Beijing Cuisine

Beijing(北京), sometimes written Peking, is the northern capital of China. As a major political center of China and an economic and tourist hub, Beijing has invited influence from all over; yet, the historic city and its surrounding region maintains a strong cultural identity of its own with unique food traditions.

Beijing cuisine shares features with other northern Chinese cuisines such as Jin(晉) cuisine and Lu(魯) cuisine. It has been influenced by its imperial history and contact with silk road traders from central Asia as well as cultures from Mongolia, Manchuria, and southern China.

Traditional Beijing, or old Beijing(老北京 lǎoběijīng), has its own food traditions. Old Beijing snack(老北京小吃) shops preserve Beijing’s old-fashioned sweets and more. Noodles and buns can be found at neighborhood shops. Other dishes are cooked at home.

Ingredients

Wheat is the major staple food of Beijing cuisine. It is made into noodles, dumplings, buns, and flatbreads. Buckwheat is sometimes used. Rice and sticky rice are uncommonly used in traditional Beijing cuisine. Proso millet(黍) or broomcorn millet, also known as huangmi(黃米) in hulled form, is a type of sticky millet sometimes used for dumplings called zong(粽).

Beijing dishes use several types of legumes such as soybeans(黃豆), broad beans(蚕豆), and peas(豌豆). Fermented soybean paste(黃豆 / 黃醬 / 豆醬 / 大醬) is made from soybean and flour. A dried version(乾黃醬 / 乾醬) is also made. Sweet flour paste(甜麵醬 tiánmiànjiàng) is made from wheat and a small amount of soybean.

Sesame seeds(芝麻 zhīma) are made into paste and oil, both common ingredients.

Scallions are commonly used to flavor dishes. Giant scallions(大蔥 dàcōng) are sometimes preferred.

A type of round eggplant(圓茄子 yuánqiēzi) is a specialty of old Beijing mostly used in home cooking.

Watermelon radish(心裡美蘿蔔 xīnliměiluóbo) is a Beijing favorite. It has a greenish peel and bright fuchsia red or pink inside.

Fruits suited to the northern climate can be found in Beijing cuisine. Mountain hawthorn(山楂 shānzhā) is a specialty, commonly sold candied on a stick by roadside vendors. Jujube(紅棗 hóngzǎo), also called red date, is common as well. Apricot(杏) is available and may be dried(杏幹).

Duck(鴨肉) is famously roasted as Beijing duck(北京烤鴨), or Peking duck, one of the most famous Beijing dishes.

Lamb(羊肉) is used often in Beijing cuisine. Tripe features often; pork(豬肉) is widely used. Donkey meat(驢肉) also features but isn’t as common.

Dishes

• chun bing(春餅): thin flatbread, usually served with other dishes as filling(春餅捲菜)
• jian bing(煎餅): crisped thin flatbread with fillings such as egg, cracker, greens, and sauce
• jiaozi(餃子): dumpling with filling
• mantou(饅頭): steamed bread
• bao(包子): steamed bun with filling
• zhajiang noodles(炸醬麵): noodles topped with vegetables and salty bean sauce
• majiang noodles(麻醬麵): noodles with sesame sauce
• dalu noodles(打滷麵): noodles with sauce broth
• eggplant noodles(茄汆麵 qiécuārmiàn): noodles topped with eggplant in sauce
• lamb noodles(羊肉汆麵): noodles with lamb in broth
• buckwheat cake(扒糕): pieces of buckwheat cake
• chao he cai(炒合菜): mixed stir-fried with various ingredients such as soybean sprouts, chives, starch noodles, meat, and mushrooms; sometimes served with chun bing
• braised eggplant(燒茄子): eggplant braised with soy-based sauce
• scallion fried pork(蔥爆豬肉): pork pieces cooked with scallion
• jing jiang meat strips(京醬肉絲): pork or other meat cooked with sweet bean sauce
• peking duck(北京烤鴨): carved roasted duck, typically served with wrapper, sauce, and scallion
• chaogan(炒肝): thick liver soup
• candied haws(糖葫蘆): skewered mountain hawthorn coated with sugar
• donkey roll(驢打滾): sweet rolled rice cake
• yellow pea cake(豌豆黃): smooth and sweet yellow cake made from peas
• haw cake(山楂糕 or 京糕): sweet cake made from mountain hawthorn
• zong(粽子): dumping made with sticky rice or proso millet, usually with jujube filling and sometimes with sweet bean filling or no filling; traditionally wrapped in reed leaves, sometimes thin or conical in shape
• white mooncake(自來白月餅): light-colored sweet pastry with nut filling or other filling
• red mooncake(自來紅月餅): dark-colored sweet pastry with nut filling or other filling