Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A REAL BEIJING BREAKFAST
Forget the trendy brunch spots in Sanlitun. Wherever you are at breakfast-time in Beijing,
you're within easy walking distance of a place selling
jianbing
(
煎饼
, jiānbing), a sort of
savourypancake
. These are usually sold from streetside windows, and the method of pre-
paration is as entrancing as a lava lamp. First the hotplate will be greased up, then attacked
with a scoop of batter. You'll be asked là bu là?: nod if you want spice, shake your head
if not. Spice, if you want it, is flecked onto the rapidly frying mix, along with various bits
of green veg; an egg is then cracked on top, to make a tasty, omelette-like layer. When
it's nearly done, a rectangle of miscellaneous crispy substance is added, and in a flash the
whole shebang will be folded and put in a plastic bag. The whole process takes well under
a minute, even including your own input of
￥
5 and a xiè xiè.
An alternative Beijing breakfast, and usually even cheaper, is sticks of
deep-frieddough
(
油条
, yóutiáo) served with warm
soymilk
(
豆汁
, dòu zhī); you may also care to look out
for the telltale baskets indicating places selling
dumplings
(
饺子
, jiǎozi), which remain
every old Beijinger's favourite form of morning sustenance. Lastly, be sure to hunt down
some
Beijingyoghurt
(
老北京酸奶
, lăobĕijīng suānnăi) during your stay; sold in cute clay
pots for
￥
3-5 (including
￥
1 deposit for the pot), it has a delicious, honey-like taste.
OTHER CHINESE CUISINES
Beijing being the capital you can of course try every kind of Chinese cuisine here. A list of
the principal dishes from each region is included in our
menu reader
.
Sichuan
Boisterous Sichuanese food, with its extravagant use of fiery chillies and pungent
flavours, is a particular favourite among Beijingers and tourists alike. Try
mapodoufu
(bean
curd with pork),
gongbao jiding
(chicken and peanuts) and
suan cai yu
(fish soup with
pickled greens) for a classic spicy meal.
Cantonese
The joke that the Chinese will eat anything with four legs that isn't a table refers
to Cantonese cuisine. Snake, dog and guinea pig are among the more unusual dishes, but
more conventionally there are also plenty of lightly seasoned, fresh vegetables on offer.
Dim
sum
(diǎnxīn in Mandarin), a meal of tiny buns, dumplings and pancakes, is a favourite for a
long, leisurely lunch.
Xinjiang
Food from the Turkic peoples of Xinjiang, in the far northwest, is perennially pop-
ular. It has a Central Asian flavour, with lamb kebabs, handmade noodles and some great
mutton dishes on the menu. You'll often find Xinjiang food at
street stalls
.
Yunnanese
Among faddish foodies, Yunnan cuisine (from China's far south) has recently be-
come popular; expats love to boast about finding the “new best place” to eat it. Among the
