What should you eat when you come to Beijing? There are absolutely countless delicacies in Beijing. Needless to say, roast duck and mutton-shabu-shabu are rich in Beijing characteristics. The special delicacies and snacks are also outstanding~
1. Old Beijing-shabu-shabu mutton
When it comes to food in Beijing, many people first think of roast duck. Roast duck is representative and famous. But when a Beijinger who knows how to eat talks about his own specialty dish, it should definitely be hot-boiled mutton! It’s not impossible that friends and family get together, friends have a drink, and a few brothers get together to eat roast duck, but the chance is quite small. Shabu-shabu is much more common. Therefore, when eating in Beijing, you should not miss the hotpot mutton. The best time to catch up is winter, in the twelfth lunar month of winter, when the sky and earth outside the window are blank, goose-feather snowflakes are falling, the heat is steaming in the house, calling friends, making people happy both physically and mentally, and it is extremely satisfying.
Introducing several delicious shabu-shabu restaurants in Beijing:
1. Jubaoyuan
My personal recommendation is "Jubaoyuan". There seems to be no mention of this restaurant in travelogues. Jubaoyuan is located in Niujie, Xicheng District, a little south and west of the Niujie intersection of Guang'anmen Nei Street. Niujie is a gathering place for the Hui people in Beijing. The formal slaughtering of animals by the Hui people is performed by a full-time imam, who is very particular about it. Beijingers also generally believe that the beef and mutton bought in Niujie are cleaner and more authentic.
Authentic mutton-shabu-shabu specializes in charcoal-fired copper pots. There is an alcohol pot that everyone has in hand. It looks small and exquisite, and it seems to be more in line with the concept of hygiene. However, using this to eat Beijing mutton hotpot does not have the "taste". Clear soup, sesame paste ingredients (cilantro, chopped chives, chive flowers, soybean curd, braised shrimp oil, sesame seeds), mutton, louver, cabbage, frozen tofu, wide noodles, sesame seed cakes, sugar garlic (to relieve greasiness), none of it is missing. The meat should be fresh and tender, cut as thin as snowflakes by hand, cooked with chopsticks, and melt in your mouth.
Jubaoyuan’s mutton and sesame biscuits are really amazing, and the great thing is that they are not expensive.
2. Yao Tai Shabu Shabu
No. 12, Taoranting Road, Xuanwu District, to the west of the north gate of Taoranting Park and to the south of the road. The above-mentioned Datong is not described in detail. In short, the taste is well-known and the price is acceptable to the public. There are also branches in Yaotai, but I think this one is more authentic.
3. Nanmen Shabu Shabu
Rename: Hongyuan Nanmen Shabu Shabu. South Gate refers to the South Gate of the Temple of Heaven, because this store first opened outside the South Gate of the Temple of Heaven Park, and now it also has a semicolon in a good location in Houhai. It used to be well known to Beijingers, but now its reputation is growing, and many netizens are becoming more aware of it. The advantage of his hotel is that it is in a good location and is near the scenic spots. For many travelers, it kills two birds with one stone and saves time.
4. Xiao Liu Shabu-shabu Fresh Pork
This restaurant is interesting. No. 12, Lazhu Hutong, Hufangqiao, Xuanwu District. Lazhu Hutong, does the name sound interesting? :) In the alley, you will pass by Lao Liu Shabu Shabu on the way there, so don’t hesitate and continue walking in. Grassroots, high quality and low price. If you want to bring the whole family, there is no need to look for this place. It is suitable for an in-depth experience for one or two people. You must eat hand-cut fresh meat, this is the authentic taste of old Beijing.
But one thing made me very disappointed. As soon as we sat down, the waiter asked us if we wanted clear soup base, spicy or mandarin duck pot base. This seems very unauthentic. Authentic old Beijing Shabu Shabu is served in clear soup pot. Spicy is Sichuan hot pot. It's nondescript, and this must be criticized.
To get back to the subject, let’s talk about the meat here. Fresh meat is 20 per plate, regardless of the part, and the price is quite affordable. The texture and taste of the meat are the second best among the fresh meats I have eaten in Beijing. The first place has to be an unknown shabu-shabu restaurant in You'anmen. It's much better than Nanmen Shabu Shabu. Those famous restaurants are where you go to eat the famous food, but small restaurants like this are where you actually eat meat. If you are a carnivore, don’t miss this place. Be sure to eat fresh meat, which is delicious and not expensive.
