Yangrou paomo is a distinctive traditional local dish of Xi'an, Shaanxi.

Yangrou paomo is a traditional famous dish of the Shaanxi region, especially the Xi'an area, and one of the representatives of northwestern wheat-flour food culture. It uses thick, milky-white mutton broth and firm, chewy tuotuo mo (broken flatbread) as its main ingredients, paired with vermicelli, wood ear mushrooms, garlic sprouts, cilantro and more. The finished dish has a rich, full-bodied broth and tender meat with soft-soaked bread, and is deeply loved by locals and out-of-town visitors alike.

Eating yangrou paomo emphasizes breaking the bread yourself, tearing the mo into pieces the size of soybeans, then handing it to the cook to simmer with mutton broth. Depending on how much broth is added, there are different styles such as gan pao (dry-soaked), kou tang (mouthful of broth) and shui wei cheng (water-surrounded city), with textures ranging from firm to soft, each with its own appeal. It is often eaten with sweet pickled garlic and chili sauce, which cuts the greasiness and boosts the flavor.

This dish is closely tied to the culinary traditions of the ancient capital Chang'an, and many folk legends about its origins circulate. Although the accounts differ, they all attest to its long history. Today the craft of making beef and mutton paomo has been included in the intangible cultural heritage list, becoming a calling card of Shaanxi food culture.

Many people confuse it with shuipen yangrou (mutton in a basin). Although both use mutton broth, paomo simmers the broken bread in the broth, while shuipen yangrou serves the broth and the flatbread separately. Paomo is best eaten hot, as the bread loses its chewiness if soaked too long. A bowl of it in winter or spring warms the stomach and fills you up.