25 Things to Eat (And Not Eat) in Beijing, China
A food blog, but also a love letter to my travel companions who are in most of these pictures! Beijing has some WILD food: if you're an American who has only had access to Chinese takeout, most of the tastes will be pretty foreign. (I've heard most of the food we somewhat recognize originates in South China?) Regardless, be prepared for a crazy ride when you take a stab at Northern Chinese street food! Here's 25 things we loved, learned to love or hated but are proud to say we tried.
1. Dumplings, or Jiaozi (pronounced jow-zuh)
Okay, maybe this one is more familiar! Usually pork-filled, these little packages of joy come in all flavors and prices. These were streetfood, the equivalent of $1. They are served with black vinegar rather than soy sauce usually, which can be a surprise!
2. Hot Pot
Some of my friends hated it, but I LOVE HOT POT. It's really fun as well! Boiling water is brought out in these cone-shaped containers, and you cook the ingredients you chose yourself: lamb, cabbage, mushrooms... delicious. A little more expensive, but since you're splitting the ingredients, it's not more than $5-10.
3. Peking Duck
Peking Duck is the go-to traditional dish in Beijing, and it actually is that great! It's quite a process, since you order a duck for your group which comes prepared in several ways: cut into specific slices, ground up to be eaten in rolls, made into a soup and of course, the head and neck just sitting there looking at you. Most expensive: at least $10 a person.
4. TOMATOES AND EGGS
I repeat, TOMATOES AND EGGS! Easily my favorite dish in Beijing! It's a little more difficult to find since it's more of a "home" food than something you would eat out (I first had it during school lunch at the kindergarten where I was teaching), but some cafeteria style places have it. TRY IT. I still make it at home in the states and here in Malaysia: just eggs cooked in oil, diced tomatoes and sugar/honey, but I swear it tasted better somehow in China!
5. Scorpions, Starfish, assorted bugs...
We found this particular delight on Wangfujing Street (it has a stop on the subway), a hub of crazy street food and cheap souvenirs! You could spend hours wandering through bartering and gawking at the crazy foods, but this particular treat greets you right when you enter. My friend was not happy with his choice to try a (still wiggling) scorpion.
6. SUSHI TRAIN
Ok so I still have misgivings about eating fish that has been sitting out for an indeterminate amount of time, but it's just so cute! You can grab little plates as they go by :) Watch the color of the plates though: it can start to add up if you have expensive taste!
7. Kung Bao Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork
That's not a typo: In China it's Kung Bao! Not sure how we got "Pao" but it was as close to Sesame chicken we could find (sesame sauce on chicken gizzards 100% did not count). Sweet and Sour pork is also pretty close to it's Americanized equivalent if you're looking for more familiar food.
8. Korean BBQ
I am not a fan of Korean food (not sure why, I just don't like it every time I've tried) but it's certainly worth a try! That's spicy pork ribs that you wrap in cheese?
9. Pizza Hut
Yes, that Pizza Hut. It is an experience in China! More like a fine dining place, the pizza also has insane topping options like seafood, seaweed or corn.
10. Seaweed Snacks
Speaking of seaweed, my kids loved these little packets! My initial reaction wasn't too positive, but if you can get past the sticky texture the salty taste isn't too bad.
11. Chicken and Rice
I have no idea what this is actually called, but I ate it at least once a week at a restaurant by my apartment: teriyaki-like chicken with lettuce, rice and mayo-like sauce on top! If you see this beautiful concoction, give it a try for less than 5 yuan.
12. Dragonfruit
My reaction when I was told this is not how you eat it. Insanely colorful and wild looking, this fruit is surprisingly bland for its name! Refreshing though, and available at all the fruit stands.
13. MATCHA ICE CREAM
McDonald's saving my life in China! This soft serve ice cream is only 2 yuan and is so great! Less sweet than vanilla (and you know, green) the green tea taste is addicting and so much more expensive in the states.
14. Desserts of all kinds
Even living in Kelantan now (sweet capital of the world), I still think Beijingers had quite a sweet tooth! We snagged this churro-ice cream combination in one of the hutongs (narrow streets full of shops), much like how we grabbed desserts pretty much everywhere we went at any point in our 3 months.
