Mystique, magic and mouthfuls

The allure of Xi'an meals comes not only from how they tantalize the taste buds, but also from the way many are spiced up by mystical associations.

Perhaps the most storied of the city's delicacies are its pearl dumplings. These tiny treats - shaped and sized to befit their namesake - were the favorite nibbles of the Empress Dowager Cixi when she took refuge in Shaanxi province after the Eight-Nation Alliance overran Beijing in 1900. The lights are dimmed when these dumplings are brought out, bubbling in resplendently ornate urns and placed in the center of tables at specialty eateries like Jiaozi Yan, Jie Fang Lu and De Fa Chang.

Servers ladle out a single scoopful for each customer and everyone counts how many of theirs are afloat - an auspicious meaning is attached to every possible amount.