Beijing: Cuisine

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Beijing Cuisine: Cuisine Overview

Beijing is the political, cultural and diplomatic centre of China. Cultures from all over the world as well as from all over China meet and merge together. Beijing Cuisine is a cooking style in Beijing, China. It is also formally known as Mandarin cuisine, integrating the cooking techniques of Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Hui ethnic groups, and absorbs main local dishes from all over the country. Based on Shandong Cuisine and essences of the imperial cuisine of the Ming and Qing dynasties, Beijing Cuisine has formed its own unique characteristics.

Beijing Cuisine: Cuisine History

Since Beijing has been the Chinese capital city for centuries, its cuisine has been influenced by culinary traditions from all over China, but the cuisine that has exerted the greatest influence on Beijing cuisine is the cuisine of the eastern coastal province of Shandong. Beijing cuisine has itself, in turn, also greatly influenced other Chinese cuisines, particularly the cuisine of Liaoning, the Chinese imperial cuisine, and the Chinese aristocrat cuisine. "The Emperor's Kitchen" was a term referring to the cooking places inside of the Forbidden City, Beijing where thousands of cooks from the different parts of China showed their best cooking skills to please royal families and officials. Therefore, it is at times rather difficult to determine the actual origin of a dish as the term "Mandarin" is generalized and refers not only to Beijing, but other provinces as well. However, some generalization of Beijing cuisine can be characterized as follows: Foods that originated in Beijing are often snacks rather than full courses, and they are typically sold by little shops or street vendors. There is emphasis on dark soy paste, sesame paste, sesame oil, and scallions, and fermented tofu is often served as a condiment. In terms of cooking method, methods relating to the different way of frying is often used. There is a lesser emphasis on rice as an accompaniment than in many other areas of China, as local rice production is limited by the relatively dry climate.

Beijing Cuisine: Cuisine Culture

As for cooking native to Beijing, the most popular methods are roasting, frying, stewing, braising, and steaming. A prime example of Beijing cuisine is the Beijing Roast Duck. Another favorite Beijing meal is Shuanyangrou or "Hot Pot", which is especially popular in the cold Beijing winter months. Around the Chunjie or Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, Beijingers make meat dumplings called Jiaozi that are a special part of northern Chinese cuisine. Beijing's strong Muslim community with both Beijing's local Muslims and others who migrate from Xinjiang and other parts of China lends its own flavors to the mix that is modern Beijing. Perhaps the most unbeatable dining is to experience the cuisine of the Imperial kitchen. As a great international city, Beijing also offers many choices in western and non-Chinese cuisine and the range of International cuisine here should satisfy even the most westernised of palates.

Beijing Cuisine: Mandarin dishes

• Peking Duck (usually served with pancakes) (北京烤鴨)


• Hot and Sour Soup (酸辣湯)


• Peking Barbecue (烤肉/北京烤肉)


• Instant-boiled mutton (涮羊肉)


• Sweetened Vinegar Spareribs (糖醋排骨)
  


• Stir Fried Tomatoes with Scrambled Eggs (西紅柿炒雞蛋 xīhóngshì chǎo jīdàn)


• Beggar's chicken (富貴雞)


• Sweet Stir Fried Mutton/Lamb (它似蜜) (Ta Si Mi)


• Plain Boiled Pork (白肉) (Bai Rou)


• Fried Small Meatballs (炸丸子) (Zha Xiao Wan Zi)


• Fried Pig Liver wrapped in Chinese Small Iris (Iris pallasii) (炸卷肝) (Zha Juan Gan)


• Shredded Skin Salad (拌皮絲) (Ban Pi Si)


• Cold Pig ears in Sauce (拌雙脆) (Ban Shuang Cui)


• Pickled Chinese Cabbage with Blood Filled Intestines (酸菜血腸) (Suan Cai Xue Chang)


• Sauced Meat (醬肉) (Jiang Rou)


• Pickled Sauced Meat (清醬肉) (Qing Jiang Rou)


• Upper Parts of the Pork Hand/Leg (水晶肘子) (Shui Jing Zhou Zi)


• Three Non-Stickiness (三不粘 ; San Bu Nian)


• Wood shavings meat 木須肉 (Moo Shu Pork)


• Quick-Fried Tripe (mainly intestines) (爆肚) (Bao Du)


