What’s Eaten Where: Beijing

For tourists, Beijing (the city’s 16^th name in its 3,000-year history) is a dazzling place, a city that’s all spectacle: there’s the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Ming Tombs… Even the less well-known sites are unique – did you know Beijing boasts a Museum of Tap Water?!

A melting pot of foods and fare, Beijing offers everything from Mongolian to Manchu to McDonalds. And while the Michelin Guide to Beijing rates more than 100 different eateries, it’s the street food that makes for the most unique experience in the Chinese capital: here, you can find scorpions on a stick, silkworms, seahorse, snake, wasp larvae, pig brains and lamb spine!

The most prevalent cuisine is Mandarin and it generally relies on well-selected ingredients and delicate cooking. And the most famous dish is, of course, Beijing Duck – a traditional meal that’s been around since the Imperial era. Characterised by its abundance of thin, crispy skin, the oven-roasted duck is usually sliced in front of diners, and then enjoyed with a side of spring onion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce rolled in thin pancakes.

Jiaozi, or dumplings, are another feature on many a Beijing menu. Originally, the dumplings were said to be medicine rather than food – the story being that a famous Chinese doctor rolled stewed lamb, black pepper and healing herbs into thin dough and used the whole to treat frostbitten ears! Today, however, jiaozi are particularly popular in Beijing, where many a family restaurant is dedicated solely to steamed, boiled, or fried jiaozi, filled with meat or veggies and served with a warming black vinegar and sesame oil dip.

Noodles are also huge part of local cuisine, with zhajiangmian a popular choice. These thick, handmade wheat noodles are noted for their singular sauce: a concoction made from simmered stir-fried meat, ground pork or beef, and fermented yellow soybean paste. In Beijing, white scallions are often added to the mix, and the whole is topped with crunchy veggies (usually radish, bean sprouts, and celery), and served with chopped omelette or tofu making for a healthy feast.