15. BREAKFAST BURRITOS
That is 100% not what it is actually called but these DELICIOUS fried-bread wrapped fried chicken burrito-like meals were just across from my apartment and in my belly almost on a daily basis. Featuring fried potato slices, lotus and something I think may have been seaweed, these delicious pockets of awesome were 4 yuan (less than 1 dollar). While lots of street food didn't work out well for us, I would still recommend trying the less daunting dishes that look thoroughly cooked--it's cheaper, you can see what you're getting and sometimes the food is much better or more creative, like these!
16. Drinkable Yogurt
Again, my little ones were huge fans so I had to try. Yogurt is a completely different beast in China! Sweeter with more of a greek-yogurt taste, it is thin enough to drink through the cute straw that comes with it. Great for on the go breakfasts, snacks, hooked up as an IV...
17. Have It Your Way Noodles
Also not what this is called (you think I would have learned more Mandarin bumbling through China for months?! I learned the basics and had some great little conversations, but people are SO welcoming and accomodating to tourists, so my pointing and earnest "bu ya lah" (I don't want the spicy) got us pretty far. China really is an amazing country and everyone should go!! It's worth pushing past the culture shock to see what an amazing culture and country it is.) But anyway, noodles.. These stands are pretty much everywhere: like Subway, but with noodles. You chose all the ingredients as you go along the line, and they boil it all together with spices (bu ya lah). I got myself into trouble several times wanting to try everything and ending up with a big bill and a lot of different shaped fish balls but it's a great way to try ingredients on a small scale!
18. Dim Sum
'gimme summmm. Cantonese food is also available in Beijing if you're on the hunt for these steamed assorted delicious balls, dumplings, buns... try a few different kinds!
19. Lychee Fruits
These bad boys are in SE Asia as well, so I am still actively gorging myself on the sweetest fruit known to mankind. You peel off the spiky exterior of the small fruits (they come in a branch at the supermarket or fruit stand, like grapes) to get to an almost sickly sweet, chewy flesh!
20. Brunch
Brunch, and the adorable cafes it comes in, are more pricey, but sometimes you just gotta #TreatYourself. Again with the Chinese sweet tooth! These cafes are also very western, if you need to escape into familiarity for a bit. Subway is also a great place to do that.
21. BUBBLE TEA
Kung Bao chicken again but let's just talk about milk tea for a minute (and our eternal love). Bubble Tea, Taiwanese cold milk tea with tapioca pearls, is available in the states, but here they take it to a whole new level with insane combinations. My favorites were this classic Pearl Tea and Mango Juice with Coconut Jellies--but hey, try them all while you're here for about 2USD!
22. Shiitake Mushrooms and Bok Choy
This is not the most appetizing picture, but these are the gods of all vegetables! Cooked in oyster sauce (more delicious and less fishy than it sounds) these two were the majority of my vitamins in the world of rice.
23. Baozi or Bao
I never loved these steamed buns filled with pork, red beans or vegetables, but I know lots of people certainly love them! They're available pretty much everywhere and you can take them on the go--even in the subway. (You must ride the subway while you're in Beijing! It's insane being so close to so many other human beings, and being a small part of a massive pushing crowd flowing between trains!)
24. Ice Monster
Located in Sanlitun, the ex-pat/foreigner district (the area has it's own subway stop, and is full of clubs, bars, Mexican food, even American/ ribs, burgers...other Mei Guo Ren and English teachers) this restaurant was featured in CNN's 25 best desserts in the world. Pretty much a magnificent pile of shaved mango ice: we actually couldn't finish it all!
25. Candied Little Apples
A.k.a. the one thing we were brave enough to eat on Wanfujing street. Sour apples covered in candy; it's amazing! While you're in Beijing you'll have to listen to the song Xiao Ping Guo ("little apple") by the Chopstick Brothers as well--it was a huge hit in China last year. Also check out K-Pop while you eat everything in sight!
Again, I love my cheap Americanized Chinese takeout, but Beijing really did serve up some amazing dishes that I just can't replicate at home. Try all these for me when you're travelling through Beijing!