• Fried Triangle (炸三角) (Zha San Jiao)


• Roast (Mutton/Beef/Pork (燒牛/羊/豬肉) (Shao Niu/Yang/Zhu Rou)


• Peking Dumpling (餃子/北京餃子) (Jiaozi/Beijing Jiaozi)


• Peking wonton (餛飩/北京餛飩) (Hun Tun/Beijing Huntun)


• Braised Fish (酥魚) (Su Yu)


• Soft Fried Fish (軟炸魚) (Ruan Zha Yu)


• Fish Cooked with Five Spices (五香魚) (Wu Xiang Yu)


• Fish Cooked with Vinegar and Pepper (醋椒魚) (Cu Jiao Yu)


• Shrimp Chips with Egg (金魚戲蓮) (Jin Yu Xi Lian)


• Fish Soaked with Soup (幹燒魚) (Gan Shao Yu)


• Family Style Boiled Fish (家常熬魚) (Jia Chang Ao Yu)


• Sea cucumber with quail egg (烏龍吐珠) (Wu Long Tu Zhu)


• Fish Cooked with Five Kinds of Sliced Vegetable (五柳魚) (Wu Liu Yu)


• Abalone with Peas and Fish Paste (蛤蟆鮑魚) (Ha Ma Bao Yu)


• Meat Wrapped in Thin Mung Bean Flour Pancake (煎餅馃子) (Jian Bing Guo Zi)


• Egg and Shrimp Wrapped in Corn Flour Pancake (糊餅) (Hu Bing)


• Fried Tofu with Egg Wrapping (鍋塌豆腐) (Guo Ta Do Fu)


• Wheaten Cake Boiled in Meat Broth (鹵煮火燒) (Lu Zhu Huo Shao)


• Fried Wheaten Pancake with Meat and Sea Cucumber Fillings (褡褳火燒) (Da Lian Huo Shao)


• Fried Butter cake (奶油炸糕) (Nai You Zha Gao)


• Fried Cake with Fillings (燙面炸糕) (Tang Mian Zha Gao)


• Fried Dry Soybean Cream with Diced Meat Filling (炸響鈴) (Zha Xiang Ling)


• Dried Soy Milk Cream in Tight Roll with Beef Fillings (炸卷果) (Zhua Juan Guo)


• Lotus Ham (蓮棗肉方) (Lian Rou Zao Fang)


• Pork in Broth (蘇造肉) (Su Zao Rou)


• Stewed Pork Organs (燉吊子) (Dun Diao Zi)


• Goat/Sheep Intestine Filled with Blood (羊霜腸) (Yang Shuang Chang)


• Beef Wrapped in Pancake (門釘肉餅) (Men Ding Rou Bing)


• Soft Fried Tender Loin (軟炸裏脊) (Ruan Zha Li Ji)


• Meatballs Soup (清湯丸子) (Qing Tang Wan Zi)


• Fried Sesame Egg Cake (開口笑) (Kai Kuo Xiao)


• Pork Fat with Flour Wrapping Glazed in Honey (蜜汁葫蘆) (Mi Zhi Hu Lu)


• Glazed Fried Egg Cake (金絲糕) (Jin Si Gao)


• Steamed Egg Cake (碗糕) (Wan Gao)


• Lotus Shaped Cake with Chicken Meat (蓮蓬雞糕) (Lian Peng Ji Gao)


• Fried Thin Pancake with Meat Stuffing (炸卷果) (Zha Juan Guo)

Beijing Cuisine: Noodles

• Noodles with Thick Gravy (打鹵面) (Da Lu Mian)


• Zhajiang Noodle (炸醬面)


• Naked Oats Noodle (蓧面搓魚) (You Mian Cuo Yu)

Beijing Cuisine: Vegetarian

• Mustardy Chinese cabbage (芥末墩) (Jie Mo Dun)


• Beijing preserved fruit (果脯) (Guo Pu)


• Beijing candied fruit (蜜餞) (Mi Jian)


• Hawthorn cake (京糕) (Jin Gao)


• Stir fried hawthorn (炒紅果) (Chao Hong Guo)


• Iced fruits (冰果) (Bing Guo)


• Watermellon jelly (西瓜酪) (Xi Gua Lao)


• Almond drink (杏仁茶) (Xin Ren Cha)


