Vinegar obsession: 老陈醋 lǎo chén cù aged black vinegar is on every table, in every dish, and Shanxi people genuinely put it on everything including dumplings, noodles, and even watermelon. They'll tell you theirs is the only real vinegar in China.

Also home to 刀削面 dāoxiāomiàn, knife-shaved noodles — the chef slices thick ribbons of dough straight off a block into boiling water. And 平遥古城 Píngyáo gǔchéng, the best-preserved ancient walled city in China.

The other stereotype is coal. 煤矿 méikuàng mines made the 煤老板 méi lǎobǎn 'coal boss' a national punchline for sudden, spectacular provincial money. Shanxi also keeps a serious 午休 wǔxiū midday nap — offices and shops genuinely close for it — and 喜欢吃面 xǐhuān chī miàn: they love noodles, in more shapes than anywhere else in China.

China Provinces