There are also some good restaurants, such as Laowu Shabu Shabu, Laoqiying Shabu Shabu, Yangfang Shabu Shabu, etc. They all have good reputations on the Internet, and their tastes are different, but generally good. Friends, if you catch up and dine nearby, you can also enjoy the authentic Beijing mutton hotpot.
There are many good restaurants for mutton-shabu-shabu in Nancheng, so don’t be too picky about the dining environment. Often when the environment is changed, the fun of eating around the fire is gone. As for Donglaishun, I don’t recommend it. It’s not bad, it’s just that with these authentic and affordable stores, why spend a lot of money just for a name? Moreover, Donglaishun has self-operated stores and franchised stores, so the quality is inevitably different.
2. Peking Roast Duck
Roast duck has become a symbol of Beijing’s cuisine. It is said that Kissinger must eat roast duck every time he comes to Beijing. Bush, who rode his 28-car bicycle all over the world in the alleys of Beijing, was addicted to it. At the golden wedding banquet in 1995, Bush also ordered roast duck.
Some friends cannot appreciate roast duck because they think it is too oily, which makes sense. Fortunately, you don’t eat it every day, but you can taste it once in a while and put your health concept aside, so it’s still acceptable. What's more, you can also learn culture and history from it.
Liang Shiqiu wrote in Yashe Talking about Food: "Beiping is suffering from drought and is not a great place for duck production. However, Tongzhou is close at hand and has the convenience of a canal. The canals and ponds are intertwined, which is especially suitable for raising ducks. All the best species are available. Pure white and wild ducks are not the best choice. The ducks are transported from Tongzhou to Peiping and still need to be fertilized with sorghum and other feeds. They are rolled into round strips, which are thicker than ordinary sausages and hot dogs, and are about four inches long. The duck master from Tongzhou caught a duck, held it between his legs, and opened the duck's mouth with his hands.
He dipped the long and thick pieces of food into the water and forced it to move. Stuff it in. The duck can't even quack, and can only blink. After stuffing it into the mouth, squeeze the duck's neck tightly with your hands, and force the pieces into the duck's stomach. After filling in a few, I saw that the belly would burst if I filled it in again, so I let go and locked the ducks in a small shed that was not exposed to the sun. They were locked together like sardines, with no movement. They just gave them as much water as possible. They were kept like this for several days, and they were pulled out and stuffed every day, so they were called stuffed ducks. Firstly, because of the good breed of ducks, and secondly because of the skill of the masters, stuffing ducks was unique to Peiping during the Anti-Japanese War. There was a restaurant in the back that tried stuffing ducks, and a third of them died. Although the ones that survived were not very skinny, they were not very fat. This is what I saw with my own eyes. A duck must be fat to be tender. ”
Using this kind of material selection and unique craftsmanship is the difference between a duck costing nearly 200 yuan in a famous store and a duck costing dozens of yuan in a street store. Although many Beijingers will never eat Quanjude in their lives, just like Hangzhou people may not go to Louwailou to eat jealous fish. But as a traveler, it’s better to experience the authentic ingredients. If you come here, why bother to explore the dragon’s jaw and leave behind the Li Pearl.
There is no ranking here, because they are almost the same.
There is a saying that "foreigners eat roast duck in Beijing and eat Quanjude, foreigners eat roast duck in Beijing and eat Dadong, and Beijingers eat roast duck in Beijing and eat Jiuhuashan."
Jiuhuashan Roast Duck
Located on the 1st and 2nd floors of Ziyu Hotel, No. 55 Zengguang Road, Haidian District, the duck costs 168 yuan each, and the cake, sauce, and cucumber all cost separately, but The duck is delicious, the mustard duck feet are delicious, and the roast duck is definitely not worse than Quanjude, but the price is more affordable.
Some friends only know that Quanjude, Dadong and Jiuhuashan are indeed good choices for eating roast duck, although some Beijingers still don’t know the name of Jiuhuashan. "Duck King" was once very famous and had many branches, but its popularity has gradually weakened recently. Quanjude has a good reputation, does not worry about business, and frequently receives teams, but there is a phenomenon of poor hospitality and bullying of customers. I also think that there is no need to win over Quanjude or join in the fun.
Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant
The Dongsi store has a very good environment, located on the 1st and 2nd floors of Nanxincang International Building, No. 22 Dongsishitiao A, Dongcheng District; the Tuanjiehu store is extremely popular , Building 3, Tuanjie Hubei Port, Chaoyang District (southeast of Changhong Bridge). The dishes are exquisite and the prices are high.
