Shaanxi cuisine makes elaborate use of ordinary ingredients and is characterized by its noodles, lamb/mutton dishes, and heavy use of strong and complex savory flavors such as salt, garlic, onion and vinegar; sugar is seldom used.
The main cooking methods are steaming, frying and stir-frying.
Shaanxi cuisine's primary flavor profile is "fragrant spicy"(香辣).
[1][2][3] The taste of Shaanxi cuisine can be quite spicy; however, this can be diluted by adding soy sauce.
[citation needed] Many different types of meat are used in Shaanxi cuisine such as duck, lamb, chicken, and beef.