Snacking, Old Beijing Style
When visiting Beijing, the great variety of snacks is something you just cant miss. While satisfying your hunger, the food really allows you to get a taste of local culture.
Yet, as the famous Wangfujing Snack Street offers everything from fried scorpions to cicadas, many find the food pretty strange, even most Beijingers.
So, where is a better place to go for real Beijing Snacks?[I:http://phila-airport-parking.com/blog/wp-content/uploads//2009/07/DavidCheng37.jpg]
Deep in a small alleyway next to the renowned Houhai lake, just a short cab ride from the Hwa Apartment Hotel, a dozen of Beijings oldest and most famous brand name snack stalls gather in this big courtyard restaurant called Jiu Men Xiao Chi. Some of these stalls date back a hundred and fifty years.
Food offered here is the most authentic, delicious Chinese snack food, so you just cant leave Beijing without having a small try. Even local residents come from all over the city to have a meal here.
So hurry up and join the queue of hungry eaters! But first, you need a quick cultural note to make yourself look like a real Beijigner.
The name of the restaurant, Jiu Men Xiao Chi refers to the nine gates that used to stand around the inner city wall, which is symbolic of Beijing.
These time-old snack restaurants moved from the famous Qianmen Street a few years ago when the area underwent a major renovation project. The city gathered them under one roof in an effort to preserve Beijings heritage. The good news is, as they expected, business has been booming since the relocation.
The big restaurant captures the old Beijing atmosphere and is a pleasant place to eat. Inside, old-style food stalls line up a street-style walkway. Nice black and white photos of old Beijing decorate the walls. And diners can sit in beautiful and, ancient-style chairs for their meals.
To find your favorite snacks, take a look all the stalls here, as there seems to be something unique in each one of them.
Wan Dou Huang offered at Qians is something that every sweet tooth seems to like. This soybean cake dish tastes as smooth as silk and used to be served in the imperial palace. Another dish of glutinous rice rolls has the interesting name of Lv Da Gun, or Rolling Donkey. You will have to try it yourself to find out why it has such a weird name.
For some tasty soup, Bais serves a type of juice that is said to have been one of Emperor Qianlongs favorites for breakfast.[I:http://phila-airport-parking.com/blog/wp-content/uploads//2009/07/DavidCheng38.jpg]
Mas Sheep-Head Mutton, a Chinese National Intangible Cultural Heritage dish, is worth everyones try. It is cooked with a secret recipe that is said to require dozens of spices. More interesting, it is served in cattle horns.
Weis serves cheese that is known for its subtle wine fragrance.
The list goes on
Also, if you come by in the afternoon, you will have a chance to see some special Beijing acts that are harder and harder to find in todays Beijing. One popular act is the Old Beijing Calling. The distinctive calling, which sales people used to use to attract customers, has become a symbol of Beijing.