Bianbi Fang
is another sect. Beijing roast duck is divided into two major schools: stewed oven and hanging oven. Bianyifang is the representative of the stewed oven roast duck faction. There is no open flame in roast duck, so it is said that the carcinogens easily produced when roasted over open flames are reduced.
As for which one tastes better, everyone has different opinions. Travelers can experience it for themselves. In fact, they are all similar. If you don’t believe in the time-honored brands, what else can you eat?
Liqun Roast Duck Restaurant, which is widely rumored on the Internet, is famous for being featured on the National Geographic Channel's "Amazing Earth". Netizens spread word of mouth and promote that it does not advertise. I think it is just an alternative way of doing business. The place is narrow and remote, and there are many people waiting for a seat. The more people are willing to find out, the more people are willing to find out. Nowadays, the niche seems to be showing more and more taste: you can decide whether to go or not.
A few more words for experienced travelers: If you have already eaten Peking duck or even eaten it many times and are interested in exploring it further, you might as well try something more alternative. The roast duck at Tingli Restaurant in the Summer Palace is said to be prepared with traditional Chinese medicine, giving it a different flavor. Another example is the roast duck at Hongbin Building on the first halal floor. The halal style is unique and worth savoring.
3. Beijing’s time-honored brands
Many people have never tried Beijing’s time-honored brands. Most of the time-honored brands are state-owned, and many details such as service and decoration have not kept pace with the times. Many time-honored brands have gone through catastrophes and have almost ceased operations. The state-owned enterprises that control them have bureaucratic habits and do not want to make progress, but I am still willing to believe in the vitality of our time-honored brands. The famous dishes with unique style can be passed down from generation to generation.
Choose a few that I have experienced, I believe I won’t miss you. In no particular order.
1. Tongheju
Tongheju ranks first among the “Eight Great Residences in Beijing”. "Eight major residences" - Tonghe Ju, Shaguo Ju, Taifeng Ju, Wanfu Ju, Yangchun Ju, Dongxing Ju, Fuxing Ju and Guanghe Ju. Most of them withered, and only Tongheju and Shaguoju remained. There are many Shandong restaurants in old Beijing. Tongheju has a mellow taste and I think it’s worth trying. Three non-stick dishes, imperial concubine chicken, braised mullet eggs, glutinous rice noodles, and grilled steamed buns are Tongheju’s signature dishes.
As for the price, the per capita consumption is about 100 yuan, which is normal at today’s consumption level: Mr. Ma Sanli’s cross talk joke - "The Art of Naming" mentions living together: "Engagement, Where to eat? Live together in harmony! If we are of the same mind, we will live together forever; if we are divorced, where to eat? If we eat steamed buns, the dog will ignore us."
Address: No. 71, Yuetan South Street, Sanlihe, Xicheng District.
2. Shaguoju
The location of Shaguoju is better, in the center of Beijing, which is very convenient. The casserole series, especially the white meat casserole and the nine-turn large intestine, are the most famous. Desserts such as almond tofu are also highly praised. Both Tongheju and Tongheju belong to the Shandong cuisine family, and the dishes are also similar, such as the three non-stick and Zaoli series are also specialties.
Address: No. 60, Xisi South Street, Xicheng District (near Gangwa City)
3. Hongbin Building
Muslim Restaurant, one of the eight buildings in Beijing, "The best place to host Hui wedding banquets." For my discerning Hui friends, the wedding banquet must be at Hongbin Building. The signature braised oxtail is rotten but not broken, lean but not woody, coriander and braised oxtail, braised pork ribs, braised pork strips, fried shrimps, and sugar-rolled jelly beans (diners who know how to eat will pronounce these three Each character, sugar, Juan (pronounced Yang Ping (two tones), Guo (pronounced "Gu")) are all high-quality products with a small price. "State-owned" style. There are many wedding banquets, so if you want to go, be sure to avoid peak times.
Address: No. 11, Exhibition Hall Road, Xicheng District (intersection of Wanwanzhuang Road)
4. Jinyang Restaurant
Shanxi flavor. "Crispy duck", "oiled pork" and "sliced ??noodles" are the signature dishes. The reason why I recommend this place is because the pasta here is very good. Northerners are good at noodle food, and to be fair, there don’t seem to be many really good noodle restaurants in Beijing. Southern friends can’t appreciate pasta, but when you come to Beijing, I advise you to try it, because this is the real tourism, isn’t it?
