Mung Bean Flour Cake, also known as Glutinous Rice Rolls (Lǘdǎgǔn), is one of the ancient varieties among Beijing snacks. Its ingredients include yellow millet flour steamed with water, and the dough is made slightly softer by adding a bit more water. Separately, roasted soybeans are ground into powder. During preparation, the steamed yellow millet dough is coated with soybean powder, rolled into a skin, then spread with red bean paste (brown sugar can also be used), rolled up,
Honey Twist is a popular and well-known snack in Beijing, also called Sugar Ears because of its ear-like shape after being formed. An old poem goes: “Can ears really be turned into food? Often with my partner I’d have honey twist, asking loudly whose is best, and someone would point ahead to a certain spot.” It also notes: “Sugar Ears, or honey twist, are foods made by the Muslim community. Their ingredients are nothing more than granulated sugar, flour, and small sugar, the latter being what is commonly called maltose.”
A distinctive Beijing snack. Fried Dough Bits are deep yellow in color, complemented by green highlights, with a soft yet chewy texture and a rich, savory taste. In the early years of the Republic of China, there was a noodle shop called Guangfu Guan near Hufang Bridge in Xuanwu District, Beijing. To meet customer preferences, the shop chopped the dough into bits, boiled them, mixed them with shrimp paste, and then stir-fried them—thus giving rise to the earliest form of Fried Dough Bits. Later improvements to the ingredients helped the dish gain widespread fame.
Aiwowo is a type of halal snack that has been passed down in Beijing to this day. Its most prominent characteristics can be summarized as: “snow-white in color, spherical in shape, soft and sticky in texture, and sweet and fragrant in taste.” (Quoted from *A Guide to Beijing’s Traditional Culture*) Speaking of this halal snack “Aiwowo” in the capital, originally, it was just an ordinary halal snack.
Tripe is a famous Beijing-style snack, mostly operated by Hui ethnic vendors. Records of tripe can be traced back to the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. In the past and even now, during late autumn and early winter, tripe is served in Beijing’s halal restaurants and street stalls. Notable spots include “Tripe Shi” at Tianqiao, “Tripe Yang” in Menkuai Hutong, as well as “Tripe Feng” and “Tripe Man.”
Buckwheat cake is a summer snack in Beijing, made from buckwheat flour and usually sold alongside cold mung bean jelly. When eating, it is cut into small pieces, then shaved into long, thin slices that are thin at both ends and thick in the middle. These are placed in a bowl and topped with a sauce made of sesame paste, soy sauce, and good vinegar, along with shredded red salted carrots. It can be served with mustard, chili, or minced garlic...
Stinky tofu is a fermented tofu product that is popular across China and in many other parts of the world, but its preparation methods and ways of eating vary greatly from place to place. There are two main types: dried stinky tofu and stinky tofu paste, both of which are very popular snacks. Stinky tofu paste was once served as a side dish in the imperial court and was favored by Empress Dowager Cixi...
Spirals are a type of noodle-based snack in Beijing cuisine, and a variation of Spirals is known as "Dry Crisp." In the old days, at large wine jar shops, drinkers would often order a bowl of wine and buy two Dry Crisps from a bun shop to take along — they could serve as both a drink accompaniment and a staple to stave off hunger. As a result, Beijingers have a saying: “Dry Crisp with wine — …”
Zhajiangmian is a distinctive dish from Beijing, also known as zajiangmian, made with vegetable garnishes, meat sauce, and noodles. Ingredients such as cucumber, Chinese toon, bean sprouts, green peas, and yellow soybeans are chopped or boiled to make the garnishes. The meat sauce is then prepared by stir-frying diced meat along with scallions, ginger, and other aromatics in oil, followed by adding yellow soybean paste or sweet bean paste made from soybeans and stir-frying until it becomes the zhajiang (meat sauce).
Grilled blood sausage is a beloved snack among locals in Beijing and also a popular street food. It dates back to the Ming Dynasty. In the book *Poetic Descriptions of Foods from the Old Capital*, it describes fried grilled blood sausage: “Pork intestines fried in no time, seasoned with spicy garlic, salt — all flavors fine. Though spoiled oil gives off a pungent smell, munching at the butcher’s still draws a meal.” Vendors used to sell this on the streets of old Beijing...
Originally named Sachima, it is a type of food from the Manchu ethnic group and was one of the sacrificial offerings used in the rituals at the three imperial tombs outside the Shanhai Pass during the Qing Dynasty. Its original meaning was "dog's milk dipped in sugar." The noodles are deep-fried, then mixed with sugar and formed into small pieces. Sachima is one of Beijing’s famous traditional seasonal pastries. In the past, it was also written as “Shāqímǎ,” “Sàilǐmǎ,” and other variations in Beijing. Sachima...
