Come for the sights, stay for the food.
Welcome to MojoTravels and today we're
counting down our picks for the must try
dishes in Beijing. Are you a fan of our
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we're looking at some of the city's most
iconic popular and mouth-watering dishes
street foods and snacks China is a
veritable treasure trove of culinary
treats to discover and the strength of
this metropolitan hub is that you can
taste not only the specialties of the
area but highlights from the country's
multiplicity of regional cuisines as
well please note there are countless
unique and exciting dishes to try in
Beijing this is just a sampling so be
sure to ask a local for more
recommendations and don't be afraid to
try new things
kung pao chicken or Gong Bao Zhi dings
Western eaters are sure to be familiar
with this dish given its prevalence in
Chinese American takeout establishments
but really you haven't tried kung pao
chicken or Gong Bao Zhi ding as it's
known locally until you've tried it in
China kung pao chicken is firmly rooted
in the cuisine of situaion province but
its popularity is such that it's easy to
get an authentic preparation all across
the country each region giving the dish
their own unique spin compound is a
spicy stir-fried that typically consists
of chicken peanuts vegetables though
it's often just leeks and of course the
all-important chili peppers and Sichuan
peppercorns in Beijing however the sauce
is often a bit sweeter than that of
other provinces it almost goes without
saying
but you really should approach Gong Bao
Zhi ding like an entirely new dish when
you arrive in Beijing leaving any
preconceived notions you might have
about kung pao chicken on the plane
candied Hawthorne's or tangu liu here's
something a little different that you're
unlikely to have tried before town hulu
is a sweet treat that people have been
consuming in northern China dating all
the way back to ancient times Mountain
Hawthorne also known as Chinese ha is a
red fruit that looks a bit like a small
Apple to make delicious Tang hulu the
sour fruit is skewered on a piece of
bamboo and then covered in sweetheart
candy various hawkers will mix up the
fruit adding things like bananas
blueberries strawberries and even cherry
tomatoes but Hawthorn is the classic
think of it almost like a mini cane
the apple bruschetta unlike candied
apples however candied Hawthorne's are
traditionally reserved for cold weather
during the winter months little stands
and carts can be found Hawking them all
over the city steamed buns or mantou and
Bowser steamed buns are another popular
Chinese export that can now be found in
major cities around the world so what's
the difference between mantou and Bao
you might ask the two names often get
used interchangeably and can indeed
change from province to province but
most agree that mantou is a plain
steamed bun
while bow or vows it signifies a steamed
bun with some sort of filling in Western
countries Bao buns are the more popular
preparation but in Beijing you will find
plenty of plain Manto being served
either as a snack or as a side to go
with a larger meal they're rather
delicate in terms of flavor but have a
satisfying texture and they make for a
great dose of carbs on the go and the
light fluffy texture is absolutely
heavenly they're sometimes served with
warm condensed milk of course after
you've gotten familiar with the basic
Mentos be sure to try some of the many
varieties of both sweet and savory Bauza
these stuffed varieties can take the
form of a small sandwich or a doughy
dumpling and are truly delicious egg
crepe or Jian Bing when it comes to
street food beijing does not mess around
in fact one can easily spend weeks
exploring the city without eating
anything else one of the true Beijing
classics and a dish that works
particularly well for a quick breakfast
on the go is Jian Bing a savory crepe
preparation that's basically the Chinese
version of a breakfast wrap just way
better first
the cook will make a thin crepe of wheat
and mung bean flour then an egg mixture
is added to cook on top of the crepe
next comes a mixture of sauces and
toppings ranging from cilantro and
scallions to pickles and fried wontons
for extra crunch wrap it all up and
you've got a Beijing breakfast of
champions or a quick filling meal for
just about any time of day ma no time
for lack of a better description
mama Tang is essentially a
build-your-own soup made distinct by the
searing and tingling mala sauce from
which it takes its name with its unique
spiciness and mouth numbing qualities
possible ingredients you can select for
this hot pot include a wide variety of
vegetables meats tofu and seafood all of
which go into the delicious broth now
this is another dish that originated in
Sichuan but mama Tong has really taken
on a life of its own in Beijing where
the locals have tailored it to their
tastes
among the notable changes in China's
capital city is the addition of sesame
paste to the recipe if any place is
charged a pay by weight system just
select your ingredients including your
meats or other proteins and away you go
be careful though you'll want to specify
your level of spiciness as mother tongue
can get volcanic when you venture into
junghwa or very spicy territory
jajangmyun this dish is made up of just
a few simple ingredients but when they
come together the end result is pure
magic jajangmyun roughly translates to
fried sauce noodles and that is really
the crux of it originally hailing from
Shandong Province jajangmyun is yet
another dish that Beijing has reinvented
to the point that some people in the
city colloquially refer to the dish as
Beijing noodles traditionally the dish
consists of hand pulled wheat noodles
and ground meat pork or beef simmered in
fermented bean paste to that various
fresh and pickled toppings are added in
Beijing vegetarian versions have long
been a popular option and the city
further distinguishes its take on the
dish by using yellow bean paste
whereas sweet bean sauce is more common
elsewhere jajangmyun is definitely a
must try for noodle lovers and really
isn't that all of us dumplings or Ghouta
not to be confused with the larger bread
airbases style dumplings Johnson
resembles chinese-american potstickers
they are also closely related to the
similarly named Japanese equivalent yoza
the finer details change from province
to province but chance' in their most
basic form consists of thin wrappers of
dough filled with meat and/or vegetables
pressed together along one edge to form
a seal these delicious little packages
of savory goodness are served with black
vinegar and or sesame oil a versatile
dish jelsa can be fried steamed or
boiled these morsels are really the
ultimate comfort food there's a little
wonder that even thousands of years ago
the dish was described as good for the
human soul and thankfully it can be
found all around Beijing Peking duck or
Beijing Korea when in Beijing even if
you're only there for a layover you
we must try their world-famous roast
duck the dish has a rich history dating
all the way back to the UN dynasty a
popular dish in the imperial royal court
Peking Duck has had its own specialized
restaurants in Beijing dating back as
early as the 1400s
so really ordering this local specialty
is more than just a culinary experience
you are figuratively tasting hundreds of
years worth of Beijing's history the
process is a precise and elaborate one
involving any number of steps and
techniques all with the aim of achieving
that trademark crispy lacquered skin
while ensuring that the meat stays
tender great Peking Duck can be found
throughout the city but if you're
looking for a truly authentic experience
restaurants trend Judah and peony Fong
are two of the most historic
institutions do you agree with our picks
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