• Beijng 'yoghurt' (奶酪) (Nai Lao)


• Fuling pancake sandwich (茯苓夾餅) (Fuling Jiabing)


• Thin Millet Flour Pancake (煎餅) (Jian Bing)


• Thin pancake (薄餅) (Bao Bing)


• Pancake (烙餅) Lao Bing


• Deep Fried Dough Cake (油餅) (You Bing)


• Baked Sesame Seed Cake (燒餅) (shao Bing)


• Purplevine Cake (藤蘿餅) (Teng Luo Bing)


• Shortening cake (牛舌餅) (Niu She Bing)


• Glutinous rice cake (切糕) (Qie Gao)


• Thousand-layer cake (千層糕) (Qian Ceng Gao)


• Lamma cake (喇嘛糕) (La Ma Gao)


• Proso millet cake (黃糕) (Huang Gao)


• Glutinous rice cake roll (卷糕) (Juan Gao)


• Glazed steamed glutinous rice cake (水晶糕) (Shui Jing Gao)


• Rice and white kidney bean cake with jujube (盆糕) (Pen Gao)


• Honeycomb cake (蜂糕) (Feng Gao)


• Buckwheat cake (扒糕) (Ba Gao)


• Rice and jujube cake (甑糕) (Zeng Gao)


• Mung bean cake (綠豆糕) (Lu Dou Gao)


• Soybean flour cake (豆面糕) (Dou Mian Gao)


• Bean paste cake (涼糕) (Liang Gao)


• Fried Cake (炸糕) (Zha Gao)


• Rice cake with bean paste (花糕) (Hua Gao)


• Chestnut cake with bean paste (栗子糕) (Li Zi Gao)


• Chestnut broth (栗子羹) (Li Zi Geng)


• Glazed/Candied Chinese Yam (拔絲山藥) (Ba Si Shan Yao)


• Glazed thin pancake with Chinese yam and jujube stuffing (糖卷果) (Tang Juan Guo)


• Thin pancake of pork fat (油皮) (You Pi)


• Sweet hard flour cake (硬面餑餑) (Yi Mian Bo Bo)


• Sweet flour cake (墩餑餑) (Dun Bo Bo)


• Fried sugar cake (糖耳朵) (Tang Er Duo)


• Fried cake glazed in malt sugar (蜜三刀) (Mi San Dao)


• Cake with bean paste filling (豆陷燒餅) (Dou Xian Shao Bing)


• Freshwater snail shaped cake (螺螄轉) (Luo Si Zhuan)


• Chinese "fajitas" (春餅卷菜 — not to be confused with spring rolls [春卷])


• Chatang / Miancha / Youcha (茶湯/面茶/油茶)


• Fermented Mung Bean Juice (豆汁) (Dou Zhi)


• Baked Wheaten Cake (火燒) (Huo Shao)


• Sweetened baked wheaten cake (糖火燒) (Tang Huo Shao)


• Bean Jelly (涼粉) (Liang Fen)


• Sweet Potato Starch Jelly (粉皮) (Fen Pi)


• Crisp Fritter (麻頁) (Ma Ye)


• Crisp Fritter with Sesame (薄脆) (Bao Cui)


• Crisp Thin Fritter Twist (排叉) (Pai Cha)


• Crisp Noodle (饊子) (San Zi)


• Stir Fried Starch Knots (炒疙瘩) (Chao Ge Da)


• Fried Ring (焦圈) (Jiao Quan)


• Fried Dough Twist (麻花) (Ma Hua)


• Pease Pudding (豌豆黃) (Wan Dou Huang)


• Fermented Mung Bean Juice Dried (麻豆腐) (Ma Dou Fu)


• Jellied Bean Curd (豆腐腦) (Dou Fu Nao)


• Almond tofu (杏仁豆腐)


• Glutinous rice ball (艾窩窩) (Ai Wo Wo)


• Noodle roll (銀絲卷) (Yi Si Juan)


• Kidney bean roll (蕓豆卷) (Yun Dou Juan)


• Dried Soy Milk Cream in Tight Rolls (腐竹) (Fu Zhu)


• Sugarcoated haws on a stick (糖葫蘆) (Tang hu lu)


• Millet zongzi (粽子) (Zongzi)


• Tangyuan (元宵) (Yuan Xiao)

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