Shaanxi has a short but intense fruit season, and the eastern district of Lintong, in the hills between Xi'an and the Huaqing hot springs, is where the best-known of it comes from. Pomegranates have been grown in the sheltered valleys there for centuries, and the fruit - large, deep red, with small seeds and a heavy sweet-tart juice - is sold across the province under the Lintong name. The same area produces fire-crystal persimmons, a small bright orange variety that ripens to a jelly and is eaten with a spoon.
The season and where to find it
Pomegranates come in from late August and are at their best through September and into October; persimmons follow from October and are dried and sold through the winter. At the peak, roadside stalls appear along the roads into Lintong and on the approaches to the terracotta army site, staffed by the growers themselves, and the city's wholesale and neighbourhood markets sell the same fruit for less. In the orchards around the district, some growers let visitors pick their own or sell direct from a yard behind the house. Look for fruit with a hard, dry stem end and a deep even colour, and lift it rather than pulling, since the skin is thin.
What else is in season
Autumn in this part of Shaanxi also brings walnuts from the loess plateaus to the north, jujubes, drying chillies, and the last of the grapes from the Wei river valley. Markets in the city shift accordingly: through the summer the stalls are full of peaches and melons, and by October they are dominated by orange, red and brown - persimmons, pomegranates, chestnuts and pumpkin. This is also when the air dries out after the humid summer and Xi'an becomes pleasant to walk in, which is why October is the single most comfortable month to visit.
Practical notes
Fruit from the roadside stalls is seasonal and cash or mobile payment is normal; a plastic bag and a willingness to taste before buying will get you a good price. Pomegranates travel well if packed properly, but persimmons do not, so eat those in the city. If your itinerary includes the terracotta army or the Huaqing springs, the drive out through Lintong passes dozens of stalls, and there is no need to plan a separate trip. November is the tail of the season; by December the stalls are gone and the same roads are bare.
