Paomo means soaked bread, and the dish is a soup of mutton or beef broth with torn flatbread, glass noodles and sliced meat. Its origins are usually traced to Song-dynasty trading caravans, when dried bread carried on the road was softened with hot broth. In Xi'an it became a city habit, and the tearing is not a gimmick; the size of the pieces controls how the bread absorbs the broth.
How it works
You are given a bowl and two or three discs of firm, unleavened flatbread called tuotuo mo. Wash your hands. Tear the bread by hand, not with a knife, into pieces about the size of a fingernail or smaller. Traditional cooks expect small pieces and some kitchens will comment if the pieces are too large. The bowl goes to the kitchen, where the broth, noodles and meat are added, and it comes back steaming.
How to eat it
Eat with chopsticks and a spoon, adding chili paste to taste and taking bites of sweet pickled garlic between spoonfuls. The broth is rich and slightly milky from long simmering of bones. Do not add vinegar; it flattens the flavor. Order a small bowl if you are a first-timer, because the dish is very filling.
Where and when
The dish is traditional at breakfast and lunch. The Muslim Quarter has numerous paomo houses, and there are established restaurants elsewhere in the old city, some of them operating for a century. A good sign is a room full of people tearing bread in silence.
Practical notes
The broth is made from lamb or beef and is not vegetarian. Gluten-free guests should avoid it, since the bread is essential and there is no substitute. This is a heavily meat-based cuisine and easy to enjoy for anyone comfortable with that; for vegetarians, the sesame cakes and fried vegetable dumplings nearby are better choices.
