local delicacies.

As night falls, night markets open across Linxia. These bustling venues are ideal spots for enjoying tasty food and relaxing. Savory grilled meat, delicate side dishes and cold beer make the night markets a firm favorite among locals and visitors alike.

Dongxiang mutton has enjoyed a long-standing reputation since ancient times. As early as around the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it was presented as a tribute to emperors. This dish features a distinctive way of eating: fully cooked mutton is cut into chunks and served on a plate. Diners pick up the meat by hand and eat it with salt and pepper or garlic, hence the name "Hand-Grabbed Mutton". It boasts an appealing color, aroma and flavor, rich yet not greasy. It is also believed to nourish the body, warm the stomach and strengthen bones.

Great care goes into making mutton sausage rolls. A whole fresh sheep is used. First, the large intestines are thoroughly cleaned and processed by hand. Sheep hearts, livers, kidneys and premium mutton are minced into filling, mixed with chopped scallions, ginger, salt and pepper, then carefully stuffed into the intestines.

The steamed sausage is cut into sections about one inch long. Heat oil in a wok, sauté scallions and fresh ginger shreds, then fry the sausage sections until they turn light golden brown. Transfer to bowls and drizzle with mashed garlic sauce, chili oil and vinegar. The dish gives off an irresistible rich aroma.

Oil-flour tea is simple to make with common ingredients. Its main components are fine spring tea or high-quality fu brick tea, wheat flour, beef or mutton fat, along with an appropriate amount of pepper powder and ginger powder.

Brew strong tea first, then strain out the tea leaves and pour the tea into the pot with simmering oil and flour. Add seasonings when the mixture boils, adjusting the spiciness to taste, followed by a pinch of salt. Finally, stir in more oil-fried flour until it turns into a thick soup.

Cold noodle sheet is Linxia’s most famous cold dish. Made from high-gluten flour, it goes through five elaborate production procedures. Though it is an affordable folk snack, its preparation is intricate and requires skilled techniques.

Knead flour into dough, then rinse the dough repeatedly in a basin to separate the starchy water and gluten. Steam the gluten and the settled starchy water separately.

Cut the finished noodle sheets into strips and the gluten into chunks, arrange on a plate, then season with salt, chili sauce, garlic sauce, mustard sauce, sesame paste and vinegar. The noodle sheets look bright and translucent like jade, while the gluten is soft and porous. Blended with salty, sour, fragrant, spicy and fresh flavors, it is extremely appetizing with a lingering pleasant taste.

Fried pastries are traditional flour treats made by Linxia’s Muslim residents. They are widely loved for their attractive colors, diverse varieties and crispy, sweet taste. During the annual Eid al-Fitr, every Muslim household makes assorted fried pastries. The inviting fragrance of fried snacks fills streets and lanes.

There are over a hundred types of fried pastries: golden, crispy fried dough twists similar to stretched noodles; soft, sweet egg pastries with a golden hue; colorful shaped pastries; and vivid, crisp and sweet molded pastries known as Hailiwa.

Linxia fried pastries are mainly made of flour, with sugar and edible food coloring as supplements. Local skillful women shape the dough into dragons, finger citrons, chrysanthemums, phoenixes and other elaborate patterns. After deep-frying, these pastries turn into exquisite artworks in varied shapes.