Jinyang Restaurant is also the location of Ji Xiaolan’s former residence. You can visit for free after eating. In front of the door is a densely shaded ancient vine planted by Ji Xiaolan himself. At that time, Mr. Lao She often came here to admire the ancient vines and admire the ancient vines. He left a unique poem: "The camel's hump and bear's paw are not worthy of praise. The cat-eared fish is real and gorgeous. The four winds are fragrant and spring is coming. There are ten feet of wisteria flowers in front of the court."
In retrospect, it might be a good thing that Jinyang Restaurant occupied Ji Xiaolan’s former residence. After all, the diners coming and going keep the popularity of Yuewei Thatched Cottage alive, which is much better than being left out in front of Mao Dun's former residence or Mei Lanfang's former residence. What's more, the young and old men who came to Jinyang Restaurant all knew Ji Xiaolan's name. ”
Address: No. 241, Zhushikou West Street
5. Fengzeyuan Restaurant
No. 83, Zhushikou West Street, not far from Jinyang Restaurant. Shandong cuisine The famous restaurant's braised sea cucumber with green onions is a top-notch dish, unparalleled in the world, and it's hard to compare it to anyone in the country. How good is it? Fengzeyuan said that the annual sales revenue of this dish reaches RMB 10 million, accounting for almost 30% of the total business. < /p>
With such a name, the price of sea cucumber dishes at Fengzeyuan Restaurant ranges from a few hundred yuan to over a thousand yuan. If you are well-off, I suggest you try it. If you don’t want to spend extravagance, you can try it in another restaurant. Choose, I thought you must not come here and don’t order sea cucumber, then why come to Fengze Garden?
Lastly, I don’t recommend the barbecue season. It is in the heart of Houhai, next to Yinding Bridge, and the location is good. The brand name is also old, and it can be delivered on the ship. This advantage is good for management, and the result is a style that doesn't worry about buyers. I don't go there during meal time, so I don't have anything to order, I can only eat what I have. No matter how well you do, you are still disappointed.
4. Beijing’s special food
(1) Sheep and scorpions
Sheep and scorpions are the food of old Beijing because the ingredients are taken from the spine of sheep and look like scorpions. And got its name. The way to eat it is still the hot pot routine.
1. Manpengxuan
No. 15, Taoyuan Dongli, Dongcheng District,
That is, the auxiliary road of South Second Ring Road, south of the road. Henanmen Shabu Shabu is owned by the same restaurant. There are many people pursuing his home, and the roadside is lined with cars at night. The main reason is that it tastes good and the price is affordable. It is recommended to eat the most expensive pot when eating here. The meat is rich and
tender, otherwise it will be just bones. Sheep and scorpions are generally salty, and the more you eat, the saltier they become. You have to drink a lot of water. Maybe if they are not salty, the taste will not be enough... After eating the scorpions, it is a standard way to stretch the noodles into the pot. The taste of the thick soup Boil
into the noodles. I have also eaten lamb and scorpion in other cities, but the taste was not good.
2. Shanshuijian
There are stores in Yangqiao Zhengyang Building on the South Third Ring Road and in the northeast corner of Longtan Lake Park. The taste is quite good, so I won’t go into details here.
The most popular Sheep and Scorpion chain in Beijing is Laocheng Yiguo, but I don’t really agree with it, probably because I didn’t leave a deep impression after eating it once. Maybe the store I happened to meet was not good enough so I can’t overgeneralize, but I still don’t recommend it.
(2) Braised pork and BBQ BBQ
Braised pork BBQ is a pure thing of old Beijing, a typical common people’s food. I have never seen anyone eating it outside of Beijing.
Stewed and roasted braised small intestines are also called stewed small intestines, which originated from the palace's "Su Zao Pork." It is said that during the Guangxu period, Su Zao Pork cooked with pork belly was expensive, so people used pork head meat and offal instead. Over time, braised cooking and fire cooking were created.
Cut the tofu over high heat with a tic-tac-toe knife, cut the tofu into triangles, chop the small intestine and lungs into small pieces, scoop a ladle of old soup from the pot into a bowl, and add some mashed garlic, chili oil, fermented bean curd, and chive flowers. What you need to pay attention to when braised and burned is to wash the water and wash the noodles when cooking. If you can't do these two items, they may have a strange smell, or they may be overcooked and inedible. The fire should be thorough but not sticky, and the meat should be rotten but not bad. The strongest flavor is the small intestine, which is soft and flavourful. Occasionally eating a piece of white meat will make your mouth full of fat. But people with light mouths will find the soup very salty.
