At the table
Use chopsticks and a spoon, eating from one side of the bowl. Ask “可以不放辣椒酱吗？” (“Can you leave out the chili paste?”) before ordering if you prefer less heat.
Contains pork intestine and stomach, pork-and-chicken stock, wheat bread, soy tofu and quail egg; neither vegetarian nor vegan. Offal can be chewy and broth very hot. Check seasoning allergens; this is not a general recommendation for young children.
Chili heat is estimated at 1 for a bowl with a small finishing spoon of chili paste; amounts and pastes differ. Ask before ordering. Stock, toppings and bread vary, including some lightly raised breads.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Some contemporary flatbreads use a little yeast, giving a softer result than the unleavened form.
Typical ingredients
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Rich, savory pork and chicken stock.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Soft but resilient intestine and broth-soaked bread.
- How it’s made
- Prepare the offal and stock separately, then repeatedly pour hot broth over the assembled bowl.
Some contemporary flatbreads use a little yeast, giving a softer result than the unleavened form.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Shaanxi.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有葫芦头泡馍吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
A pork-offal member of the paomo family
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
Hulutou literally means “gourd head”, but this bowl centers on pork offal, not a gourd. Its distinctive step is jiaomao: hot stock is poured over the bread and toppings and drained back repeatedly, with the final ladle left in the bowl. Small bites let you appreciate the broth-soaked bread and resilient intestine.
