Zhangye cuisine centers around a basically wheat-based diet. As with their Xinjiang neighbors, however, the people here do not focus on vegetarian dishes. The staple fare involves breads and meat, while the most characteristic of the regional specialties include fish balls made with flour and Tsampa (roast barley meal).

For meat eaters, the most common dishes are shouzhua yangrou (literally “hand-held mutton”), lamb soup (Yangrou tang) and cured lamb (La yangrou), another specialty that will take some getting used to. The main beverage in town is the popular Red Tea (Tuo cha, known and common in the west as black tea). This brew is in the definite northeastern style of Gansu and Xinjiang provinces, made in the form of a brick (Zhuan cha). For something a little harder, the people here are also known for there capacity to drink, and liquor, the lethal rice wine (bai jiu) and beer are frequent guests at the dinner table. The town itself is an exporter of alcohol and brands include Zhangye Rice Wine (Zhangye huangjiu), Zhangye Nan Wine (Zhangye nanjiu) and Siluchun Liquor (Siluchun baijiu).

For dining convenience, many of the hotels here serve plain, but fairly decent food. The Zhanye Hotel’s restaurant is best for both price and good taste. Restaurants can also be found along the main north/south street, more in the south (Da nanjie). For an even cheaper and more interesting experience, try the stalls along the Night Market (ye chang) at Dong dajie or Qingnian dongjie.