Many restaurants sell braised braised pork, but the only famous one is small intestine chan.
The old Xiaochang Chen store is at the east entrance of Nanhengdong Street on Hufang Road and has been demolished. Each store is opened by his or her family after the company split, and it is not a chain. Most of them are small shops, and several small intestine rice restaurants opened by their daughters are larger in scale. They also offer braised casseroles, braised hot pots and various stir-fried dishes. Braised hot pot should be eaten in bowls, but the braised hot pot at Xiaochang Chen Fanzhuang is very impressive. All kinds of ingredients are placed in circles on the pot, like flowers, which is spectacular. Other side dishes are also cooked well
For example, coir raincoat cucumbers are sour, crisp and refreshing, burnt pork intestines, fried pork liver with soy sauce, etc. are all home-cooked dishes in Beijing. Mr. Hou Baolin and Mr. Guan Xuezeng, the master of Qinshu, were both regular customers of Xiaochang Chen during their lifetimes.
Boiled offal will end up being fatty and high in cholesterol, which is harmful to health and should be considered according to each individual's health.
(3) Halal diet
1. Burst belly
Be sure to add words (the same goes for bean juice), otherwise it will be completely wrong.
Blanching tripe is to blanch sheep tripe or beef tripe in boiling water. It only takes a few seconds. The time and heat are all important. Because the heat requirements of different parts of the belly are different, if the time is short, the food will be unable to be swallowed if it is long. It tastes crispy and tender just right, and when eaten with sesame sauce, it squeaks between the lips and teeth. This wonderful feeling cannot be experienced by others but can only be experienced by outsiders:)
Burned belly is something only in Beijing. The food cooked in Beijing Baoduer is run by the Hui people. The sheep tripe used must be slaughtered by the Hui people. It is also very clean and has no smell, so it has a good reputation and has been favored by many famous actors in the opera world in the past.
Nowadays, many restaurants under the banner of old Beijing style also offer fried belly, but these varieties are not distinguished on the menu, and they are all lumped together as "buried belly". When you order this dish, what you get is a plate of black louvers. The food at the specialized Baoduer restaurant is much more particular. According to different parts, it can be divided into belly kernels, belly collars, belly plates, shixin, loose pills, mushroom heads, etc., belly kernels The food is the best, the powder is refreshing, and at the end there is a sesame pancake with beef in sauce, what more could I ask for. Eating these things is good for your stomach, and it’s perfect for drinking alone.
There are many names for Baoduer in Beijing. I prefer "Baodu Feng" Caishikou store, which is southwest of the Caishikou intersection in Xuanwu District.
Jiumen Snacks in Houhai, which is often mentioned on the Internet, also has Paodu Feng, but my friends and I will not go there. Jiumen Snacks are useless.
Xi Deshun Baodu King is another famous restaurant. The restaurant said that Master Mei Lanfang was a regular customer here. I have only eaten once, but I didn't find it particularly amazing. This meal was also related to the time, place, and atmosphere at that time. The location is quite good, No. 29 Hepingli Middle Street, Chaoyang District, 300 meters west of the north gate of Ditan Park.
2. Turpan Restaurant
It is called Turpan, but it actually offers both Xinjiang cuisine and Beijing halal cuisine. Those who love mutton kebabs must not miss it. Their meat skewers are really good, full of fat and oily, and your mouth is full of oil. Special dishes such as grilled pork strips, fried noodles, and pulled strips are also full of flavor, making it a friendly place to hang out with friends. At the intersection of Niujie Street in Xuanwu District, diagonally opposite Jubaoyuan.
(4) Zhajiang Noodles
Zhajiang Noodles are the most popular dish among Beijingers. In the minds of Beijingers, Zhajiang Noodles are much higher than those mentioned above. I put them last because I Maybe I am ignorant that I haven’t tasted a great noodle restaurant. In fact, many of my friends also think that the best noodles are made at home.
Haiwanju and Beipinglou are both relatively famous, and you can eat there, but it’s specific.
5. Beijing Snacks
1. Douzhi and others
Some people say: Douzhi is a very subjective food. It makes perfect sense. If you can’t drink bean juice, you’re not considered a Beijinger. I originally thought that drinking bean juice was for the older generation. The world in front of us is declining, and children are all made up with red hair and blue eyes. They can play the protagonist of Journey to the West. Who would accept this? In the past, I couldn't taste it. I didn’t know why I started drinking it, and found out that many of my friends were drinking it. It can be seen that culture cannot be broken down from generation to generation, and who you are is determined in your bones.