Wisteria Cake is one of Beijing’s famous traditional seasonal pastries. It features a flaky, multi-layered crust that is sweet, pleasant, soft, and tender, with a rich fragrance of fresh wisteria blossoms. In the past, during springtime, Beijingers loved to make seasonal foods using flowers in the dough, and Wisteria Cake was one of them. Wisteria blooms in April, giving off a sweet and elegant fragrance...
Dough figurines, also known as dough modeling, are a type of folk handicraft that is simple to make but highly artistic. They are created primarily using flour and glutinous rice flour as the main ingredients, along with colorings, paraffin, honey, and other components. After undergoing anti-cracking and anti-mold treatments, these materials are made into soft, colorful dough. At 21 mesh, dough artists then manipulate the dough in their hands through various processes of kneading, rolling, rubbing, and lifting. Using small bamboo knives, they skillfully poke, cut, carve, and etch to shape the body, hands, and head. They then add hair ornaments and clothing, and in just a moment, a variety of artistic figures are brought to life—graceful women with flowing dresses, innocent children, as well as characters from myths, operas, and historical figures.
In October of the lunar calendar in 1894, Emperor Guangxu held a grand 60th birthday celebration for Empress Dowager Cixi at the Summer Palace. As Cixi was on her way to the grand theater to watch a performance, she suddenly noticed a vine of grapes laden with fruit, crystal clear and glistening. It was already October in the lunar calendar, and Beijing had entered winter. Seeing such fresh and lustrous grapes delighted her eyes and made her mouth water. She ordered them to be picked and eaten. The eunuch hurriedly replied, "Those are fake." Cixi was astonished and asked who had made them. Upon investigation, she learned that they were created by Han Qihabo and his wife. Overjoyed, Cixi bestowed upon Han’s wife the title of “Changzai” (a court lady rank) and awarded a plaque inscribed with “Tianyi Chang” (Heavenly Elegance Constant). Out of gratitude, Han Qihabo changed his name to Changzai, and his family adopted the surname “Chang.” “Grape Constant” quickly became famous all over the capital.
An iconic snack from Old Beijing, the "horseshoe sesame cake," was originally brought to Beijing from Jinan, Shandong, and has a history of over two hundred years. However, it has almost disappeared today because it is baked in a hanging oven that requires molds. I remember when I was a child, my uncle took me to buy these cakes. We saw the sweat-drenched masters
Screw Twists are a type of noodle dish. Their outer layer consists of extremely fine strands of dough that become crisp at the slightest touch. The making process starts with proofing the dough. Once it has risen, it is kneaded down to a smaller size. After it rises again, it’s ready to be shaped. Roll the proofed dough into a long sheet, then spread sesame paste on it; (I also forgot one small detail: toast the Sichuan peppercorns, grind them into powder, mix in salt to make Sichuan pepper salt.) Sprinkle the Sichuan pepper salt over the dough, then fold the long sheet in half lengthwise. (At this point, the sheet becomes half its original size.) Cut it into half-inch-wide strips. Hold both ends of a strip, turn one hand while pulling with the other until the whole strand is twisted. Then press the twisted dough lightly to make it thinner. Cook it on a griddle until golden brown on both sides.
Pekingese dog — also known as the Imperial Lion Dog or Peking Palast Dog, the Pekingese is an ancient Chinese dog breed with a history of four thousand years. It is a well-balanced, compactly built dog with a heavier front and lighter hindquarters. It has a distinctive personality and a strong desire to perform, resembling a lion in appearance. It embodies courage, boldness, and self-esteem more than beauty.
“Beijing Eight Treasures” refers to eight varieties of traditional Beijing-style pastries with different shapes and flavors, developed based on the imperial pastry “Great Eight Treasures.” The traditional “Great Eight Treasures” are representative of Beijing-style pastries and are famous desserts that originated from the Qing Dynasty imperial court. The “Small Eight Treasures” are smaller in size and lighter in weight compared to the “Great Eight Treasures,” and there is also the “Liquor-Skin” version.
Milk cheese was a common daily snack and sweet treat among the Manchus. In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican era, there were only about ten milk cheese shops in and around old Beijing. In the early days, Xiang Lei Xuan inside Xihua Gate, Er He Yi near Gan Shi Bridge, and Er He Xuan on West Chang’an Avenue were the most renowned. Later, as Dashilan in Qianmen became increasingly bustling, a milk cheese shop also opened in Menkuai Hutong.
A specialty Maojian tea from Jingle County, Xinzhou. Grown in the deep mountains of Jingle and processed through special de-greening and steaming techniques after being nourished by severe frost and winter snow, this tea features a bright reddish-yellow hue, a smooth and sweet taste, and offers benefits such as aiding digestion and refreshing the mind. …