Eating in Beijing

Beijing, China’s big and storied capital, is famous for its unique, hearty style of cooking. With so many eateries around town, an entire trip to Beijing could be spent simply finding and trying new restaurants and food. Also, since Beijing is a major city, or the major city, in China, there are many places to enjoy food from China’s other regions or from places around the globe. International fare does include, *sigh*, McDonald’s. in fact, the Golden Arches are so popular that customers have to take a number and wait for quite a long time to order during the dinner rush.

Perhaps the most famous dish in Beijing, is Beijing Duck. Some cooks spend their whole careers working on a perfecting their roasting methods. While the roasted duck is served at many restaurants, some out of the way places, especially in Beijing's Old Quarter, serve nothing else. At some of these smaller locations you might even be able to catch a peek at the ducks being roasted or hung out to cool. The succulent meat is always worth the price.

Hot pots are especially popular in Beijing. These dishes are cook-it-yourself style. The meat and other ingredients are placed on the table alongside a small gas cooker with a pot of broth simmering on top of it. Diners simply throw what they want into the pot. Mutton hot pot is a unique to northern China, and has a heartier, less spicy flavor than the hot pots served in southern China. However, you can find a hot pot with virtually any combination of ingredients, including various vegetarian options. Eating a hot pot is often an occasion for socializing and drinking as well as dining. Qingdao Beer and Yanjing Beer are two local favorites. IN a fancy restaurant, these beverages are about five times more expensive than they are if purchased from a street side beer stall.

Aside from Duck, other types of roast meat and slow cooked sausages can be found throughout beijing. A favorite around University campuses are the noodle carts, serving a variety of hot and cold noodle dishes. These places are usually clean and cheap and offer a variety of toppings.

Beijing also has lots of bakery items. Fried breads from street-side vendors is cheap and tasty, especially when it is served hot from the frier. There are also numerous dumplings and sweet cakes. Again, the old quarter is a great place to find these types of snacks.

Food is not the only reason to visit Beijing, but the pride most Beijing residents take in their style of cooking makes their food one of the most memorable parts of a visit.