Wang Luobin was very fond of bean juice. One time, the students invited him to drink bean juice. He drank four bowls of it, plus two sesame sesame cakes, three burnt rings, and a bowl of meatballs. The students were dumbfounded. He said that the teacher still has a "proletarian belly".
Bean juice is the leftover material for making mung bean flour or vermicelli. The mung bean milk water has been fermented. The starch that sinks to the bottom of the tank is the starch, and the thing floating on the upper layer is the bean juice. The fermented bean juice needs to be boiled with water. Then keep it warm over low heat, and it has to be piping hot with some small bubbles. The taste is as thick as soy milk, and the smell is rancid, like bad mung bean soup. When you drink it for the first time, you will inevitably wonder: Will you get sick if you drink it? But in Beijing People will advise you: "Pinch your nose and take a few sips, and the feeling will be different."
She can detoxify and stimulate the appetite. She drinks a bowl of bean juice before catching a cold, so she doesn't need to take any medicine. Bean juice should be eaten with spicy pickles and jiao rings.
It’s a bit unkind to force tourists to drink bean juice. After all, we can’t drink it as soon as we drink it, and we struggled repeatedly. But friends who can try Douzhier must be experienced travelers. Mr. Jin Yong was giving a lecture at Peking University. The professors invited him to a restaurant called "Yi Ku Si Tian Za Yuan" to dine. During the meal, they were served bean juice. Mr. Cha followed the authentic method, stirred it with chopsticks, and took one mouthful after another. Sip until the bowl is dry. I am in awe after reading the article, this is my big heart!
Huguosi Snack Bar
No. 93, Huguosi Street, Xicheng District. It is very close to Mei Lanfang's former residence, and you can go east along Dingfu Street to the former site of Fu Jen Catholic University and Prince Gong's Mansion Garden.
Huatian Diwai Snack Bar
No. 180, Di'anmenwai Street, Xicheng District. It is located at the northeast corner of Di'anmen intersection. Nearby attractions: Jingshan, Beihai Back Gate, Shichahai, Bell and Drum Towers.
Both of these places are not far from Houhai. In addition to douzhier, there are also many Beijing snacks, such as sesame tofu, donkey rolling, ginger sauce braised fork, fried enema, fried crunch box... To be fair, Beijing The snacks are by no means particularly delicious, let alone universally loved, but they have their own characteristics. I hope that travelers can still experience it with an integration mentality, and there is no need to complain that they have been deceived if it is not to your liking.
Like Tongheju and Shaguoju, these two families belong to Judehua Tianmen.
Nan Laishun Restaurant
No. 12, Nancaiyuan Street, Xuanwu District (south side of the west gate of Grand View Garden), has a restaurant on one side and a snack shop on the other. I think Lam Lai Shun is good for snacks, with a wide range of varieties, and the tofu curd and beef buns are also quite delicious.
Old Ciqikou Bean Juice Shop
Opposite the north gate of Temple of Heaven Park in Chongwen District, this small shop is run-down, but it has regular customers.
Beijingers love to have breakfast here.
The above does not include all the snack bars in Beijing, but they are just the more famous ones. Although Beijing's state-owned and time-honored snack bars still need improvement in terms of operation and service, and the taste varies, at least they are still very authentic in terms of cooking methods and the prices are very cheap. Most snacks are complicated to make and the profit is not high, which is why many restaurants and private stalls do not make them. As for Wangfujing Snack Street and others, there are many street stalls selling fried noodles, jelly, fried rice, fried skewers and other street stalls. They only care about making money and do not pay attention to social benefits. The snacks they sell are not authentic, and there are few varieties, low quality and high prices. They are purely in the market. Misleading tourists.
Let’s talk about another branch topic, pea yellow and kidney bean rolls
This is my favorite snack, warm and delicate. Most of the above-mentioned snack bars also make it, but I especially like the ones made by Beihai Fangshan and Summer Palace Tingliguan, because they are originally palace snacks, and it seems that the exquisite and elegant palace cuisine has more charm when they are made. However, the consumption of these two companies is quite high, so I don’t recommend them. Others include Yuanmeng Shaobing, Chestnut Noodle Steamed Buns, etc., which are all very interesting. Friends who are interested in palace cuisine can go and try it.
