What to Eat in Beijing

Peking Duck

Peking Duck or Beijing Duck is best-known for the thin and crispy skin, rich taste and long history. The culinary of Pecking duck can be dated back to Yuan dynasty when it was a dish of imperial food. The foodies conclude some ways and timing to eat Beijing duck. The duck is tasted palatable in spring, winter and autumn. The authentic versions of dish should be served with most skin and little meat. Generally it is eaten with pancakes, sweet bean sauce and scallion. The sweet bean sauce is smeared on the pancakes, then slices of meat is put between the pancakes.

Imperial Court Food (Fangshan)

Imperial Court Food or Fangshan is the food for emperors. After downfall of Qing Dynasty, the imperial cooks began to run the restaurants and the dishes they cooked were very familiar with imperial court food. Fangshan features ingredients and special presentation including beautiful vegetable carvings.

 

Zhajiangmian

Zhajiangmian is a very popular dish in the north China. Beijing Zhanjiangmian stands out compared with it in other places. It is composed of such main materials as pork, handmade noodles, vegetable pieces and soy sauce. The delicious Zhajiangmian lies in the zhajiang which is salty fermented soybean paste stir-fried with ground pork. Accroding to season, the various vegetable pieces are also served in the noodles. For Beijingers especially the old, they are fond of hot noodles in winter or cold noodles in summer. Having taste of authentic Zhangjiangmian is indispensable for tourists in Beijing.

Fried Dough Drops (Pinyin: chao ge da)

Fried Dough Drops is a special local snack in Beijing. The Fried Dough Drops is characterized by unique flavor and fragrance. It was created by a mother and her daughter who run a restaurant named Fuangfu near Peach Arch. During the process of cooking, wheat flour, beef, fresh vegetable and other ingredients are used. The dish is nutritious and digestible.

Fried Liver

As one of Beijing local snacks, Fried Liver is cooked with such raw material as pork's livers and intestines with garlic, starch,soy, garlic, bone soup and other ingredients. So Fried Liver is not greasy but light. It is evoluted from "Fried Lung" in Song Dynasty (960AD-1279AD). In the early time, it was eaten with Baozi (steamed stuffed bun) as a breakfast. But now, Fried Liver is eaten at any time and with any other food.

Quick-Fried Tripe (Pinyin: Bao Du)

Quick-Fried Tripe is a famous Beijing local snack, which is an Islamic snack. The tripes of cattle or sheep are cut into slices or stripes and put into boiling water. After it is cooked, the tripes are stirred with sesame sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper oil, and scallion. Then, Quick-Fried Tripe is ready for you.

Filled Sausage(Pinying: Guang Chang)

Filled Sausage

Filled Sausage is a special snack in Beijing. It is made from pork intestine filled with starch and minced meat. After being steamed, filled sausages are fried and then diced. When eating, the salt and garlic juice are added. It is said that Empress Dowager Ci Xi once taste filled sausage and spoke highly of it. Fuxingju, the earliest restaurant to sell filled sausages, specialized in making filled sausage and offer the sausages as tribute to royal family of Qing Dynasty(1636- 1912).

Aiwowo(Glutinous rice ball)

Aiwowo

Aiwowo is a traditional Islamic snack made from sticky rice, saugar, sesame seeds, peach kernels. The history of Aiwowo can be dated back to early Ming Dynasty. In the ancient times, the snack shops provided Aiwowo from Spring Festival until the early autumn. Now, it can be eaten at any time in a year. With rich nutrition, Aiwowo are good for those who have a poor appetite and weak body.

Lvdagun(Glutinous Rice Rolls with Sweet Bean Flour)

Lvdagun is a very traditional snack in Beijing. It is made from millet flour or sticky rice stuffed with red bean paste. And then the formed Lvdagun is trundled in sesames. It originated in Chengde and became popular after introducing into Beijing because Manchu were fond of sticky food. Lvdagun is characterized by fragrant, glutinious and sweet.