I would suggest that before eating palace dishes, you can go to Youku and check out the MV of "Memory of the Forbidden City" by S.E.N.S. It is magnificent and will greatly enhance your impression of the Forbidden City; or bring a copy of Mr. Gao Yang The "Emperor of the Qing Dynasty" can make you think about the past and the present, and the emotions and scenery blend together.
2. Fried liver
The fried liver made well in Beijing is missing. Yao Ji's Fried Liver Restaurant, which is popular on the Internet, can only be said to be unsatisfactory and better than nothing. Good fried liver should be flavored with mushroom soup. It is especially fragrant when you are hungry. The timing of adding garlic must be correct, otherwise it will taste like dead garlic. Who knows if anyone still pays attention to it... The standard for eating fried liver is: Served with meat buns, it is the same as braised pork buns, so it is not convenient to eat more.
No. 331, Gulou East Street, Dongcheng District (southeast corner of Gulou Bay)
3. Palace cheese
It is not the same thing as cheese from foreigners. I prefer Sanyuan Plum Garden. Although it has many branches now, there are some good and bad ones, but overall the taste is passable. The original cheese and bean paste milk rolls are the best. I also like the fried red fruits, but the others are average. It is very pleasant to taste cheese in the hot summer, cool down the heat and satisfy your cravings, and soak your teeth in ice.
There is also a kind of duck egg green pot-bellied clay pot yogurt sold on the streets of Beijing. The name may be called honey yogurt or poria yogurt. It is high quality, cheap and delicious.
Netizens often talk about the Wenyu cheese shop in Nanluogu Alley. Wenyu cheese is not cheap and comes in many varieties. Lafayette has never tasted mango-flavored cheese. I thought there was no second place in Luogu Alley. If it were thrown on the street, it wouldn't be so popular.
4. Xinyuanzhai’s sour plum soup
Sour plum soup is not good, it must be from Xinyuanzhai... Actually it’s not so absolute. I was also poisoned by Mr. Liang Shiqiu: Mr. Liang once brought The children came to Xinyuanzhai to drink sour plum soup, and they were allowed to drink as many bowls as they wanted, but they drank seven bowls before stopping. He himself praised the strong and mellow taste, and hoped that "sour plum soup will one day be sold all over the world, and Coca-Cola will not be allowed to be rampant everywhere." "Sour plum soup is packaged in modern bottles and cans and is sold in supermarkets in Beijing. The road is more convenient, but it feels far away. The taste is definitely different from when Liang Shiqiu stood in front of the store and drank bowl after bowl. But in the end it is better than nothing. Raising a glass to the moon, we can remember the legacy of our ancestors.
Some restaurants also offer Xinyuanzhai’s sour plum soup, especially the big-bellied glass bottle, which looks interesting.
6. Going home: Don’t buy preserved fruit, don’t bring roast duck
Now that the world is harmonious, there is nothing that Beijing must take away. No one eats at the fruit shop, the bagged snacks taste too bad, and the bagged roast duck is inedible. Maybe the people who brought them were in a dilemma. It seemed unreasonable not to bring roast duck. I'm afraid the recipients were full of hope and thought it would be unreasonable to not bring roast duck back from Beijing.
I recommend giving it a try.
1. The pickled pork elbows from Tianfu Restaurant are the most recommended
On the day of the beginning of spring in Beijing, when eating spring pancakes, all the sauced pork elbows from Tianfu Restaurant in the city are sold out as soon as they open.
The unique skills of Tianfuhao are the ingredients and the soup. You start to cook the soup an hour after the elbow is put into the pot, which requires you to be able to control the heat at any time. In addition, the sauce is removed from the pot. Although it is called sauce elbow, there is no sauce or soy sauce at all. The color on the elbow is sugar color.
When taking it out of the pot, the skin should stick to the meat, not broken or scattered when pulled, fat but not greasy, thin but not dry, the skin should not return to its original state, and it should be crisp and tender in the mouth.
The name of Tianfuhao is also interesting. In the third year of Qianlong's reign (i.e. 1738 AD), Liu Fengxiang, a native of Ye County, Shandong, brought his grandson to Beijing to make a living, and formed a partnership with a Shanxi merchant. A sauced meat shop opened at the east corner of Xidan Archway, selling sauced pork elbows, sauced pork and sauced belly. But the store was small and nameless, so it was always in recession. Soon, the Shanxi people withdrew their shares and the Liu family ran it alone. One day, Liu Fengxiang went to the market to purchase goods and saw an old plaque on the secondhand stall, which read "Tianfu Hao" in three regular scripts, with vigorous and powerful writing. Liu Fengxiang believes that this word has real foundation and contains the meaning of "God's blessing", so it can be used as a brand name to attract business. So he bought the plaque, decorated it a little when he went home, and hung it on the lintel of his shop. It was indeed very grand and made the shop shine. From then on, some literati often stopped in front of the store to comment on the calligraphy of the three characters "Tianfuhao", and the number of customers gradually increased. After the store was named after this, the business became increasingly prosperous. God's blessings come.
Tianfuhao store: No. 213, Xizhimennei Street, Xicheng District (Beicaochangkou). Many supermarkets in Beijing also have counters, and the current prices are not cheap.
2. Yueshengzhai Beef and Mutton with Sauce
Yueshengzhai is also a time-honored brand that sells beef and mutton with halal sauce. It was founded in the 40th year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1755). When I was a kid, I ate his beef and mutton with soy sauce. I remember it was full of aroma and left a deep impression on me. However, I have never tried the current vacuum packaging, and I have seen mixed opinions on the quality of it. Only if you try it yourself.
Their family also has a very interesting story: It is said that the Empress Dowager Cixi went to the Summer Palace every summer to escape the summer heat and listen to politics. She must have a night meal every night, and the food she ate must include Yueshengzhai sauce meat and sesame cakes. And porridge, baked sesame cakes with Yueshengzhai's freshly cooked roasted lamb
The meat emits an appetizing aroma in the mouth, and the more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes, leaving you with an endless aftertaste. Therefore, the shopkeeper of Yueshengzhai has to take turns guarding the longevity dining room. Later, Cixi withdrew the curtain and returned to power, retreating to the Summer Palace, while Yueshengzhai sent someone to be on duty. One winter day, the shopkeeper of Yueshengzhai smoked in the back mountain and caused a mountain fire. He was punished by execution. Unexpectedly, the Queen Mother said: "If you kill him, what will I eat?!" Everything was fine. It seems that to be a good person, you have to let others miss you! There is now a store on Qianmen Pedestrian Street.
3. Pickles from Liubiju and Tianyuan Sauce Garden
The words "Liubiju" are said to be handwritten by Yan Song. These words are indeed not easy to write and they are indeed written well. During the Cultural Revolution, the old plaque was destroyed as the "Four Olds" and the store name was changed to "Hongqi Pickle Factory". In 1972, Tanaka Kakuei visited China. Tanaka asked Premier Zhou: "I heard that you have a 'Six Biju'?" Reopening the store!
Liubiju’s pickled melons, sweet soy snails, eight-treasure vegetables, peanut kernels... are delicious, rich in sauce flavor, crisp and tender.
Tianyuan Pickles is originally from another company. The recipe of pickles was developed by famous chefs from the Qing court. It is made with fine workmanship, sophisticated ingredients, and moderate sweetness and saltiness. It is very popular with southerners and foreign guests, so it is also known as "Southern cuisine". Tianyuan is now under the banner of Liubiju.
Friends who like to eat pickles can buy it. I think it is also great to give to relatives and friends. Of course, you have to know what the goods are, otherwise you will be scolded secretly: "Huh, pickles can also be given away - stingy!", then the gain will outweigh the loss.
4. Tong Ren Tang
There is Tong Ren Tang in the north and Hu Qing Yu Tang in the south. Tongrentang's food cannot be counted as food: Tongrentang was founded in the eighth year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1669). It began to offer imperial medicine in 1723 and lasted for 188 years through eight generations of emperors. The popular "Mansion Gate" is the shadow of Tongrentang. The filming is indeed beautiful. It is said that audiences in Guangdong and Hong Kong abandoned the Cantonese dubbing and switched to CCTV to watch the subtitles. Listening to the smooth Beijing accent is the same as watching the original English version.
I especially appreciate the ancient saying of Tongrentang - "No matter how complicated the preparation is, you will not dare to save labor, and no matter how expensive the taste is, you will not dare to reduce material resources"! There is also an excellent couplet: "No one can see the cultivation, but the intention is God knows.” Our time-honored brands are better at doing business! Who said Chinese people can’t do business? There are too many reasons that make us give up too much!
Tongrentang has many famous medicines, especially Angong Niuhuang ( Life-saving), Wuji Baifeng Pills (gynecology), and Liuwei Dihuang Pills (kidney-tonifying) are famous. You can buy it at the authentic Tong Ren Tang drug store. Bringing some medicine is better than those messy things.